A daily chronicle of creativity in film, TV, music, arts, and entertainment, produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from November 2014 – March 2020. Host John Horn leads the conversation, accompanied by the nation's most plugged-in cultural journalists.
Monday marks the eve of a holiday staple for people who don’t like participating in the consumerism of the Christmas season — at least according to "Seinfeld."
The Festivus tradition is similar to Christmas, except instead of a Christmas tree, there’s an unadorned aluminum Festivus pole. And instead of saying thanks, there’s a practice known as the “Airing of Grievances.”
Festivus was invented by "Seinfeld" writer Daniel O'Keefe's family and popularized in the '90s TV sitcom in an episode in which George is forced by his father to celebrate the tradition.
It has since become its own cult tradition. The Frame talked about it with actor John Fleck, who will be doing a reading at the Skylight Theater in Los Feliz for its Festivus celebration. Fleck gave us a sample of what he will be performing. It’s the poem, “The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus,” by Ogden Nash.
You can catch John Fleck perform Nash's poem and more on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at Skylight Theater at 7 p.m.