The Disregarded Redemption of Scrooge

I was going to write a whole big thing about this, but then there were major tremors in the blogging community, and I got busy, and well, I'm now especially busy. So I just going to do a quick rant and then get offline for the night.

Have you ever noticed that when Ebeneezer Scroge is employed as a pitchman in tv advertising and the like, he's never the redeemed, generous soul from the end of the story, the one who was a second father to Tiny Tim, and who

"became as good a friend, as good a master, and as good a man, as the good old city knew, or any other good old city, town, or borough, in the good old world."

No, the advertiser's Scrooge is still a miser, rubbing his hands in delight when he hears that gold jewelry is 20% off until Christmas at such-and-such a store. Even the Forbes list of richest fictional characters (a very nasty, cynical set of portraits, except for the one of Montgomery Burns) gives us Scrooge the backslider, Scrooge the reprobate.

Why is this? Why are consumers encouraged to be like Scrooge and "save" money by spending it on certan products? Wouldn't it be better to encourage consumers to be generous, to "to keep Christmas well" by following the example of the post-redemption Scrooge? After all, that Scrooge spends money on gifts for others. Isn't that rampant consumerism as its finest? And on the altruistic side of the coin, isn't the post-Christmas Scrooge an example of someone who cares for the poor, as Jesus taught? If we all know the story, not just the way Ebeneezer starts out but also how he ends up, then why is his legacy so muddled and muddied?

Well, I for one believe in the Scrooge who kept Christmas in his heart, who gave Bob Cratchit a raise, who teaches us to love. May we make a similar alteration in our own lives, if it be needed. And God bless us every one!

Karen

(Actually, it appears that E. Scrooge is no longer on the Forbes list. Good! I'm certain I saw him there when I first read the article. Perhaps someone else objectd to the portayal, and he was replaced. Interestingly, the Forbes depiction of Scrooge McDuck is a relatively fair one.)