What is one to do when he has already written about the solstice on the day before its official start and already bathed the page in emotion? Well, if you are me, you go back to a constant source of material throughout these years, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Anyone who has read these posts though the years knows that this is my favorite Christmas story, and I am always on the lookout for new manifestations of the classic.
I found a very different approach this year. While scanning through YouTube clips today I found a video of the Ghost of Christmas Present done in ASMR style.
Though I assume most people reading this are familiar with ASMR, it stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It describes the tingling feeling of euphoria many people get in their scalp and spine when exposed to auditory and visual stimulation. Videos in this genre are characterized by tiny sounds, delicate movement, and soft sibilant voices. I do not have pronounced ASMR reactions, though I can feel twinges at times, but those who do describe it as one of the most pleasant sensations. Videos designed to trigger this response can easily be found throughout YouTube.
The Christmas Carol video is broken into two parts. It begins with Dickens writing the beginning of the scene of the second visitation. The actor whispers the words while his pen quietly scratches on paper. We are brought into the scene up until the moment when Scrooge opens the door to see the apparition.
The room is much as we expect from other retelling of the story. Lush food and greenery with colors to stimulate the senses teem through the previously barren chamber. A fire crackles in the background, and in the central chair we see the traditional green rob of the spirit. However, in this retelling, the spirit is a woman, and a woman with a somewhat heavy French accent.
She speaks a combination of original lines from the scene coupled with descriptions of things that were originally stated by the author. As she speaks, she weaves al holly wreath and puts it on our head, for we are in the position of Scrooge in this scene. Fire crackling, low gentle voice, and the sound of holly leaves dragged against the edges of a wooden box are all designed to set off the tingling in the scalp of the viewer while the word of Dickens and the message of charity tingle in the heart. There are a few other characters who appear in their own whispered presence, but it is the woman as the spirit that is the focus of the video, as she gradually ages through the day only to fade away at the last stroke of midnight.
For a gimmick piece, it is pretty effective. The spirit (literal and figurative) of the story comes through in this new form, and it is a restful watch on a winter afternoon. I recommend it to you whether you enjoy the ASMR response or not.
Be safe, be strong.
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