There was a time when Thanksgiving was actually about giving thanks.It was a simpler time. Before Black Friday riots, air travel, and overeating became the most celebrated American holiday rituals.Following the horrors of the Depression and World War II, the "Greatest Generation" were eager to instill in their children a gratitude for the abundance of food available to them. If money was tight, they were mostly just relieved to be in the midcentury version of 'Mericuh, away from the frights of Communism overseas. Just look at the Johnson family back in the 50s. They may not have had enough money to afford turkey, but they sure were thankful to live free of tyranny.
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But eventually, those kids grew up and became known as Baby Boomers, luring advertisers in the same way that branding currently courts Millennials. They were a generation far more hedonistic than their immediate predecessors and with a much bigger appetite for material goods.So now, we find ourselves in the consumer gangbang that is the third week of November, when Thanksgiving dinner (assuming it hasn't been replaced by some sort of Black Friday shopping ritual) has become an excuse to eat yourself to a state of gastrointestinal misery, drink to excess, and get mad at family members who don't share the same political views.Or fight about cheesecake sweet potato pie.Or to use grandparents to stage fake fights and get subscribers on YouTube.And what Thanksgiving YouTube roundup would be complete without turkeys blowing up in deep-fryers?But we're getting a little cynical here. There's also a bunch of seemingly well-adjusted families sharing their happy times with the world on YouTube. Both of these families have a pretty loose definition of the word "fight":So, if you've made it all the here, just remember: exploding turkeys, drinking, wrastlin', and arguing can all be fun, but at least give thanks that you have the right to blow up turkey, drink, wrastle, and argue as much as you want.Cheers to that.