Wrapping paper - Another WTF?

Hey there folks. I was just talking to my girlfriend about wrapping paper when it dawned on me: Wrapping paper is stupid. Now, I'm not talking drastically stupid - it's note quite at the "bottled water" level, but it's a little higher on the stupid scale than this. Why, you ask? Allow me to explain.

What do you do with wrapping paper? Obviously, you wrap shit with it, usually shit of the present variety (birthday, Chrismahanakwanzaka, etc.). But what's the very first thing you do when handed something wrapped up in wrapping paper? It's okay, just shout it out when you know it.

Yeah, that's right! YOU RIP THAT FUCKER APART! You tear that beautifully-wrapped, painstakingly-chosen wrapping paper to shreds, to get at the good stuff it's hiding from you. I mean, in the end it comes down to basic psychology: the box represents what you want, and the wrapping paper is an obstacle between you and what you want. So, your natural response is going to be to want to remove the obstacle, and as long as you have hands and/or teeth that work, that shouldn't be a problem for you.

Then there's the fact that depending on the age of the recipient and/or people involved in the wrapping of presents, the cardboard tube that the paper comes on can be more interesting and play-with-worthy than anything for which the paper that came on it is being used to wrap up. It's the same with boxes - buy the little shmuck a baby swing and he'll delight way more in goofing off in the box than swinging on that lame ass swing. It's a fact.

Whew.

I just want two things noted, however. One, that none of this is a product of any bitterness that I might be feeling because my dad just popped me in the head with an empty wrapping paper tube (playfully!).

And two that there is one - and ONLY one - exception to this primal instinct, and that is this: if the wrapping paper is comprised of sheets of real, uncut $100 bills, you don't give two shits about what's in that box.

And you shouldn't.

Because it's probably a terrible Christmas sweater.

Stay classy. And have a safe and happy holiday.