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In Defense of Humbug

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    HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
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    Happy Holiday!
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    Happily Holiday!
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    We're a good 6 weeks deep now
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    into the telling everybody to have a happy holiday season,
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    and the closer we get to the end of that season,
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    the more urgent the need becomes
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    to tell everyone everywhere
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    to have a happy holiday.
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    Even though at this point in the year
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    that's probably the least useful thing you could say
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    to anybody.
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    Pretty much anyone you run into this week,
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    you can be confident they already know there's a holiday taking place,
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    and that they're expected to be happy when this occurs.
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    So instead of me telling you to have a happy holiday
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    for the fortyleventhmilliontheighthundredmillionth time,
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    I'd rather take a minute to acknowledge
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    everyone out there who's not having a happy holiday.
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    Everyone who can't be with the family that they love,
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    everyone who has to be with the family that they hate,
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    everyone who can't afford to express their love
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    through the season's mandatory rituals of crass consumerism.
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    I see you,
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    I know that you're out there.
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    I know that this is the most stressful,
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    most depressing, most unhappiest time of year
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    for millions of people.
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    And I know that if you're one of those people who's already unhappy,
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    and then you gotta spend 6 weeks having everyone else come up to you like
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    "Hey! Have a happy holiday!"
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    "I hope you're having a happy one!"
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    "Don't you go wearing a frown!"
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    "What are you? Some kind of Scrooge? Is something wrong with you?!
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    Society demands that you be happy!!!"
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    If I'm one of those people who's already unhappy,
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    that is not helpful.
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    That makes it worse.
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    If I'm not having a happy holiday,
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    it isn't because I forgot to do it.
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    I don't need you to remind me.
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    I'm already accutely aware of my failure to be happy.
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    And well, let me just pause for a minute and say
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    I'm not mad at people who say "happy holidays".
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    I say it, we all have good intentions when we say it.
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    But I also know that for a whole lot of people
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    this holiday season is like a little box
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    that you know everyone's supposed to fit into,
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    and you wish that you could fit into the box too,
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    but you just can't fit in the box.
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    And when you can't fit in that box,
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    it makes you feel like the whole purpose of this holiday season
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    is to remind you that there's something wrong with you.
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    So I just wanna say to everyone out there:
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    No matter how you spend this holiday,
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    there's nothing wrong with you doing that.
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    And give a little love to both sides of that holiday divide.
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    For everyone out there who is able to have a happy holiday,
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    good for you!
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    I'm sure you're already on top of it.
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    Keep up the good work.
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    And to everyone else out there
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    who's not fitting into that happy holiday box,
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    I especially want to send this out to you,
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    and let you know I see you,
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    there's lots of people right there with you,
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    I've been there,
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    and you're not alone.
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    Basically I just want to say that wherever you are,
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    whoever you're with,
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    whatever your circumstances,
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    happy holidays!
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    are optional.
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    If you're into that kind of thing.
Title:
In Defense of Humbug
Description:

http://twitter.com/jsmooth995

A shoutout to everyone for whom this season brings nothing but cold and isolation.

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Video Language:
English
Duration:
02:33
Radical Access Mapping Project added a translation

English subtitles

Revisions