Marathon Monday

Living in the Boston area, you can't escape the Boston marathon. When that Marathon Monday in April rolls around, you best be prepared for streets to close down and wall-to-wall television coverage. And now, thanks to the recent bombing, for heightened excessive security and "Boston Strong" slogans everywhere. But that's not the marathon Monday I'm talking about. I don't have much use for marathons. For me, when Marathon Monday rolls around it's an annoyance. But my family likes the marathon, and my nephew was even born on a Marathon Monday, so I can't escape it. But marathons bore me to tears.

What I do love however is movie marathons. And tomorrow is going to be a movie marathon Monday for me, as the new Hobbit movie comes out and they will be screening all three that day. I've gone to a few movie marathons over the years. I saw the Dark Knight trilogy marathon (that was the night of the Aurora shooting). I even went to the Twilight marathon (and now I never have to see any of those films ever again).

I remember back when Return of the King came out there were Lord of the Rings marathons, but I wasn't able to go because it sold out in like an hour. Now, I have the opportunity to watch the three Hobbit movies together. And it's going to be fun.

There are few things I like better than movie marathons. I wish there were more of them in my area. I've always wanted to do a Star Trek movie marathon. Some nights at home I've done marathons. My sister and I did a Toy Story marathon, and a Lion King marathon, and a Rush Hour marathon. Back in the 1990s, for awhile the Disney Channel did "Triple Feature Friday" where they would air a marathon of movies either in the same series or related topically. I wish they'd bring that back. Of course, I wish they still aired movies without commercials.

I remember when I was a kid and the Sci-Fi Channel (back when it was called that) aired the Star Wars Trilogy all day. It was hosted by Carrie Fisher that year and I taped it because I wasn't home all day. The following year they did it again in letterbox format hosted by Billy Dee Williams. They're sister network USA used to do it pretty often as well after that. Nowadays, TNT is always running Lord of the Rings in a similar fashion.

Great as it is at home, nothing beats doing a marathon in a theater the way they were meant to be seen. To me, a movie marathon is a perfect first date. Kinda wish I had someone to go with to one. Anyway, I'm looking forward to marathon Monday tomorrow, the only Marathon Monday that I can get behind.

The Meaning of Christmas According to Joel

Last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Jimmy premiered a new Christmas song written with The Killers called "Joel the Lump of Coal". Normally I dislike new modern Christmas songs (I never ever ever want to hear "The Christmas Shoes" again). And it's a little frustrating that we are into the Christmas season so soon, but I was pleasantly surprised by my enjoyment of the song.

In the tradition of "Frosty the Snowman", it's a song about a sentient object at Christmas time. but while the story involves Santa and the North Pole, I came away seeing Christological significance as well. Give a listen to the song below, and then I'll elucidate.

That was cute, right? Did you enjoy it? 

When I was in high school, I remember that someone in my sister's class once wrote a paper on how Frosty the Snowman is a Christ figure (particularly in the animated special). He gives his life to save a little girl, then is reborn and in the end he ascends to the sky (on Santa's sleigh). "And he waved goodbye saying, 'Don't you cry. I'll be back again someday.'" 

Similarly, I found Joel the Lump of Coal to represent Christ's mission on earth. He comes somewhat reluctantly but does the will of Santa (shadows of Gethsemane?) and in the end his presence makes the naughty boy aware of his sin, but Joel doesn't leave things that way. Joel knows he was sent for a purpose, and he tells the kid to put all his pain onto him. Like Jesus on the cross, Joel takes on the boy's sin on himself as it were, and in doing so he gives his life. But he is reborn as a brilliant diamond, and the boy is changed, now with great reward. Isn't that a beautiful representation of what Christ does? In a way, is that not what Christmas is all about?

I must say, I was rather moved by Joel the Lump of Coal. That's a song I wouldn't mind hearing on the radio, and I've already bought it on iTunes. I hope all your Christmases are filled with warm feelings and that those things that seem lousy turn out to bring you joy, and if you feel like an unloved lump of coal, find your purpose and shine bright.