Do you have any suggestions for an alternative default?
Because I agree- it's one thing of your mom gives you food you can't eat, it's another thing if it's someone who sends the same mail-order gift basket to forty people.
I've tried to come up with alternatives for the gift-for-extended-list but there really isn't any obvious other choice - drink has the same issues as food, plus some - flowers/plants have allergy issues and aren't often pet safe - pretty much all charity donations are going to have some kind of political subtext - gift cards etc can be okay but it's hard to find a place that will be both accessible and appealing to everyone (I have regifted more gift cards than anything else, between not being a coffee person, not using itunes/amazon, and sometimes having transit limitations) - cash/checks/etc. are risky to ship and don't feel like a real gift to some people - all clothing has sizing and gender issues - Stuff like scented candles and bath supplies have gender and allergy issues - other physical tchotchkes are often unnecessarily gendered as well, plus they accumulate where food is at least disposable, and while they're less likely to kill you, they are more likely to be utterly unwanted - you can only get so many completely generic mugs a year before you start using them for target practice. (I have noticed an uptick in mug gifts, so people may be increasingly defaulting to this.)
I mean, the obvious answer is "a nice card", but some circles absolutely don't think a card is enough, even for the outer ring. At least the existing default just reads as "they sent the default" and is easy to pass on.
no subject
Because I agree- it's one thing of your mom gives you food you can't eat, it's another thing if it's someone who sends the same mail-order gift basket to forty people.
I've tried to come up with alternatives for the gift-for-extended-list but there really isn't any obvious other choice
- drink has the same issues as food, plus some
- flowers/plants have allergy issues and aren't often pet safe
- pretty much all charity donations are going to have some kind of political subtext
- gift cards etc can be okay but it's hard to find a place that will be both accessible and appealing to everyone (I have regifted more gift cards than anything else, between not being a coffee person, not using itunes/amazon, and sometimes having transit limitations)
- cash/checks/etc. are risky to ship and don't feel like a real gift to some people
- all clothing has sizing and gender issues
- Stuff like scented candles and bath supplies have gender and allergy issues
- other physical tchotchkes are often unnecessarily gendered as well, plus they accumulate where food is at least disposable, and while they're less likely to kill you, they are more likely to be utterly unwanted - you can only get so many completely generic mugs a year before you start using them for target practice. (I have noticed an uptick in mug gifts, so people may be increasingly defaulting to this.)
I mean, the obvious answer is "a nice card", but some circles absolutely don't think a card is enough, even for the outer ring. At least the existing default just reads as "they sent the default" and is easy to pass on.