How's it going lurkers? Literally the day after Thanksgiving, some TV networks began airing Christmas specials.
It sucks that most network programmers refuse to air any
Christmas Horror films.
Today everything is
"offensive" and The Sensitivity Police are always on cue for the easily
"triggered." I believe most TV networks fear a backlash over airing
Christmas Horror films.
Even though there are other
religious groups celebrating their own traditions and holidays before
Christmas, December is meant to be about happiness, family, and
celebrating Jesus' birthday.
Throughout the year however,
Christmas overshadows EVERY single holiday. This is all the more reason why I
feel there should be MORE Horror movies and songs about Christmas.
I
can only imagine the number of Santaphobics in existence. This is
especially after watching Christmas Slashers from the 1980's.
There
are at least several of them that exist. All those, who did not already
know, I published a review about Retro Christmas Slashers, a few years ago.
The
closest to a Christmas Horror film, that any network will probably
choose to air is Gremlins. I don't know if Krampus aired on any of the
premium channels yet.
It has been 3 years, since I
last published a blog review about Christmas Horror films. If I have
enough time out of my hectic schedule, I will try publishing another
blog review about Christmas Horror films.
All this
talk about Santaphobia, blog reviews, Christmas Slashers, and Christmas
Horror Movies in general puts me in the mood for Christmas Horror Music.
Like I always say, music used in a movie helps to set the tone for the
movie.
It appears that Rachel F. Williams shares
similar interests and views as my own. Rachel F. Williams is not only a
Romance, Fantasy, and Horror author, but also a music composer.
The
song, "It's NOT Christmas" can be found on her album, 17 Tormented Souls. To embrace the horrors of Christmas, here's Rachel F. Williams'
"It's NOT Christmas" for today's Song Saturday.
Rachel F. Williams "It's NOT Christmas (Insane Epic Horror Rock Music)" 17 Tormented Souls (2016)
Today I
have another animated short. It features Saint Nicholas' evil sidekick
that punishes misbehaving children.
In 2012, Clement Gore published his
book, The Krampus Night Before Christmas. Mitch
Mommaerts produced the book promo for it.
Gore's promo was also illustrated by Gil-T and features
Michael Goral as the narrator.
Clement Gore, Mitch Mommaerts, Gil-T, and
Michael Goral should all be praised for their creativity and innovation.
With only 2 MORE NIGHTS left until Krampus
makes his rounds to punish all the brats, here's the
animated book promo for Clement Gore's The Krampus Night Before
Christmas for today's Cartoon Sunday.
Clement Gore The Krampus Night Before Christmas {Book Promo} (2012)
How's it going lurkers? Yes, it is that time of season again. In
about 3 more days, Saint Nicholas' evil, cloven hoofed sidekick, Krampus
will punish all misbehaving children, while seducing buxom women with
his long tongue in between.
On December 5th, Krampus
will arrive with his birch switch, sack, and lumps of coal to punish
the "naughty."
Then, Saint Nicholas will arrive the following day to
reward well-behaved children with presents in their stockings.
Earlier
this week, I had the hardest time choosing which song to share with you
all for Song Saturday.
Because Krampus Day is creeping around the corner
in 3 more days, I am sharing this festive collaboration by Austin Dickey
and Into The Flood.
Into The Flood is a Metalcore
band from Tacoma, WA. Last week, I watched their music video for
"Death Posture." The song is not bad. I recommend listening to this
band, whenever you have the chance.
According to
Austin Dickey on YouTube, Into The Flood composed a Metal version of
"The Nutcracker (The Mountain King)." Dickey asked if he could perform
the vocals and write lyrics for the song.
Sure
enough, this collaboration came to fruition making the song, "Krampus"
his very own. For today's Song Saturday, here is Austin Dickey's
innovative collaboration with Into The Flood on "Krampus."
Austin Dickey [Featuring Into The Flood] "Krampus" (2016)
In case you did not already know
or in case you forgot, today is Krampus Day. Krampus is Saint Nicholas'
evil sidekick, who shows up every December 5th to punish "naughty
children."
Growing up, I never learned anything about this
evil goat demon from teachers or my family.
Some classmates did
not necessarily know anything about Saint Nicholas Day being on December
6th, which I always found to be very odd. They not only knew NOTHING about Saint Nicholas Day, but also knew nothing about Krampus
Day. NEITHER were discussed in any of my K-12 schools.
I suppose our teachers did NOT want to
traumatize us impressionable children. Otherwise, they probably never heard of Krampus either.
I
recently learned about Krampus 3 years ago from watching Grimm on NBC.
Speaking of Grimm, I will really miss watching this show after its
series finale, in the spring. As comical as the writing is, viewers have
been exposed to some international folklores and Germanic terms to describe various creatures known as "wesen."
The
series also gave me a reason to start watching primetime shows on
Fridays again, over these last 5-6 years. I would've tried sharing that
Krampus episode from Grimm today, but no thanks to Hulu, only viewers
subscribed to their site can watch online streams now.
Since
that is the case, I have decided to share footage of a Krampus Parade
instead. Last month in Schladming, Styria (a former small mining town in
the northwest of Austria), a Krampus Parade was held. It is normally
called Krampuslauf meaning "Krampus Run."
Over 1200
Krampus celebrants dressed as the beast in black rags and masks drag
chains behind themselves.
Every so often, these celebrants hurl their
chains and switches towards children. This is along with them swinging
cowbells, which is to warn people that Krampus is coming.
In Scandinavian countries and other parts of Europe, Krampuskarten or "Krampus Cards" are given for Krampus Day.
Saying "Gruß vom Krampus" means "Greetings from the Krampus" in German.
The
depiction of Krampus has evolved over time, since the 1800's. Older
versions of Krampus cards depict this goat demon as more evil and
frightening. In more modern times, he is depicted as more child
friendly, if not a womanizer.
If you would like to learn more about Krampus, feel free to check out my previous blogs about him at the following:
How's it going lurkers? Happy Yule/Winter Solstice to all my Pagan friends and subscribers!
Sorry there wasn't a Song Saturday or Cartoon Sunday for last weekend. I
have been extremely busy this month both on and offline with family,
friends, helping them, and others who have been in need of help this
month.
During the month of December, I am usually not this busy. Honestly,
I CANNOT believe how fast this December has gone. It was just December
1st. Now, it's December 22nd (Winter Solstice). In 3 more days, it will
be Christmas. Yay!
Since it is Yule/Winter Solstice, I
thought I would discuss the 13 Yule Lads. The 13 Yule Lads are a part
of the Icelandic folklore. An Icelandic poet named Jóhannes úr Kötlum
published a poem in 1932 called "Jólasveinarnir." The Icelandic society
in Iceland was reintroduced to the Yuletide folklore by the poem,
"Jólasveinarnir."
During the last 13 nights before
Christmas, the 13 Yule Lads, which were normally depicted as being
mischievous and criminal pranksters, love to wreak havoc. They wreak
havoc by supposedly coming from the mountains to scare naughty Icelandic
children before Christmas.
The 13 Yule Lads are
similar to Saint Nicholas and his evil sidekick, Krampus. The 13 Yule
Lads either reward good children like Saint Nicholas, or PUNISH naughty
children like Krampus.
Nearly a decade ago, I
learned a little about the 13 Yule Lads, while watching IMF. The
network's abbreviation stood for International Music Feed.
I enjoyed
watching that music channel a lot more than MTV, MTV2, and VH-1 combined at the
time.
IMF exposed its viewers to both mainstream and
underground music videos from around the world. A favorite show of
mine, which aired on IMF was Hello World.
Hello World
helped to educate viewers about other countries and random facts about
them. This was along with learning about entertainers from those
countries.
Not only did the network air Hello World,
but there were also brief segments during commercial breaks on IMF,
which helped viewers to learn more about other ancient folklores.
Had it
not been for International Music Feed, I would've NEVER discovered the
13 Yule Lads.
During the last 13 nights before Christmas, each Yule Lad arrives and departs on certain dates.
The 13 Yule Lads:
1) Stekkjarstaur (Sheep-Cote Clod)- During December 12th-25th, this stiff and peg-legged Yule Lad harasses sheep.
2)
Giljagaur (Gully Gawk)- During December 13th-26th, he hides in gullies,
while waiting for an opportunity to sneak into the cowshed and steal
milk.
3) Stúfur (Stubby)- During December 14th-27th, this abnormally short Yule Lad steals pans to eat the crust left on them.
4)
Þvörusleikir (Spoon-Licker)- During December 15th-28th, this
malnourished lad steals Þvörur to lick. Þvörur is a type of a wooden
spoon, that has a long handle.
5) Pottaskefill (Pot-Scraper)- During December 16th-29th, he steals leftovers from pots.
6)
Askasleikir (Bowl-Licker)- During December 17th-30th, he hides under
beds and waits for someone to put down their 'askur' (a type of bowl
with a lid used rather than dishes).
Then, he steals it.
7) Hurðaskellir (Door-Slammer)- During December 18th-31st, he loves to slam doors, especially during the night.
8) Skyrgámur (Skyr-Gobbler)- During December 19th-January 1st, this Yule
Lad has an affinity for skyr, which is like an Icelandic strained
yogurt.
9) Bjúgnakrækir (Sausage-Swiper)- During
December 20th-January 2nd, he hides in the rafters and grabs sausages,
that are being smoked.
10) Gluggagægir
(Window-Peeper)- During December 21st-January 3rd, this voyeuristic Yule
Lad looks through windows in search of things to steal.
11)
Gáttaþefur (Doorway-Sniffer)- During December 22nd-January 4th, this
lad with an abnormally large nose and an acute sense of smell, sniffs
for laufabrauð or an Icelandic bread, which is normally eaten around the
time of Christmas.
12) Ketkrókur (Meat-Hook)- During December 23rd-January 5th, he uses a hook to steal meat.
13)
Kertasníkir (Candle-Stealer)- During December 24th-January 6th, this
last Yule Lad follows children, in order to steal their candles.
In ancient times, candles were made of tallow (fat from cattle and sheep), which
made them edible.
Since we are on the topic of the
13 Yule Lads and because there wasn't a Song Saturday last weekend, it's
only appropriate to have a festive song by the Icelandic singer, Björk.
Björk "Jólasveinar" How The Juice Stole Christmas (1995)
How's it going lurkers? Before I forget, you may recall that last weekend for today's Song Saturday, I mentioned sharing more Krampus songs. Unfortunately, that will not be the case for today.
In case case you missed the previous Krampus Day themed Song Saturday blogs, here they are once again at the following:
Earlier this week, I was just thinking about
Scott Weiland. Now, I learn that he's dead.
Even though it really
should not be a surprise to much of anyone, especially to us veteran fans (He's been in and out of drug rehab, since the
mid-90's), I was shocked, disappointed, and sad.
Yesterday I learned that the former lead singer of Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver died at 48 years old.
This
is mostly devastating news for veteran Stone Temple Pilots fans.
These last 3 months, I have not been keeping up with the latest news in
Rock Music. So much has been happening both on and offline that I have
been spreading myself too thin.
Nearly 2 years ago,
I published a Song Saturday blog about Linkin Park's Chester Bennington
being Scott Weiland's replacement for Stone Temple Pilots.
Because
Scott Weiland of both Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver died 2 days ago and
since STP was a major part of my youth, it is only fair to share at
least 2 songs from them for Song Saturday.
Most people don't know that Stone Temple Pilots was originally called, "Mighty Joe Young." Not
only were they Mighty Joe Young, but they were also featured on The Crow
Soundtrack in '94. Originally, the band meant to release their song, "Only
Dying" for the soundtrack.
Mighty Joe Young a.k.a. Stone Temple Pilots "Only Dying" [DEMO] (1990)
"Only Dying" was created 3
years before The Crow movie and soundtrack (both based on James
O'Barr's comic book, The Crow) were released.
At the
last minute, Mighty Joe Young now turned Stone Temple Pilots refrained
from releasing the song. The band felt it would've been disrespectful
considering that Brandon Lee was suddenly killed, DURING the making of The
Crow in 1993.
STP replaced "Only Dying" with "Big
Empty" for The Crow Soundtrack. "Big Empty" can also be found on the
band's 2nd album, Purple from 1994.
Out of all the Stone Temple Pilots songs, "Atlanta" is 1 of my dozens of favorites by them. This song can be found on their 4th album, No. 4.
How's it going lukers? Several nights ago, I created a Google+ profile, joined some group pages, and I am following a few.
Judging
from its interface, Google+ feels similar to being on other social
media sites. Luckily, my news feed is not being flooded with selfies,
politics, and house cats.
Well, now that
Thanksgiving is over, I thought I would share another blog about
Krampus. Over these last several years, Krampus has been getting a lot
more exposure in the good ol' U.S. of A.
In fact, a PG-13 rated Horror Movie is being released in the movie theaters about Krampus on December 4th.
December 4th is
literally 1 day before Krampus makes his appearance to punish naughty
children and 2 days before Saint Nicholas is supposed to give presents
to nice children.
Krampus Official Trailer (2015)
I love how the filmmakers play on coulrophobia (fear of clowns) with the Jester Clown being a monster.
How many kids play with or have toy clowns in today's era? Aren't they too busy playing with video games and other electronics?
Since
we are on the topic of Krampus, you may recall that I published a few
blogs about him over these last 2 years.
Next week, I will re-share at
least 1 of those other blogs for December 5th because that is the day,
when Krampus appears and punishes naughty children.
Sometimes he even banishes them to hell!
Meanwhile,
it is Song Saturday. Last night, I stumbled upon this duo of Gothic Horror
Fantasy Instrumental composers. They are Midnight Syndicate.
I am currently following them on Google+ and alerted them about me sharing their song, "Night Of The Krampus."
The
song can be found on their new album, Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering.
Anyway, here is Midnight Syndicate for today's Song Saturday.
Midnight Syndicate "Night Of The Krampus" Christmas: A Ghostly Gathering (2015)
How's it going lurkers? Have you been naughty for Krampus or nice for Saint Nicholas?
Last year, NBC's Grimm premiered an episode about Krampus. I have never heard
of Krampus, until last December.
Krampus On Grimm (2013)
I would've learned about him 2 years ago on American Dad. American Dad has an episode titled "Minstrel Krampus."
Krampus & Steve Smith's Duet On American Dad's "Minstrel Krampus" (2012)
"Minstrel Krampus" was supposed to air on Fox in December 2012.
Fox
pre-empted the episode, until last December. Because of the controversy
surrounding the Sandy Hook Massacre, "Minstrel Krampus" was NOT aired
in December 2012.
Leave it up to the media to cause
more hysteria than necessary. Don't get me wrong, I empathize with the
families of the Sandy Hook victims. They spent their holiday and
continue spending their entire lives without their children.
However,
American Dad's "Minstrel Krampus" episode had ZERO involvement in a
15-year-old boy, NOT a 20-year-old man murdering innocent children. It's appalling that the media's Mathematical skills are much worse than mine.
2012-1997= 20 years
2012-1997= 15 years
Fox
would not air that American Dad's "Minstrel Krampus" because they really did NOT want to be used as a scapegoat for a 15-year-old boy with mental and
behavioral problems, who killed innocent adults and children. Go figure.
The
network already knows the media is skilled at condemning and demonizing entertainment.
This justifies Fox's reason for unairing American Dad's "Minstrel
Krampus" in December 2012.
Since I am on the topic of
Krampus, DanniDarkness (1 of my subscribers) published a blog last year on
Blogster about Krampus. Unfortunately, I don't know if she removed her
blog about him, or if that Blogster glitch deleted it. Regardless, I
couldn't locate the link to Danni's Krampus blog.
According
to what I have learned about Krampus, he is a beast-like monster that
is a part of ancient Germanic folklores.
Krampus is a black
and/or sometimes brown haired demon with cloven hooves and goat-like horns.
On
December 5th (Saint Nicholas Eve), Krampus punishes misbehaved children
by capturing them in his sack. Then, he carries them to his lair. Some
have said, that Krampus even carries them to hell. In the following vlog,
Lucas Livingston explains in more detail about the history of Krampus.
Lucas Livingston Explains The History Of Krampus (2012)
After learning a little more about Krampus, I understand why he is depicted as being a womanizer on American Dad.
When I read
DanniDarkness' blog last year on Blogster about Krampus, she mentioned
that songs were made about him.
I don't know any of
the songs about Krampus, although I found a Metal song about him for this Song
Saturday. Listening to the song makes me automatically think about Adult
Swim's Metalocalypse for some odd reason.
Today I have a song by Craterface. It's titled "Krampus Carol."
How's it going lurkers? I hope you're all safe, warm, and
finished with all your Christmas shopping.
Originally, I planned to
share American Dad's "The Story Of Minstrel Krampus". "Minstrel
Krampus," which aired on TV ~2 weeks ago, explained some of the history behind Krampus in
satirical form.
Apparently, FOX deleted the
episode from YouTube and only kept the clips. Then, I
YouTubed episode 37 from the Shonen Jump Comedy Anime, Gintama. From
Season 1 of Gintama, there was a Christmas episode titled, "People Who Say That
Santa Doesn't Really Exist Actually Want To Believe In Him." This
particular Christmas episode was ALSO removed.
Speaking
of Santa Claus, I find it incredibly irksome hearing people say, "There's no such thing as Santa Claus." If
more people actually cared to conduct their own research, they would've
learned that Santa Claus WAS a real person, centuries ago.
The same
applies to Krampus. Krampus was Santa Claus/Saint
Nicholas' evil sidekick, who gave children lumps of coal for misbehaving.
Sometimes Krampus threw them in his red sack, whisked them away to hell,
and ate them.
Rather than taking on the role of
Ebenezer Scrooge by ruining Christmas for EVERYBODY(mainly for
children), adults should really tell children, that Santa Claus was a
real person centuries ago. We as adults SHOULD carry
on Santa Claus' jolly tradition for CHILDREN.
Also, adults (you know
who they are) need to STOP being so damn miserable and NOT project that
same misery onto everyone around them, including children.
I
always felt it was so mean-spirited and ignorant for people to say,
"There's no such thing as Santa Claus" and to taunt children for
believing in him. They must be some of the same skeptics, who don't believe in ghosts, or that we actually landed on the moon.
Well, since
it is Christmas Eve and because I had no such luck in sharing American
Dad or Gintama, I decided to share Lucky Star's 11th episode,
"Various Ways To Spend Christmas Eve."
Lucky Star is a Shonen Slice of
Life Comedy Anime and is mostly considered a "Slice Of Life" Anime because of its comedic depiction of daily life in Japan. Imagine Seinfeld in the form of a Japanese cartoon about high school girls.
Lucky
Star includes the holiday seasons surrounding the characters Konata
Izumi, Miyuki Takara, and the fraternal twins, Kagami and Tsukasa
Hiiragi. In Japan, it seems as if their Christmas
Day celebrations are similar to Americans celebrating Valentine's
Day. I say this because the Native Japanese seem to emphasize their need
to have dates on Christmas.
I am NOT saying that
people in other countries do not do this for Christmas. However, it
seems as if having a date is a requirement in today's Japanese culture
for the holiday.
Luckily in Lucky Star, there is
not a huge emphasis on having a date for Christmas. Although, they do
bring up the topic frequently.
Anyway, I will let you sit back and watch
Lucky Star's episode 11, "Various Ways To Spend Christmas Eve."
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