What would Frank Costanza say if he saw us now?

What would he say about Festivus poles, wines, and cards?

What would he say about concert promoters using the name to sell tickets?

What would he say about Festivus soft-news stories which have become a December staple for editors desperate to move their product off of newsstands? (Adhering to its “if we haven’t written about it in 10 months it counts as ‘news'” principle, the Washington Post composed Festivus stories in 2006 (two of them), 2007, 2008, and 2009.)

On that fateful day Frank Costanza’s blows rained down on his fellow toy store patron this is not the “better way” he had in mind. If we stay on our current path Ryan Seacrest will soon be hosting a two hour “Fox Festivus Extravaganza” featuring performances by the cast of Glee, Nickleback, and the runner up of So You Think You Can Dance.

It’s time to stop the commercialization of Festivus.