Holiday Wrap-Up: Literally!

Pop Culture Presents

Did all your holiday gifts bring tidings of blah? Here at SWTS, we believe that an obsession with pop culture extends far past the reaches of your iPod earbuds or the semi-matte finish of your 19-inch LCD screen. It’s an obsession that should extend—no, infect every aspect of life, including presents for any and all occasions. With the winter holidays finally behind us, I can safely unveil the tricks of the gift-giving trade with a flair only SWTS could bring to such a seemingly bland tradition.

First, there’s the ole standby—the pop culture t-shirt. Anything goes with this one, guys. Favorite quotes, logos, mathematical equations that spell out cutesy show references. This pretty much applies to all areas of pop culture—movies, music, television, celebrities—and it can be physically applied to anything made of fabric—tote bags, t-shirts, jeans, underwear. Paint a picture of a beehive at Promises Rehab Center or stencil “Team Heather” on the front of a low-cut tank top (Rock of Love season 2 premieres January 13th!). For my sister-in-law, who has just recently finished watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer in its entirety, I took a plain pink (her favorite color) tee and put my artistic skills to work. I painted the Buffy “B”* on the front and stenciled the infamous Xander quote, “So far, so creepy!” on the back. I’m pretty sure she loves it, and if not I will never be the wiser! It’s a gift from the heart that takes time (unless you get those handy iron-on transfers!), and it’s wearable. What more can a person ask for?

Second, we have the television/film themed gift box—something that adds a sense of authenticity or immersion to the watching experience of the viewer. Preparing a gift like this can be intense, complicated and heartbreaking. You may be overwhelmed with a constant fear that you’ve left something out or made too obscure an allusion. The key to such a gift is to prepare an explanatory guide with direct citations from the film or show (please include episode numbers if it’s for a series) so that none of the items included go unnoticed or un-understood. This year, I prepared a Gilmore Girls themed gift box for two of my very dearest friends since I knew one was giving the other the complete series boxset for Trentmas*. The set includes:

1 Box Nabisco Mallomars
1 Box Bigelow Assorted Herb Teas
2 Packages Raspberry Hot Cocoa mix
1 Framed picture of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore
2 Packages facial tissues
2 Bars Milk Chocolate Toblerones
1 Men’s Vicious Trollop lip balm
1 Women’s Vicious Trollop lip balm
I included quotes, such as the following, to make sure all the items were fully appreciated upon viewing the contents of the box:

ZACH: Would you like to pick a tea? We have a whole selection.
BRIAN: Lapsang oolong, orange pekoe, Sleepy Time?
[Mrs. Kim looks panicked. She turns and runs out the door.]
-from “Last Week Fights, This Week Tights” 4.21

An extensive amount of remembering, research and cleverness went into preparing this box. A gift like this shows that not only do you know your stuff, but you know the stuff about your friend or family member’s favorite TV show or movie. And a gift that requires sitting on the couch to enjoy it is never a bad choice.

While these are just a few pop culture tinged gift ideas for the holidays, don’t think there aren’t countless ways to feed that TV, movie or music obsession without going the store-bought route. DVD sets can be expensive! And without breaking the bank, you can give your loved ones the gift of pop without the snap that comes once you realize your bank account is empty.

*Note: The "B" shown in the picture is not finished. It's actually completely filled in. For whatever reason, I took a picture of it before it was done.

*Note: As in Reznor. Trent Reznor. Of Nine Inch Nails. Stop watching VH1!