Driving around parts of metro Phoenix, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Lights, inflatables, and other decorations are on homes and in yards around town. And it’s not that unusual to spot a truck from one of the companies that’ll install your lights for you on the roads, either.
Craig Outhier, editor of Phoenix Magazine, joined The show to talk about how Phoenicians deck the halls — and their roofs and lawn.
Full conversation
MARK BRODIE: So do you get the sense that Phoenicians or Valley residents go more all out in terms of decorating than do people in other places?
CRAIG OUTHIER: That's a good question. You know, ... it's something I considered. I mean, it's obviously an enormous thing in the Valley. And it wasn't something I considered until your excellent executive producer, Amy Silverman, brought it to my attention.
You know, maybe it's bigger in the Valley because of our lack of what might be called a season. ... You look out your window and, and the winter doesn't look all that different from the summer. I mean, unless you're looking at the mercury, right?
I mean, so in putting up a, you know, self-consciously excessive Christmas light display, I think is one way of maybe we overcompensate maybe for that fact.
And you know, I think there was probably some validity to it. I mean, it's a lot easier to do this kind of Clark Griswold, you know, display here in the Valley than it is in, you know, where you're from, for instance, Connecticut, or Chicago. Anywhere where there's snow or weather.
BRODIE: Well, it's interesting because growing up in Connecticut, I spent some time in central New York as well, places where it gets very cold and gets a lot of snow. At least at the times I was there, you know, there are some people who would decorate, you know, to the extent that some folks here do. But more often than not it was maybe, you know, like electric candles in somebody's windows or just nothing at all.
As opposed to here where there are maps of the great places to go. It's an activity to go and look at houses that have really gone all out.
OUTHIER: I think every major news source in the Valley has done that story. We have, certainly. You can find it online.
Yeah, you know, for instance, Brooklyn has a famous neighborhood, Dyker Heights, that, you know that, that does that goes really overboard, really beautiful old colonial mansions. But I think that's the exception. I think those are special places. And, you know, the Valley has tons of neighborhoods that do that.
We did a story on a fellow who grew up loving Christmas floats, so, you know, kind of a twist on the theme. His, you know, he loved Christmas floats, and he does his own. He bought a tractor, one of these kind of like, you know, John Deere situations, more like an agricultural tractor, drags his float around.
I actually was out on my bike with my sister because we have a little, you know, tradition we do during Christmas. And we found him like in north central Phoenix, near my neighborhood. It was awesome, you know, and I think you do find, you find that kind of energy here in the Valley. You know, it is a national thing, you know, it's not just Phoenix, obviously.
And you know, I hate to give too much cultural import to a Chevy Chase movie, but there is something about “Christmas Vacation” that created maybe a little divot in our collective psychology about doing these kind of self-consciously over-the-top Christmas displays.
It went viral, I think, to some extent and continues to because that movie is, you know, it's on cable constantly all the time ... So there's something there for sure.
And you know I, I did a little deep dive ... I was wondering about the material costs of doing a giant display. Residential electricity has gone down in price even though it doesn't seem like it has relative to inflation over the decades.
So it is cheaper to do these, these giant displays in terms of the electricity bill relative to inflation, you know, obviously add that as a caveat. And I think the technology's gotten better too with the LED lights. I think it's easier to do these kind of like exotic flashing situations than it used to.
You don't have to hire a guy from RadioShack to come out and, you know, wire a circuit board if you want to do that. I mean, really, it's right there. So, yeah.
BRODIE: Does it, does it tend to get you in the holiday spirit to see a bunch of, a bunch of lights on a house or an inflatable Santa on the roof or Frosty the Snowman in the front yard?
OUTHIER: I mean, I want to be a Grinch. I don't like the inflatable stuff. It's just a personal, you know, aesthetic choice.
I like, but I love the lights, you know. I love the kind of, I'm more of like a, you know, the white lights, the kind of, you know, mellow — but I love them. I do love the lights. It definitely puts me in the mood.
But I kind of like the, like you were talking about the more candle-y kind of things.
BRODIE: We should also point out that this has, like, in some cases has created controversy. I mean there have been lawsuits and fights with cities over extensive holiday displays. Like, obviously we're focused on Phoenix here, but do you get the sense that, that this sort of thing has also happened elsewhere?
OUTHIER: You know, I'm not sure if there's been the kind of friction. I mean ... it's just kind of think about it. If it's your neighborhood, do you really, are you always down with it becoming a holiday theme park and the kind of traffic it brings through? You know, that's an interesting point though, and kind of gets into the whole, you know, association rules, covenants, restrictions, that kind of thing.
... Yeah, I can't imagine it's localized to the, you know, it completely, it's got to be something other places are dealing with. But I grew up in California and, you know, I left in the ‘90s, and I don't think it was, you know, it's obviously taken a lot, taken off a lot in the intervening decades everywhere. But I don't remember it being nearly as big a deal there.
BRODIE: OK, so I know this question is kind of like asking a parent to pick their favorite child, but do you have a favorite go-to place that every year you check out for their Christmas decorations?
OUTHIER: You know, I haven't developed a personal favorite, but, you know, I've heard of one in Gilbert that I'm trying out. ... If it's any place in the Valley where you'd think they would pull off enormously over-the-top, grotesquely beautiful residential suburban light displays, it would be Gilbert. So I'm gonna look into that one.
BRODIE: All right, we'll have to check back in with you, maybe after the holidays, see how you liked it.
OUTHIER: Yes, I will give you a full report.
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