Are you feeling frustrated, annoyed or just downright angry about something? Well, have no fear because the Sunshine State now has a solution for you. The Florida newspaper, the Sun Sentinel, has decided to get in the holiday spirit and allow readers to air their grievances for Festivus.
For those who may not be familiar with this holiday, it was made popular by the hit TV show Seinfeld. Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd and is a time to gather with loved ones and air out any grievances or issues that have been bothering you throughout the year. It’s basically a more passive aggressive version of therapy.
However, the Sun Sentinel is taking things to the next level by printing these grievances for all to see. This means your petty complaint about your neighbor’s loud music will be immortalized in print forever. How exciting!
According to the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, they wanted to do something unique and fun for their readers during the holiday season. Because let’s face it, nothing says Merry Christmas like publicly shaming someone for not returning your Tupperware container.
But in all seriousness, this could be a slippery slope. While it may seem harmless to let people vent their frustrations, what if these grievances turn into personal attacks or even threats? Is it really worth it to potentially put someone’s safety at risk just for the sake of some holiday amusement?
Another issue with this idea is that some of these grievances may be completely trivial. Do we really need to see a complaint about someone cutting in line at the grocery store? Or someone’s rant about how much they hate pumpkin spice lattes? It seems like this could just be a waste of time and paper.
However, the Sun Sentinel seems to be committed to this idea. They have already received a handful of grievances, ranging from complaints about traffic to criticisms of President Trump. It will be interesting to see just how far people are willing to take this and what kind of reactions it will cause.
One thing is for sure, though. Festivus just got a whole lot more interesting in Florida. Maybe next year they can add a pole to the printing press room to really get into the spirit.
And who knows, maybe this idea will catch on with other newspapers across the country. Imagine a nationwide airing of grievances, where we can all come together and complain about our annoying co-worker or that one family member who always ruins Thanksgiving. It’s a Christmas miracle!
But until then, we’ll just have to settle for reading about Florida’s Festivus grievances. So, if you have a bone to pick with someone or just need to get something off your chest, now’s your chance. Just be prepared for the whole world (or at least the readers of the Sun Sentinel) to see it.
