Perhaps it's just me, but it seems that the Easter Bunny suffers from a lack of respect. Whenever holiday icons are discussed, all anyone ever wants to talk about is that damn Santa Claus. Let's face it, the poor Easter Bunny is simply an afterthought, placed on par with the likes of little green leprechauns and crazy flying cherubs.
But is this justified? Is St. Nick really all he's cracked up to be? If you ask me, Chris Cringle is nothing more than a jolly old version of "Big Brother". Think about it. He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when your awake. Where I come from that's called invasion of privacy. Just like "The Man", he's watching our every move just waiting for us to slip up. And if we step out of line, Bam, it's a lump of coal.
I could understand getting nothing in the stocking, but no, you wake up on Christmas morning and see that there's something in there. It looks like something substantial and the mind begins to wander into a state of excited anticipation. What kind of fabulous treasure could it be? You reach in full of hope only to be shattered by the cold dark reality. And then there you are, a jackass holding up a handful of coal. A pathetic shameful wretch standing before your astonished family on what was supposed to be a joyous morning. Thanks Santa.
I happen to think that all the gifts he brings are just a means to a sadistic end. His real motivation is sticking it to those poor kids who refused to play "The Game". The rest of us, the lucky one's who somehow avoided the "naughty" label, are left with a painful choice. Continue playing by his oppressive rules or suffer the same humiliation. It's all about fear and power. He's making his list and checking it twice, putting his nose where it doesn't belong. And for this, we put him up on a pedestal.
Now let's look at the Easter Bunny. He brings chocolate and colored eggs on Easter and otherwise minds his own business. Everyone gets the goods regardless of whether they've been classified as "naughty" or "nice". No oversized bearded elf looking over our shoulders. Now isn't that refreshing?
And another thing. I think we sometimes forget that the Easter Bunny is just a rabbit. From what I understand he has no super powers and he doesn't go around with a huge entourage like Santa. No elves or reindeer to do his bidding. If anything, he might be considerably larger than your average rabbit but I don't see where that gives him any particular advantage. In fact, because of his size, I imagine he was subjected to a great deal of ridicule within the rabbit community. You know how cruel rabbits can be when it comes to stuff like that. But despite all this, he has persevered and now he provides us humans with unconditional treats in nifty little wicker baskets at Easter. Just think about that for a moment Mister.
