Friday, September 21, 2012

Friday FAIL

Today I need to rant about something that offends me deeply.

Inflatables.

No, I don't mean the kind of toy that you can buy in an adult store or online to enjoy in the privacy of your bedroom. I mean the giant blow-up monstrosities that invade our neighbourhoods and drift across roads, parks and playgrounds when not properly secured, or collapse into wilted puddles of vinyl when the pump is turned off.

At first, they were something you saw around Christmastime.



Can you believe this reindeer is two storeys tall?




Then they started popping up at Hallowe'en...




...and Thanksgiving.



Oh, no, Easter too?




But now, they're not seasonal any more. Inflatable rats and other vermin seem to be appropriate at any time of the year.



What holiday would inspire you to put a gargoyle on your front lawn? Quasimodo Day?


Stop the madness!

From Hermione's Heart

24 comments:

Bas said...

Are those the things that make such a terrible noise from the airpump that's always pumping in more air?
Let's start a free distribution of pins!

Our Bottoms Burn said...

Another indication of culture headed downhill.

Spanky said...

Fortunately we don't see many of those around here.

Anonymous said...

Hermione,

Very funny. Thanks.

Hug,
joey

abby said...

I have to agree, since around here people don't stop at just one. Sometimes there are so many, you can't even see them all...what is the attraction??
hugs abby

Aimless Rambling said...

I agree. I hate those things. During the day they lay on the ground like a big lump. Definitely a fail

Terri said...

What about bouncy castles? THEY"RE called 'inflatables' too. As are those giant slides and obstacle cources you see in large public swimming pools during school holidays.

OK. Now I'm done defending the COOL inflatables, I agree with you about the dumb seasonal ones. And the even dumber pointless ones.

ronnie said...

I hate those things. Just around the corner from us there is this house that has a gianormous Father Christmas on their roof and one in the front garden and every year the one in the front garden blows across the pavement.

Love,
Ronnie
xx

Dragon's Rose said...

Agree! FAIL! ! ! I hate those things.

Unknown said...

I <3 them... I am sorry. I hope we can still be friends. ;-) **halo**

Hermione said...

Bas - Yes, those are the ones.

OBB - You said it. What's tasteful about them?

Spanky - Really? How fortunate you are.

Joey - Thanks.

Abby - Yes, it seems the more the merrier, and I can't fathom why.

Sunnygirl - Yes, more often than not they are in a flaccid state.

Terri - Bouncy castles at least serve a purpose, and the inflatable slides would be good fun.

Ronnie - We seem to have an overabundance of snowmen here. Why can't they anchor them properly.

Dragon's Rose - Yay! It's unanimous!

Youn Lady - Oops, I spoke too soon. Right, for you we will call this the Friday WIN:D

Of course we are still friends. I hope I haven't offended you. Er, do you actually HAVE one of these decorating your home?

Hugs,
Hermione

Emen said...

Yes, and they all deflate immediately and look even worse.

But I love how you spell Hallowe'en :)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, they're kind of ugly and an eyesore!

Zoe said...

Not my favorite either. I don't get their appeal.

Mrs. Soft Bottom said...

OMG- thank God only at christmas in our neightborhood.

Felicia Nemo said...

1. They do bug me too...makes me wonder what their electricity bill is!
2. I believe that's not a gargoyle. It's a chimeres. I was told that gargoyles were use as drain spouts where chimeres were decerative.

Minielle Labraun said...

Yuk! Old classy decorations please.

sixofthebest said...

Hermione, I am just asking a question. Would you be against an inflatable, that depicted a spanking scene.

Blondie said...

I have never given it much thought, but since you mentioned it, I would have to agree with you. I hate the ones on car lots that always look like they are going to fall over

Hermione said...

Emen - You made me look to see if I'd spelled it wrong. Whew!

Cowgirl - You said it!

Zoe - Maybe people with kids get talked into it by their offspring.

Mrs SB - Ours too, so far.

Felicia - No water coming out of that one, so you must be right.

Minelle - Give me a tastefully decorated evergreen tree any day.

Six - It depends on how big it is. Two stories high would definitely be out of the question.

Blondie - Oh, yes, the ones that shoot straight up into the air like giant hotdogs. Ugh!

Hugs,
Hermione

A-Non said...

I don't mind the inflatables very much, perhaps because I only see them around here at Christmastime. However, I am tired of "attention-grabbing" air-blown "characters", sort of like these "wavers" (http://www.wavyads.com/). You can't ignore them and they are very annoying.

Hermione said...

A-non - Yes, those wavers are so irritating.

Hugs,
Hermione

Lea said...

I hate those inflatables. Except for the Rat. In the case of the Rat, it's placed outside construction workplaces that are using non-union labor. It's part of protesting.

Terpsichore said...

I quite agree