Free Republic

A New Jersey decorator - who created a fake Clark Griswold mannequin inspired by the 1989 holiday film Christmas Vacation - landed himself in hot water after a local fire department was called because of the prank. The well-designed automated mannequin was created by decorator Doug Peterson, of Oceanport, who posted the prank on TikTok. The mannequin was meant to resemble the popular Vacation series character Clark Griswold, played by Chevy Chase, who is portrayed as a fun-loving family man fixated on giving his family the perfect Christmas holiday. The decoration is inspired by a famous scene where Griswold is...

It started as a continuation of the misadventures of the Griswold family; it ended up becoming one of the most surprisingly popular and oft-quoted holiday movies of all time. This month marks the 25th anniversary of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, in which beleaguered patriarch Clark Griswold — played by the inimitable Chevy Chase — tries to engineer the picture-perfect seasonal festivities: the best naturally procured tree, the biggest and brightest (literally) Christmas-light display on the block, the end-of-the-year bonus from his Scrooge-like boss. It's the only comedy to appeal to those who live for that deck-the-halls spirit, viewers who are...

(Griswold-AP, Oct. 31, 2006 5:35 AM) _ Sightings of foxes have forced Griswold schools to keep children indoors. School officials Monday banned all outside activity, including recess, gym classes, walks and after-school programs outdoors. The ban will stay in force until officials and experts can offer assurances on outdoor safety. Community groups that use the campus also were alerted and athletic games are being scheduled at other schools. Griswold schools are one campus adjacent to a wooded area. A spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection says the agency will send trappers to the area to catch the foxes...

GENEVA, Ill. - Greg Parcell isn't thinking about the 50,000 lights all around him, or the computer that has them blinking to the beat of "Let it Snow" on the radio. Instead, his mind is on what's missing as he stands in what seems the one empty spot in his front yard. "I still have to put up the penguins around the campfire," he says. Parcell, 47, is a toy soldier in a growing army of Christmas enthusiasts becoming more sophisticated at turning yards into blazing monuments to the holidays. New companies are cropping up with elaborate, automated decorations and...