Hilarious 'Christmas Vacation' Display Leaves Neighborhood in Panic
Do you enjoy watching Christmas movies to get in the holiday spirit? What are some of your favorite festive flicks?
A lot of people really like the “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” movies.
Oh sure, there are more traditional offerings, too. Many folks prefer to savor their cookies and cocoa alongside the fictitious Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol” or George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
But from a screwball comedy standpoint, “Christmas Vacation” ranks right near the top of the list. The original 1989 film was written by John Hughes and stars Chevy Chase, so you know it’s brimming with PG-rated fun.
In fact, a lot of people consider it a modern seasonal classic. Many audience members can recite key scenes and lines verbatim.
There’s one famously funny snippet involving Chase’s character, hapless family patriarch Clark Griswold, Jr. He’s stapling Christmas lights to his roof, and skids right off the side.
A family in Austin, Texas, figured practically everyone was familiar with this immortal sight gag. But clearly, the freaked-out reaction of local residents proves this is not the case.
John Tesh reports that the family in question thought it would be amusing to re-create this movie-inspired holiday scene for a neighborhood contest this year.
Local ABC affiliate KVUE explains that the themed display featured a life-sized dummy clad in retro dad sneakers, jeans, a vest and a flannel shirt. The mannequin was positioned hanging from the roof, tangled in the light cord with a tilted ladder underneath.
Unfortunately, many neighbors took this playful sight gag all too literally. According to KVUE, one retired veteran actually staged a frantic rescue attempt.
Geek.com says that this gallant gentleman’s name was Alfred. His heroic actions were filmed by the family’s Nest Cam, and KVUE shared the resulting video.
A highly concerned Alfred anxiously tried to right the ladder and reach the dangling dummy. When that didn’t yield results, Alfred began hollering “help!” at motorists driving by.
Clearly worried, Alfred then placed a hasty 9-1-1 call to local authorities. KVUE reports that officers alerted a nanny who was inside the home when they arrived.
Alfred admitted that, eventually, he came to understand the simulated nature of the situation. “I was trying to get him down any way I can,” he told KVUE. “Except when I started talking to him, he never said nothing!”
Upon learning of Alfred’s kindhearted measures, the family reportedly felt just terrible. They presented him with a gift card and issued a public apology.
Fearing that additional residents might also get the wrong idea, the family then placed a cautionary sign in front of their house. It reads, “Clark G is part of our Christmas display, please do not call 911.”
Social media seems to be getting quite a chuckle from these jolly holiday hijinks. The important moral of this story? Not every good Samaritan watches the same movies you do.
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