re: #356 Walter L. Newton

Walter, here’s my take on your question:

It depends. (Sorry, that was my favorite line when I was training banking clerks many years ago….)

Seriously, though: I’m not sure there’s any one person’s image I’d name, per se; for me, it can matter WHICH image of a major figure is used, to a degree. A Warhol thingy to me has FAR less weight than, say, an official state portrait.

But on a far more personal aesthetic level, I always wonder why people put portraits on ornaments to begin with unless they’re some sort of keepsake. I just don’t like “portrait” ornaments, period — and on public trees, you’re always taking the chance of offending somebody somewhere. Mao is offending people. If there had been an ornament of Toby Keith, somebody will be offended.

In (not-so) short, I say NO FACES. Unless they’re cartoons. CRIKEY, IT’S A DECORATION, not a declaration!

Give me abstract colors and shapes any day. Not to be PC, but I see faces all day long. When I look at my Christmas tree, I wanna see pretty colors and shapes without the need for flashbacks.