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American Morning
The Spirit of Regifting
Aired December 25, 2003 - 09:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Today is the day for presents. Right now in every city or town, somebody's getting a gift, and already the wheels are turning. Andy Serwer is here with a few thoughts on the fine art of regifting.
ANDY SERWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The wheels are turning, as in what can I do with these gifts that I got that I don't like? That's what that means.
O'BRIEN: I get it.
SERWER: Regifting, it's one of those things people don't like to talk about, but they do. I have done it. I'll be honest. I'll admit it. I regift wine and liquor. I don't regift blenders and things like that. I just -- I keep those.
O'BRIEN: How many blenders have you gotten?
SERWER: You know, worthless things like that. When you get more than one blender, it's worthless.
Anyway, we have some stats on regifting. Here are stats on regifting -- 31 percent of those surveyed admit to it. They admit to it. And 60 percent of the regifters are women. Soledad, men regift less.
O'BRIEN: I regift, happily, everything.
SERWER: Men regift less. Jack's never regifted.
JACK CAFFERTY, HOST, "IN THE MONEY": Oh, yes, I have.
SERWER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, he has.
SERWER: Here's an interesting one. Wealthy people regift more than less wealthy people. What a surprise there. And you know where geographically, the biggest regifters are those who live out West.
O'BRIEN: Really?
SERWER: Californians and such, Jack, are big regifters. And then we want to talk a little bit about gift cards, because they're big -- holiday gift cards. Store value cards. We want to talk about them a little bit. This is a gift that's growing like crazy. Probably got some in your stocking stuffers. You know, those handy dandy little gift cards. Right?
O'BRIEN: Is there money on these?
SERWER: Yes, there's money on these gift cards. The problem with them is, they're great, there are $50 billion of these things sold this year, but the thing is, what we want to talk about this morning, is to look at the fine print on the back, and this is a mistake a lot of people do. Here is one from Napster, the online music store.
What's happening here is they've got little caveats, like this one expires one year from the day you get it. It's no good. Pay attention.
Saks Fifth Avenue. Here's a Saks card I've got. Expires, February 29, 2004. Starbucks card, $2 of fees, $2 a month fee after one year. OK?
O'BRIEN: Wait, wait, wait, the card to buy coffee is going to charge you an extra fee of...
SERWER: They take $2 a month off that if you don't use it for a year. OK? Now, there are some states that prohibit those, and Starbucks is actually getting rid of that. And a lot of states -- here is a good company, right? I wanted to show this up, kudos to Target -- never had any -- look at the doggie -- never had any fees at all, ever, no expirations, no nothing. So Target, hats off to you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: How much money...
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: You are so -- thank you so much.
SERWER: Merry Christmas, Soledad.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Best gift I've ever gotten, thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Scholars say the custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from a Scandinavian goddess called Friga, goddess of love in Viking mythology. Her name was Friga.
Anyway, she made the mistletoe a symbol of love and promised to kiss anyone who passed underneath it. Did I mention her name was Friga? The mistletoe is a parasite. It lives on the good will of other trees, not unlike politicians. The druids thought it had magical healing qualities, but be very careful, because you can get yourself in trouble if you have a couple of eggnogs and get to messing around with the mistletoe. And a lot of Christmas music out there, holiday music. Your Christmas music library is not complete unless you have some of these. The American song poem Christmas album. "Daddy, is Santa really six foot four?" Or "Santa came on a nuclear missile." One of the more bizarre holiday releases.
Kenny Chesney, "All I want for Christmas is a real good tan." Country superstars, including friends like Willie Nelson on a Caribbean holiday.
Dr. Elmo's album, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" is out. It includes tunes like "Uncle Johnny's glass eye" and "Texas chainsaw Christmas."
SERWER: That's a goodie.
CAFFERTY: Yeah. The title track, though, is a legit tune, big hit song, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer," it came out in 1979 and sold 10 million copies.
And Dirk Peiser (ph) has "Happy clucking holidays," because we're really lacking in Christmas carols sung by a chicken.
"We wish you a hairy Christmas," a compilation of '80s metal acts, singing classic tunes like "Run Rudolph, run," and "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus."
And one of the most famous Christmas songs of all, of course, is "Jingle Bells," but I bet you didn't know this.
(MUSIC)
The origins of the song apparently are more naughty than nice. "Jingle Bells," the first Christmas tune we learn. Right? It's a Christmas tune that nobody ever forgets. But some historians say that when "Jingle Bells" was first written back in the 1850s, it was not a Christmas song at all. Rather it had nothing to do with the holidays. "Jingle Bells" was what you might call pre-Civil War rock and roll. It was written by Boston native James Lord Pierpont, and in its seldom heard original form, it's about having a flashy vehicle, driving it too fast, and using it to pick up girls.
SERWER: Timeless.
CAFFERTY: So that was long before the automobile. What do you suppose they were talking about? Like hay wagons? Or covered carts?
SERWER: They're out there.
O'BRIEN: Nothing's changed.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Now we've got 800 horse power, and it's still all about the same old stuff.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: That's right. Are you going to give those credit cards back?
O'BRIEN: Do I have to?
CAFFERTY: Well, not as far as I'm concerned. They're not mine.
O'BRIEN: Then the answer is no, I'm not.
CAFFERTY: Good for you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: It's the holiday for giving and keeping is what I like to say.
We're out of time this morning, guys. Thanks for joining us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 25, 2003 - 09:48 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SOLEDAD O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Today is the day for presents. Right now in every city or town, somebody's getting a gift, and already the wheels are turning. Andy Serwer is here with a few thoughts on the fine art of regifting.
ANDY SERWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: The wheels are turning, as in what can I do with these gifts that I got that I don't like? That's what that means.
O'BRIEN: I get it.
SERWER: Regifting, it's one of those things people don't like to talk about, but they do. I have done it. I'll be honest. I'll admit it. I regift wine and liquor. I don't regift blenders and things like that. I just -- I keep those.
O'BRIEN: How many blenders have you gotten?
SERWER: You know, worthless things like that. When you get more than one blender, it's worthless.
Anyway, we have some stats on regifting. Here are stats on regifting -- 31 percent of those surveyed admit to it. They admit to it. And 60 percent of the regifters are women. Soledad, men regift less.
O'BRIEN: I regift, happily, everything.
SERWER: Men regift less. Jack's never regifted.
JACK CAFFERTY, HOST, "IN THE MONEY": Oh, yes, I have.
SERWER: Oh, yes.
O'BRIEN: Oh, yes, he has.
SERWER: Here's an interesting one. Wealthy people regift more than less wealthy people. What a surprise there. And you know where geographically, the biggest regifters are those who live out West.
O'BRIEN: Really?
SERWER: Californians and such, Jack, are big regifters. And then we want to talk a little bit about gift cards, because they're big -- holiday gift cards. Store value cards. We want to talk about them a little bit. This is a gift that's growing like crazy. Probably got some in your stocking stuffers. You know, those handy dandy little gift cards. Right?
O'BRIEN: Is there money on these?
SERWER: Yes, there's money on these gift cards. The problem with them is, they're great, there are $50 billion of these things sold this year, but the thing is, what we want to talk about this morning, is to look at the fine print on the back, and this is a mistake a lot of people do. Here is one from Napster, the online music store.
What's happening here is they've got little caveats, like this one expires one year from the day you get it. It's no good. Pay attention.
Saks Fifth Avenue. Here's a Saks card I've got. Expires, February 29, 2004. Starbucks card, $2 of fees, $2 a month fee after one year. OK?
O'BRIEN: Wait, wait, wait, the card to buy coffee is going to charge you an extra fee of...
SERWER: They take $2 a month off that if you don't use it for a year. OK? Now, there are some states that prohibit those, and Starbucks is actually getting rid of that. And a lot of states -- here is a good company, right? I wanted to show this up, kudos to Target -- never had any -- look at the doggie -- never had any fees at all, ever, no expirations, no nothing. So Target, hats off to you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: How much money...
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: You are so -- thank you so much.
SERWER: Merry Christmas, Soledad.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: Best gift I've ever gotten, thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Scholars say the custom of kissing under the mistletoe comes from a Scandinavian goddess called Friga, goddess of love in Viking mythology. Her name was Friga.
Anyway, she made the mistletoe a symbol of love and promised to kiss anyone who passed underneath it. Did I mention her name was Friga? The mistletoe is a parasite. It lives on the good will of other trees, not unlike politicians. The druids thought it had magical healing qualities, but be very careful, because you can get yourself in trouble if you have a couple of eggnogs and get to messing around with the mistletoe. And a lot of Christmas music out there, holiday music. Your Christmas music library is not complete unless you have some of these. The American song poem Christmas album. "Daddy, is Santa really six foot four?" Or "Santa came on a nuclear missile." One of the more bizarre holiday releases.
Kenny Chesney, "All I want for Christmas is a real good tan." Country superstars, including friends like Willie Nelson on a Caribbean holiday.
Dr. Elmo's album, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer" is out. It includes tunes like "Uncle Johnny's glass eye" and "Texas chainsaw Christmas."
SERWER: That's a goodie.
CAFFERTY: Yeah. The title track, though, is a legit tune, big hit song, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer," it came out in 1979 and sold 10 million copies.
And Dirk Peiser (ph) has "Happy clucking holidays," because we're really lacking in Christmas carols sung by a chicken.
"We wish you a hairy Christmas," a compilation of '80s metal acts, singing classic tunes like "Run Rudolph, run," and "I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus."
And one of the most famous Christmas songs of all, of course, is "Jingle Bells," but I bet you didn't know this.
(MUSIC)
The origins of the song apparently are more naughty than nice. "Jingle Bells," the first Christmas tune we learn. Right? It's a Christmas tune that nobody ever forgets. But some historians say that when "Jingle Bells" was first written back in the 1850s, it was not a Christmas song at all. Rather it had nothing to do with the holidays. "Jingle Bells" was what you might call pre-Civil War rock and roll. It was written by Boston native James Lord Pierpont, and in its seldom heard original form, it's about having a flashy vehicle, driving it too fast, and using it to pick up girls.
SERWER: Timeless.
CAFFERTY: So that was long before the automobile. What do you suppose they were talking about? Like hay wagons? Or covered carts?
SERWER: They're out there.
O'BRIEN: Nothing's changed.
(CROSSTALK)
CAFFERTY: Now we've got 800 horse power, and it's still all about the same old stuff.
O'BRIEN: Exactly.
CAFFERTY: That's right. Are you going to give those credit cards back?
O'BRIEN: Do I have to?
CAFFERTY: Well, not as far as I'm concerned. They're not mine.
O'BRIEN: Then the answer is no, I'm not.
CAFFERTY: Good for you.
(CROSSTALK)
O'BRIEN: It's the holiday for giving and keeping is what I like to say.
We're out of time this morning, guys. Thanks for joining us.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
