Christmas | The Adobo Chronicles

New York, New York – The days of ‘Tickle Me Elmo,’ Transformers, Scrabble and Monopoly are over. In this age of capitalist technology, the hottest games, gifts and toys in the market over the last many Christmas seasons have been Microsoft’s X-Box, Nintendo’s Wii and other electronic devices.

But wait — not any more. The makers of traditional toys and games are fighting back, and are winning! Yesterday, the American Toys and Games Manufacturers’ Association (ATGMA) revealed the top item in the 2013 wish list of shoppers, based on a nationwide survey of consumers – children and adults alike.

The winner: “The New and Improved Dart Board Game.” The 2013 model of this once-favored game features an enlarged bull’s eye center section (see photo). The game’s manufacturer said that it hit the jackpot when it tested the new device among focus groups earlier this year. “We had a 100% approval rating,” it said, adding that “players liked the idea of a perfect score each time they played. With this new model, it is almost impossible not to hit the bull’s eye.”

As of yesterday, the new dart board game is sold out and online orders have a 2-week backorder status. It retails for $99.99.

Kansas City, MO – Most everyone who believes in Christmas grew up singing the carol, “Deck The Halls.” It is of Welsh origin, dating back to the sixteenth century. The Welsh lyrics were penned by John Jones Talhaiarn with English words by Scottish musician Thomas Oliphant.

Now, the Kansas-based Hallmark, makers of the famous Hallmark greeting cards, has changed the lyrics of the Christmas carol on its new design of a Christmas-themed sweater ornament it is marketing. Instead of the words, “Don we now our gay apparel,” Hallmark changed it to “Don we now our fun apparel.” This prompted the estates of Talhaiarn and Oliphant to sue Hallmark for copyright infringement.

But the troubles of the card company doesn’t end there. Today, the LGBT organization, Human Rights Campaign (HRC), accused Hallmark of being biased and homophobic. “It’s clearly an effort on the part of the company to banish “gay” not only from the Christmas carol, but from the face of this earth,” an HRC spokesperson said.

Hallmark defended the change saying, “When the lyrics to ‘Deck the Halls’ were translated from Gaelic and published in English back in the 1800s, the word ‘gay’ meant festive or merry. Today it has multiple meanings, which we thought could leave our intent open to misinterpretation.”

Few people were buying Hallmark’s argument, but it remains to be seen as to how many people will actually buy the ornament.

Meanwhile, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus just announced that it will continue to use the traditional lyrics when it sings “Deck the Halls” during the sing-along portion of its annual “Home for the Holidays” Christmas concert at the historical Castro Theater. No kidding.