This blog has been going now for almost 6 years (including the blogspot iterations), and I’ve never once mentioned “Valentine’s Day”. Even disregarding the commercial orgy that it is for a moment, I’m a bit of a cynic about the fundamental basis of it – the idea of a specific day for celebrating “romance” as a concept, rather than the actual person you love. Wouldn’t her birthday be a better day for celebrating her as an individual? Do you love her, or do you love loving her?
And Valentine’s Day isn’t just commercial – it has been turned into something profitably, but destructively, competitive. Because all couples are “supposed” to be doing something on the same day, there’s a whole “what did your partner do for you?” vibe which promotes jealousy, bitterness, resentment and, of course, greed. It’s like the wedding thing – an industry built around removing consumers’ ability to be sensible. If you truly loved her, you wouldn’t mind the expense of this ludicrously overpriced item. Show the depth of your feelings by throwing money around – we’ll be happy to accept it on her behalf!
I’ll love you till my vacuous hyperbole runs out!
As a writer on The Punch put it:
Valentine’s Day isn’t a day for expressing love. It’s an excuse to play on all those human frailties and anxieties. “Will he say he loves me?” “Will he send a card”? “What if he doesn’t”?
Instead, you should be asking: “What if he does”. If your man can’t express his affection every day, in so many different ways, pray to St Valentine that you don’t receive a card this Sunday.
That said, when in Rome… of course I’ll be participating again. I mean, I do love her.
I just hope she knows it on all the other days of the year, too.
Moved On 
Thats my facebook status update!!! LOL
Yes, yes, but does she iron a shirt?
I used to do my whole families ironing. Now? We iron as we go, and we do our own ironing.
Jeremy: given it’s that time of the week and given the topic of this post, if you wanted to place the screen name ‘confessions’ in moderation over the weekend it’s fine with me. 🙂
Ironic that you mention Rome, cos apparantly according to wikipedia, the Roman ritual Lupercalia used to be celebrated on 13 to 15 of Feb, and was a Pagan initiation and fertility rite, complete with a little bdsm and animal sacrifice.
Probably some ritual rooting too.
It was abolished or outlawed by Pope Gelasius in 496.
The same year he instituted the feast of Saint Valentine on feb 14th.
Tho apparantly it didn’t generate its modern romantic associations till the 14th century, probably under the influence of the troubadors.
Its next manifestation was a couple of hundred years ago.
2010 Calendar for Jeremy.
January – Bag the commercialism of Australia day. Bag the nationalism too. Bag the flag. Bag all white people as invaders.
February – Bag the commercialism of Valentines day.
March – Bag the commercialism of Labour Day.
April – Bag the commercialism of Easter. Bag the nationalism of ANZAC day.
May – Bag the commercialism of Mayday.
June – Bag the Quanga. Bag the flag again. Bag the monarchy and the constitution. Sook about losing the referendum in ’99. Just for fun bag the flag.
July – Bag the commercialism of Christmas in July.
August – Bag the commercialism of of there being nothing to bag the commercialism of in August. Bag the flag for something to do. Put some names in a hat, pull one out and bag a prince.
September – Bag the commercialism of footy.
October – Celebrate the Russian Revolution and the lack of commercialism of it. Bag the commercialism of halloween. Give trick or treater’s humbugs.
November – Bag the commercialism of the Melbourne cup. Bag the jingoism of Armistice Day. At 11 am on the 11th – cry foul and protest about rape in war.
December – Bag the commercialism of Christmas. Bag the religion of Christmas. Celebrate with a few days off at the expence of deluded Christians. Bag the commercialism of new years eve.
“January – Bag the commercialism of Australia day. Bag the nationalism too. Bag the flag. Bag all white people as invaders.”
Just the nationalism and commercialism.
“February – Bag the commercialism of Valentines day.”
Well, I questioned the philosophy behind it, too.
“March – Bag the commercialism of Labour Day.”
They’ve commercialised Labor Day?
“April – Bag the commercialism of Easter. Bag the nationalism of ANZAC day.”
Seems a bit obvious. Maybe if there’s a particularly egregious example.
“May – Bag the commercialism of Mayday.”
They’ve commercialised May Day?
“June – Bag the Quanga. Bag the flag again. Bag the monarchy and the constitution. Sook about losing the referendum in ‘99. Just for fun bag the flag.”
You seem to think I work at the checkout counter in a flag shop.
“July – Bag the commercialism of Christmas in July.”
LOL.
“August – Bag the commercialism of of there being nothing to bag the commercialism of in August. Bag the flag for something to do. Put some names in a hat, pull one out and bag a prince.”
Maybe I could find a left-wing blogger to pointlessly bag in his comments instead?
“September – Bag the commercialism of footy.”
Might be appropriate, yes.
“October – Celebrate the Russian Revolution and the lack of commercialism of it. Bag the commercialism of halloween. Give trick or treater’s humbugs.”
Why would I celebrate the Russian Revolution?
“November – Bag the commercialism of the Melbourne cup. Bag the jingoism of Armistice Day. At 11 am on the 11th – cry foul and protest about rape in war.”
You haven’t been reading this blog long, have you.
“December – Bag the commercialism of Christmas. Bag the religion of Christmas. Celebrate with a few days off at the expence of deluded Christians. Bag the commercialism of new years eve.”
Oh, Leo. You and your straw lefties.
My wife and I have been together for over 15 years and we rarely bother with Valentines day. Tho cos of that, if one of us does get the other something its a massive surprise and is really good, but it only happens every now and then.
I don’t need some day to tell when or how to express how I feel.
The punch article sums it up nicely.
If anything valentines day is for teenagers, and people who have just got together. That seems to be what all the commercialism is aimed at anyway.
I think my fucken ‘man’ friend (who has helped me concieve) is going to the movies with his friend.. I told someone this and their response was “what- he isn’t going to spend the day with you?”. So not only do you have to waste money on this stupid day, but now you are actually obligated to spend the whole day together being in love, loving love and love love love?!
I am fairly aware that he knows I love him, and if not I shall make a point to tell him on Monday…
i think someone should point out there’s a reference to the movie ‘the big lebowski’ hidden somewhere in that previous comment…. lest someone think ‘Post pop’ has a potty mouth 🙂
I just like an excuse to buy things guilt free. If they’re for other people it doesn’t count, does it?
We just don’t do it. Aside from the fact that we’re both shift workers and are on opposite shifts, we can show each other that we love each other every single day of our lives. A beep on the nose is good for showing love. And you can do it any time. Except when the other half is angry, you might lose a finger.
Although I wonder how one of those musical cards that plays the chicken dance would go over?
Evan, get one. That is awesome.
Note to self: Lefties (straw or an onymous) don’t do sarcasm, don’t do irony and absolutely detest criticism of any kind. Even a friendly dig in the ribs. You need to explain everything to them in depth. Remember that in future.
Maybe you needed a “sarcasm” tag for your comment.
Arj Baker was right – Leo needs to be writing in sarcastica…
Seriously though Leo, if you want people too laugh along with you, you need to actually be funny. I mean, it reads as though you had a ball writing that calender for Jeremy, giggling and all, however it’s really pretty lame to read.
“Jeremy blogs about commercialism, i’ll just state he complains about the commercialism of every day of the year! that’ll be Hill AREYESS!!! hahahaahaha”
Maybe.
I will however be watching for the next 12 months to see if, as ACA or Today Tonight do, you simply use a formula.
Thor.
If Avatar offended you and bored you I doubt anyone would make you laugh.
hands up who else was forced to endure “valentines day” the movie?
sitting through two hours of hollywood drivel like that…taylor swift… “queen” latifa…I really must be in love
When its love we gladly do it.
Sounds like gladly aint an option here.
jeremy et al, you’ll be pleased to know that according to a sunday age article yesterday, the overwhelming majority of victorians really do not give a rats arse about valentines days. A third of people or less are likely to do anything or notice it in any fashion.
me, i ate chocolate.
“If Avatar offended you and bored you I doubt anyone would make you laugh.”
Wait, Avatar was a comedy?
You quoted “The Punch”?!?!?!?!?
No Keri
It isn’t a comedy, but (and I’m getting sick of explaining this humour stuff to lefties) if Thor was bored by Avatar (quite apart from being offended) then Thor’s mind is probably not capable of getting a laugh out of anything more sophisticated than a fart joke.
Not that I don’t enjoy a good fart joke.
I would have thought that if Avatar bored him, he required a MORE sophisticated brand of humour, not less.
No.
Children are bored by stuff that they don’t get.
A 5 year old is not going to be stimulated by calculus or quadratic equations.
That’s why grunge fans don’t do Mozart. “Boring!!!!!!”
And adults are bored by stuff that’s childish, simplistic, and stupid. Like Avatar.
Celebrating mutual obsessive-compulsive disorder is ridiculous. Going through the motions is about as exciting as going through each others motions.
Valentine’s Day should be taken back from Hallmark Cards and the florists. The abject sentimentality of Valentine’s Day needs to be replaced by something more realistic and more worthwhile. Society would be much better off re-labeling it International Anti-virus Day where true love is expressed by a trip to the Blue Light Clinic for each coupling couple. At least this would be a great leap forward for public health!