Sure, Rudolph antlers are cute to wear on your head for silly photos or to top off an ugly Christmas sweater.
But what in blue blazes possesses people to turn their car into a 2-ton reindeer?
You’ve seen them tooling down the road. Cars with antlers shooting up from the windows and a bright red nose on the grill.
What’s up with that?
I chased down a few to find out.
“I’m a really bubbly, friendly person,” said Marcie Cameron, who was pulling her blue Suzuki SUV into the Everett Costco, where she’s a cashier. “Anything so people know I’m friendly.”
Her husband and daughter surprised her by decking out her car with a reindeer kit.
“I’ve always wanted them,” she said. “Oh, my gosh, people love it. They are like, ‘You are in the Christmas spirit.’”
This year, the reindeer kits are everywhere, including supermarkets and drug stores, for $10 to $15. A kit is $12.99 at a site called, well, stupid.com. As the stupid site puts it: When you drive around town you’ll no longer be the tan SUV. You’ll be a real Reindeer and all the other cars will look like dirty ol’ grinches.”
As the owner of a boring tan SUV, that hit home. My car would look awesome with a red nose and reindeer antlers. “Only if I can take them off when I’m driving,” said my ol’ grinch husband.
Real men are in touch with their Rudolph side.
Nick Ortakales is proud of the plush antlers and shiny nose on his red Mini Cooper. It makes people happy, even in traffic hell.
“I’ve had people smile and wave while driving in downtown Seattle,” he said.
His friend, Ashley Poeppel, has a matching reindeer set on her blue Mini Cooper. “It gives them more personality,” she said.
As if those little cars can get any cuter.
It also makes it easy to find her little car in parking lots like Alderwood Mall, where I cornered her.
“Just look for the reindeer antlers,” she said.
So, what are you waiting for? Get your sleigh in gear so you can bust though shopping mall parking lots like a true reindeer and spread some joy.
If your car feels naked after the holidays, no problem.
Chances are sites like stupid.com will sell Easter Bunny ears.
Send What’s Up With That? suggestions to Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown. Read more What’s Up With That? at www.heraldnet.com/whatsup.
This morning I chased down people in cars with antlers… and I call myself a serious journalist?! #reindeerantlers pic.twitter.com/Z44p6VblX4
— Andrea Brown (@reporterbrown) December 12, 2014
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