Academics are split. Dr. Helena Vance from the Institute of Pop Culture Studies argued that Gonzo Xmas 2022 was "a necessary exorcism."
"The holidays represent oppressive optimism," Vance wrote in her December 2022 op-ed for The Baffler. "Gonzo Xmas allows for the integration of chaos, stress, and existential dread into the ritual. It says: The tree is crooked. The turkey is dry. Your brother is a libertarian now. Let’s celebrate that."
On the other side, traditionalist columnist Marcus P. Vale called it "a whimper of nihilism wrapped in tinsel." He lamented, "When you replace ‘Silent Night’ with a techno beat and a screaming goat, you have lost the plot of human civilization." gonzo xmas 2022
But Vale missed the point. The "plot" of 2022 was chaos. Gonzo Xmas didn’t ruin the holidays; it made them honest.
Did you miss it? Don’t worry. The spirit of Gonzo Xmas is undead. Here is your 2024+ survival guide to re-creating the magic: Academics are split
In 2021, we had Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You." In 2022, we had Gonzo covers. The track that defined the season was "Jingle Bells (The Doom Loop Remix)" by an anonymous artist known only as "Swole Claus." It featured distorted 808s, a flute solo played through a guitar wah pedal, and lyrics about a credit score dropping faster than sleigh bells. Spotify Wrapped 2022 data showed a 340% increase in searches for "aggressive Christmas noise."
Before we dive into the specific madness of 2022, let’s establish the gospel. "Gonzo" is a term stolen from the late, great Hunter S. Thompson—the father of gonzo journalism. It means subjective, frenzied, over-the-top, and chemically enhanced. A Gonzo Christmas, therefore, is not a holiday. It is a happening. "Gonzo Xmas allows for the integration of chaos,
It is the Christmas Eve where you drink eggnog out of a coffee mug at 8:00 AM because you haven’t slept yet. It is the Christmas where the artificial tree is on fire, and instead of calling 911, you throw a beer on it.
In 2022, the world was emerging from the ghost of COVID lockdowns. Supply chains were snarled. Inflation was biting like a rabid reindeer. And people were tired of "wholesome." The collective psyche needed a Gonzo Xmas.
In a normal Christmas, you give socks. In Gonzo Xmas 2022, you gave experiences. Specifically, bad ones. Think: A gift certificate to a closed restaurant. A single raw potato wrapped in a Louis Vuitton box. A framed photo of a possum. The goal was not to delight, but to confuse. The highest praise was, "I don't know what to do with this."