Every X-Mas, I Have the Same Thought...

[Frontier]

...I see a commercial, one which has been running since I was about 5 or 6 back in 89 or 90... maybe you've seen it? They sing about Lottery Tickets to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas" as this older guy goes around in the snow and hands out lottery tickets to people he knows as X-Mas gifts? It's a really lame commercial, you'd know if you'd ever seen it...

So anyway, the same damn thought occurs to me every year: Who the Fuck Gives Out Lottery Tickets as Gifts?!

I mean, think about it. You're either giving someone something utterly worthless to be thrown in the trash within 5 minutes of getting it, or on the super-slim chance you give someone a winning ticket, they end up with loads of money and you feel like a giant ass for the rest of your life!

Could there be anything worse? I mean, FFS, at least if you give fruit cake, people have a doorstop or paper weight or something to throw at an intruder as a weapon.

Sorry, I just had to say all this. Every year, I say the same thing... every year, they keep airing that damn commercial that's nearly as old as I am!

 

[Finn]

Last Christmas or the one before that, I saw that very old Christmasy Folgers commerical, the one where the family wakes up to a hot pot of coffee only to find that the eldest son, Peter that was apparently away for a while, perhaps in college or in the military. had come home to them. I'd say it was made in the late 70s or early 80s. Last night, I saw a new Folgers commerical, thinking about that one.

 

[blablover5]

It isn't Christmas if we don't see the old Campbells soup commercial where a snow man comes inside, eats a bowl of soup and melts to show the kid inside.

I don't mind the Hershy kisses "Carol of the bells" one as it doesn't look as dated.

 

[JAG]

Last Christmas or the one before that, I saw that very old Christmasy Folgers commerical, the one where the family wakes up to a hot pot of coffee only to find that the eldest son, Peter that was apparently away for a while, perhaps in college or in the military. had come home to them. I'd say it was made in the late 70s or early 80s. Last night, I saw a new Folgers commerical, thinking about that one.

I saw that commercial last week. It is a classic.

 

[Frontier]

Old commercials are one thing. Lottery tickets as gifts are just stupid though!

 

[Kryton]

Santa has to sled in on the "Noelco" electric shaver. (Even their name says "Merry Christmas".)

 

[Searider Falcon]

So anyway, the same damn thought occurs to me every year: Who the Fuck Gives Out Lottery Tickets as Gifts?!

Ah, you haven't met my grandmother. This has been her new thing for the last couple years for us grandkids.

Of course, she usually also gives everyone a actual little money or an actual gift, too, since it's unlikely anyone's going to win much if anything from them (last year, everyone but me got money...I got a coat instead because I really needed a new one).

I think it's sorta silly. Only two of six of us grandkids are 18+, so the other four have to depend on parents to cash it in for them. Furthermore, my grandmother is of the opinion that if any of us win a significant sum of money, that person should split it with everyone (bah! I ain't telling anyone if I every get more than $20 outta those things!).

 

[Captain Intrepid]

It's a family tradition at my house. Everyone gets one in their stocking, and we all have fun scratching them together and laughing when everyone loses.

 

[JAG]

We do the same. It is fine as a stocking stuffer. I would not buy it as an actual gift though.

 

[Electric Coleslaw]

Yeah, they are great stocking stuffers. I won $100 one year. My sister was pissed as she only won a free ticket.

 

[auntiehill]

Santa has to sled in on the "Noelco" electric shaver. (Even their name says "Merry Christmas".)

That's exactly the one I was thinking of.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I remember an old Balley Total Fitness ad...there was a well-chiseled naked guy...wrapped up like a present...

 

[Cutter John]

It's a family tradition at my house. Everyone gets one in their stocking, and we all have fun scratching them together and laughing when everyone loses.

Came here to say this. Stocking stuffer, something to slip into a Christmas card, etc.

I dunno though. I can see an envelope with 3-4 scratch tickets making a nice little gift for someone who you want to show your appreciation to, but barely know personally.

 

[Tulin]

It's a family tradition at my house. Everyone gets one in their stocking, and we all have fun scratching them together and laughing when everyone loses.

Good for you. I like that attitude because it's more of a family tradition thing and everyone has fun. Might start something like that myself.

 

[Trekker4747]

...I see a commercial, one which has been running since I was about 5 or 6 back in 89 or 90... maybe you've seen it? They sing about Lottery Tickets to the tune of "12 Days of Christmas" as this older guy goes around in the snow and hands out lottery tickets to people he knows as X-Mas gifts? It's a really lame commercial, you'd know if you'd ever seen it...

So anyway, the same damn thought occurs to me every year: Who the Fuck Gives Out Lottery Tickets as Gifts?!

Rednecks.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I know several people, including my mother, who give out Lottery Tickets as stocking stuffers, part of an office grab et cetera. People usually like to get them.

Back in the early 90s, a girl in the office gave me tickets in the office grab and I won several hundred dollars, so I split it with her.

 

[Miss Chicken]

I have only given them once and that was to an aunt who actually asked for a lotto gift pack. The pack consistered of some scratchies and a quick pick in the Saturday and midweek lotto draw. So the present lasted a few days. She ended up winning $5 on one of the scratchies She bought more scratchies with that tickets and won another $2 and bought two more scratchies both of which were losing tickets.

I once went into a bank and informed them that their ATM was giving out $50 not instead of $20 notes. I had tried to get $60 out and received $150 instead.

About a week later I received a letter from the manager thanking me for my honesty. He included $5.00 worth a scratchies in the letter. I though that that seemed a rather cheap 'reward' and felt that I would have prefered to have just got the letter by itself without the scratchies. I guess therefore I would prefer to just get a Christmas card from someone rather than a Christmas card with scratchies in it.

 

[Holdfast]

So anyway, the same damn thought occurs to me every year: Who the Fuck Gives Out Lottery Tickets as Gifts?!

I wouldn't mind a lottery ticket as a gift. I mean, obviously I'd prefer Anne Hathaway wearing nothing but mink for Christmas. But as gifts go, a lottery ticket at least holds out the prospect of unimaginable plenty. Better than a box of chocs or pair of socks or whatever, anyway.

 

[Maestro]

So anyway, the same damn thought occurs to me every year: Who the Fuck Gives Out Lottery Tickets as Gifts?!

I wouldn't mind a lottery ticket as a gift. I mean, obviously I'd prefer Anne Hathaway wearing nothing but mink for Christmas. But as gifts go, a lottery ticket at least holds out the prospect of unimaginable plenty. Better than a box of chocs or pair of socks or whatever, anyway.

Wearing nothing but mink? I'd prefer Anne Hathaway wearing nothing but my bedsheet.

 

[Gary Mitchell]

^I'd prefer her wearing nothing but a grin


I won $250 once with a scratch off that my mother put in my Christmas stocking. I took everyone out to dinner.