Towards the end of the 2020 there seemed to be a small glimmer of hope that local travel would be possible, allowing interstate families to be together at Christmas.
This was quickly quelled due to the second wave of COVID-19 infections in New South Wales. State borders quickly shut once again and even domestic travel was off the menu.
At least one JB Hi-Fi store is leaning into this by applying the ol’ meme treatment on its in-store marketing collateral for travel items.
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This week, Redditor u/spacejames posted a photo to r/Australia from the travel section of an undisclosed JB Hi-Fi store. Titled ‘Travel Essentials For Your Imaginary Holiday’, it depicts Rodd and Todd Flanders declaring their destinations of choice.
“I’m going to N.S.W” got me good.
Travel Essentials For Your Imaginary Holiday (JB you’ve done it again!) from australia
This is a throwback to the ‘Little Big Mom’ episode from the eleventh season of The Simpsons.
Flanders reveals that he paid to send Homer and Bart to a leper colony, meaning that the family would be having an ‘Imagination Christmas!’
This is followed by Rodd and Todd declaring “I got a pogo stick” and “I got a hula hoop”.
I’d explain the joke further for you, but another Redditor already did a perfect job of purposely diving into the minutia of the gag.
“The TV show ‘The Simpsons’ features a family next door and the two kids are naive. This joke references the clip at 26 seconds in [this] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FOX8EVO1I8) video,” they explain.
“It highlights the uselessness of travel accessories in a time where travel is not allowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic by pointing out that popular overseas travel destinations like America, or even interstate travel to New South Wales, is not possible. This is highlighted by the power adapter for Australians travelling to North America in the photo. It is also a sarcastic jibe as a retailer at the retail market for their marketting [sic] tactics of trying to appeal to customers’ wants based on short term interests such as travel.”
It’s been awhile since we’ve seen a great JB Hi-Fi sign, and this one has helped with the existential dread for at least a few minutes.