Sunday 23 December 2012

No Room at the Inn? Angry Baby Summons Pokemon


Well, Christmastime has come once again.  Or the non-denominational winter holiday of your choice.  But for purposes of this post, we’re looking at a representation of the birth of Jesus Christ, in part because there are lots of such paintings, and in part because what kind of Kwanzaa-Chanukkah-mas art is available in the public domain?

(Note: there is probably lots of it, and it is probably pretty hilarious, but I am too busy to look right now.)

Amongst the wide offerings available on the theme of Jesus-birth, we’re going with one by 15th century Italian artist Antonio Vivarini.  As we all know, the story goes that Jesus was born in a manger because there was no room in the inn, and then a couple of shepherds and/or some wise guys turn up later on because his birth horoscope said that the stars would bring him presents of metal and things to burn. 


Well, it looks like there must be plenty of room at the inn now, because the entire country has turned out to see the baby.  And what kind of jerk wouldn’t give up his room to a family with a newborn?  Heck, I’m pretty sure some of those guys must be traveling with tents or a cozy motorhome with pop-out beds.  But apparently they are all jerks, because out in the open Baby remains, surrounded by incredibly sullen people.


Seriously, look at these guys.  This is just a small sampling, but nobody in the crowd looks happy to be there.  They’ve presumably come to pay homage to the newborn king, or because their daily horoscope said to hang around mangers for good fortune, or because they’ve been having visions of angels, but all of them look like they’d rather be home watching Judge Judy.  Even the parents.


The only excited ones?  The angels.  But I think they are excited because they have didgeridoos to announce the news, and who wouldn’t want to fly around with a didgeridoo?


Above the baby is a pigeon emitting lightning.  I assume this was the pre-evolved form of Pikachu.


Finally we have Baby Jesus himself, who is perhaps the most annoyed person there, as evidenced by the fact that he is kicking an old man in the face.  He must pack quite a kick, as the man has a cartoon-style shock aura around his head.  I kind of like the idea of kung-fu baby Jesus, irritated that all these people have come to sulk around him, but nobody is willing to give him a friggin’ bed indoors.

Happy holidays, everyone!

18 comments:

  1. You'd think that baby Jesus would be most annoyed by the fact that with all those people there, no one would give him any clothes! I'm sorry, but if it's December and everyone else is in long-sleeves, they wouldn't want their new born king turning blue from cold. I'd have kung-fu kicked that guy, too, for not giving up his cape!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good point - hypothermia-baby has much less chance of being a good king. What were they thinking hoarding all the clothes and giving him gold?

      Delete
  2. Baby Jesus might also be concerned that the old guy staring at his todger is a mohel. Bethlehem is not a good place to be born with a foreskin.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe that's why everyone has turned up - to watch the Circumcision Show! Never mind the king thing.

      Delete
  3. I don't know, as much as I am mesmerized by the idea of a kung-fu baby jesus, it kind of looks like the old man is kissing his feet. To make this wierder, jesus' fingers are out like he is performing a blessing. Maybe that's why everyone is unhappy, they don't want to have to grovel to get into heaven.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Although technically art often depicts this scene with the foot being kissed, I think it is a mis-interpretation. The baby is frustrated at being left in a manger but people traipsing in and out in an effort to gain blessings. The fingers in "blessing" are actually about to poke the man in the eye.

      Delete
  4. I don't understand why everyone is so emo. Shouldn't they be happy a magical baby has come to save them all?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I tried to tell my parents I was a magical baby come to save them all, but it didn't cheer them up, either.

      Delete
  5. As M Gorilla Bananas remarks, I also reckon that the old guy is just kissing the baby's feet with a view to working up the leg and on to his real target with some form of foreskin-saw.

    A cuckolded man, child-birth following a rape, crowds gathering to gawp and straw in your underwear, what more could anyone possibly hope for?

    Merry er, I mean to say, Happy um ... thing, etcetera.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Don't tell my husband there are lightning pigeons. He still hasn't gotten over the common sparrow that flew in the house the other day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fortunately lightning pigeons are extremely rare. It's the lava robins you have to watch for.

      Delete
  7. I think the baby is a bit pissed off with offerings of gold, incense and myrrh when what he really wants is Nivea Cream for his skin...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They always did seem rather impractical gifts for a baby. Cream, baby powder, or a blanket would at least provide some basic comforts to a baby stuck in a manger.

      Delete
  8. Oh man, if Christianity was sold to me with pre-Picachus, sullen weirdos, and a kung-fu baby, I would have been all in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, the story has been greatly corrupted over time to remove these elements, denying generations of children the knowledge of the true meaning of Christmas.

      Delete
  9. The baby wanted pokemon, not gold. Or so I can imagine. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know that as a baby, I would have much preferred Pokemon to gold, especially some of the more adorable ones. So I can see where he's coming from. Unless it was Pokemon Gold, of course, in which case hey, best of both worlds.

      Delete