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The Elf On The Shelf Is Preparing Your Child To Live In A Future Police State, Professor Warns

The Elf on the Shelf is “a capillary form of power that normalizes the voluntary surrender of privacy, teaching young people to blindly accept panoptic surveillance and” [deep breath] “reify hegemonic power.”

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10 years ago

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For some, the Elf on the Shelf doll, with its doe-eyed gaze and cherubic face, has become a whimsical holiday tradition — one that helpfully reminds children to stay out of trouble in the lead-up to Christmas

For others — like, say, digital technology professor Laura Pinto — the Elf on the Shelf is “a capillary form of power that normalizes the voluntary surrender of privacy, teaching young people to blindly accept panoptic surveillance and” [deep breath] “reify hegemonic power.” I mean, that’s obvious, right?

The latter perspective is detailed in “Who’s the Boss,” a paper published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, in which Pinto and co-author Selena Nemorin argue that the popular seasonal doll is preparing a generation of children to uncritically accept “increasingly intrusive (albeit whimsically packaged) modes of surveillance.”

Before you burst out laughing, know that Pinto comes across as extremely friendly and not at all paranoid on the phone. She’s also completely serious.

“The Elf on the Shelf” is both a book and a doll. The former is a soft pixie scout elf that parents are instructed to hide around the house. The accompanying book, written in rhyme, tells a Christmas-themed story that explains how Santa Claus keeps tabs on who is naughty and who is nice.”

The Elf on the Shelf®: A Christmas Tradition Broadcast Spot

The book describes elves hiding in children’s homes each day during the holidays to monitor their behavior before returning to the North Pole each night with a report for “the boss.”

Because we live in a world grappling with corporate smartphone surveillance,behavior management apps in the classroom and private communication interceptions by various governments, Pinto —  a digital technology professor at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology — sees the Elf on the Shelf dolls as one development among many threatening our collective definition of privacy.

If she’s right, in all likelihood she’s fighting a losing battle. The Elf on the Shelf book sold over 6 million copies and joined the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade last year, according to the Daily Mail.

“I don’t think the elf is a conspiracy and I realize we’re talking about a toy,” Pinto told The Post. “It sounds humorous, but we argue that if a kid is okay with this bureaucratic elf spying on them in their home, it normalizes the idea of surveillance and in the future restrictions on our privacy might be more easily accepted.”

Until the introduction of Elf on the Shelf, Santa’s mythological helpers had always been relegated to the toy workshop, Pinto said. After the story and toy were introduced by Chanda Bell, a onetime Atlanta reading teacher, the traditional narrative changed to include the hiding, surveillance and back-and-forth travel, Pinto said.

“As evidenced by the millions of books and dolls sold,” the Toronto Star writes, “the story has become a cultural phenomenon, with parents littering their social media feeds with photos of the elf in strange places.”

Facebook, in fact, is how Pinto said she originally became aware of the doll. Last December, she began to see her Facebook friends who have kids posting Elf on the Shelf photos.

The more she read about the doll and the rules that accompany it, the more she began to feel like the game that resonated with the purpose of the infamous panopticon, Jeremy Bentham’s 18th Century design for a model prison (a central tower in a circular structure, surrounded by cells that made it impossible for prisoners to know if they were being watched).

She writes:

Elf on the Shelf presents a unique (and prescriptive) form of play that blurs the distinction between play time and real life. Children who participate in play with The Elf on the Shelf doll have to contend with rules at all times during the day: they may not touch the doll, and they must accept that the doll watches them at all times with the purpose of reporting to Santa Claus. This is different from more conventional play with dolls, where children create play-worlds born of their imagination, moving dolls and determining interactions with other people and other dolls. Rather, the hands-off “play” demanded by the elf is limited to finding (but not touching!) The Elf on the Shelf every morning, and acquiescing to surveillance during waking hours under the elf’s watchful eye. The Elf on the Shelf controls all parameters of play, who can do and touch what, and ultimately attempts to dictate the child’s behavior outside of time used for play.

“The whole thing with panopticonism under the Jeremy Bentham structure,” Pinto said, “is that you never quite knew if you were being watched or not and that forced you into behaving in a certain way. The elf is the same way.”

Pinto said she’s not the first person to be troubled by Elf on the Shelf’s surveilling. She’s said parents routinely contact her to say they changed the rules of the game after it made their families uneasy. And many kids, she said, often intuitively feel like spying and being a tattletale is wrong.

“A mom e-mailed me and told me that the first day they read the elf book and put the elf out, her daughter woke up crying because she was being watched by the elf,” Pinto recounted. “They changed the game so it wouldn’t scare the child.”

Emma Waverman, a blogger with Today’s Parent, told the Star that the idea of the elf watching someone all the time is “creepy.”

“It makes the motivation to behave something that’s external,” she told the paper. “If I’m not around or if the elf is not around, do they act crazy?”

Translated into academia-speak, Pinto and Nemorin make a similar point in Who’s the Boss?

“What is troubling,” they write, “is what The Elf on the Shelf represents and normalizes: anecdotal evidence reveals that children perform an identity that is not only for caretakers, but for an external authority (The Elf on the Shelf), similar to the dynamic between citizen and authority in the context of the surveillance state.” source

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BREAKING NEWS: Israel Has Begun The Process Of Pre-Emptive Strikes On Iran’s Nuclear Facilities As Bombs Are Falling Tonight On Tehran

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6 hours ago

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June 12, 2025

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Israel begins preemptive strike against Iran, defense minister says; sirens wail across Israel

The chatter across social media tonight is deafening, and everyone is talking about the same thing, the soon-coming strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities by Israel. The US has evacuated all non-essential embassy staff across the Middle East, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted this: “At our Embassy in Jerusalem and closely following the situation. We will remain here all night. ‘Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!’ “ Something is about to go down soon, that’s the memo.

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” Psalm 122:6 (KJB)

The US Department of State posted this earlier tonight: “Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex and can change quickly. We remind U.S. citizens in Israel and the broader region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments.” Word from NTEB sources in Jerusalem have informed us that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the Mossad Command Bunker. Would you like to guess what that means? NTEB will bring you all the developments as the situation on the ground, and in the air, unfolds. Pray for the Jews, pray for Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

UPDATE: Israel has started the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities

FROM THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Defense Minister Israel Katz says he has declared an emergency situation across the country due to Israel’s action in Iran. “Following the State of Israel’s preemptive strike against Iran, a missile and drone attack against the State of Israel and its civilian population is expected in the immediate future,” Katz says.

He says he has signed “a special order, according to which a special state of emergency will be imposed in the home front throughout the entire State of Israel.” READ MORE

Israel launches preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear sites, military targets

FROM THE JERUSALEM POST: Warning sirens have been set off to get the public ready for potential Iranian counter attacks of ballistic missiles on Israel. Iran has not yet fired ballistic missiles, but has thousands of them.

According to the IDF, Iran has enough uranium to weaponize it to nuclear levels, to 15 nuclear weapons within days In recent days, Iran developed a plan with Hezbollah and Hamas and other proxies to destroy the State of Israel, potentially including attempts to attack via all borders, including Egypt and Jordan. This was the point of no return according to the IDF. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has entered the security cabinet.

The IDF targets also include commanders, bases as well as nuclear sites, though the main goal is nuclear sites. Further, the IDF said in the last 20 minutes, Iran was taken by surprise and they were attacked in places they didn’t expect.

Israel has had strong coordination with the US, but Israeli military officials refused to say whether America was pre-updated or fully coordinated into the current attack, coming hours after Washington seemed to suggest it might not be in the loop or approve. There was also a possibility that Israel having its navy in the area of Yemen and Iran could have military implications, though the IDF did not fully specify.  This is a developing story.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

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But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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RIOT SEASON: As Spring Draws To A Close, Shocking Simultaneous And Overlapping Events Tell Us That It’s Going To Be A Long, Hot And Bloody Summer

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16 hours ago

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June 12, 2025

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Riot season has returned as multiple end times events are all firing at the same time, all we need now is the sacrifice to get things started

Christian, it might be a good time to buckle up because end times events are mere moments away from ‘hitting the fan’ and spraying the pieces into every direction. As you read this, the following events are locked and in place. President Trump is using the military to stop the anti-ICE protests, the No Kings anti-Trump event will take place in a minimum of 1,800 cities across the country on Saturday, the Bilderberg Group is conducting their annual meeting this whole weekend, and on Tuesday Emmanuel Macron and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman will take over the United Nations to create a Palestinian State. The cup is full, and it’s about to run over. That’s the memo.

“For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red; it is full of mixture; and he poureth out of the same: but the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out, and drink them.” Psalm 75:8 (KJB)

Riot season has returned, something we haven’t seen since Donald Trump was president the first time. Hmm, what a coincidence, I wonder if there’s a connection, probably nothing to it. The No Kings event on Saturday s billed by the Leftist media as a ‘peaceful event’, which means you can set your watch for how fast it will turn violent and the first sacrifice will be offered. Remember the George Floyd riots? David Dorn was the sacrifice. Remember January 6th? Ashli Babbitt was the sacrifice. Remember when Trump got the warning shot to his ear? Corey Comperatory was the sacrifice. When you see the sacrifice this time around, you will know riot season has officially begun. The Deep State is predictable if nothing else.

In the midst of all this chaos, there is one more event we haven’t mentioned that will also be taking place on Saturday June 14th at the same time the No Kings event starts. In Washington, DC, President Donald Trump will celebrate his birthday with one of the largest and most-expensive military parades this country has ever seen. Think about that for a moment. While violent protests are happening in 1,800 cities across the country, the president salutes himself with an over-the-top display of military firepower. Think of what your reaction might be if this was Obama doing it, or Biden doing it. Imagine what you would say about that. If you’re intellectually honest, you’ll say it about Trump.

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The last time we did a Saturday Podcast was on October 7th, 2023, and Lord willing we will do one this Saturday, June 14th. Am I putting current events in that same class? You better believe it.

“For those people that want to protest, they’re going to be met with very big force,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, making no distinction between violent and peaceful demonstrators. “And I haven’t even heard about a protest, but you know, this is people that hate our country. But they will be met with very heavy force.”

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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THERE WILL BE WAR: On Saturday June 14th The Radical Left Launches The ‘No Kings Nationwide Day Of Mass Defiance’ Across America, Be Ready

Published

2 days ago

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June 11, 2025

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No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism and depose Donald Trump

As we’ve been telling you all week, war is about to return to the streets of America as it did 5 years ago in the greatest summer of violence and destruction our nation has ever seen. The Left is calling it a ‘nationwide day of defiance’ and they are mobilized and ready to attack this Saturday, June 14th in hundreds of locations across the country. Are you ready for the ‘No Kings’ mass casualty event? You better be because it’s coming, and that’s the memo.

“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3 (KJB)

I am writing this article to you from an undisclosed location as our family is taking some much-needed vacation, but I brought the laptop ‘just in case’ and I’m glad I did. I didn’t have time to research where the funding for the ‘No Kings’ event is coming from, but if I had to guess it would highly likely be coming through a George Soros proxy group because it usually always does. The verbiage below is taken directly from the ‘No Kings’ site, and I’d advise you to believe them. Welcome to Day 1,913 of 15 Days To Flatten The Curve, and the summer of bloodshed, destruction and violence just like 2020.

On June 14th we rise up, No Kings!

They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services. The corruption has gone too. far. No thrones. No crowns. No kings. June 14—Flag Day—President Trump wants tanks in the street and a made-for-TV display of dominance for his birthday. A spectacle meant to look like strength. But real power isn’t staged in Washington. It rises up everywhere else.

No Kings is a nationwide day of defiance. From city blocks to small towns, from courthouse steps to community parks, we’re taking action to reject authoritarianism—and show the world what democracy really looks like.

We’re not gathering to feed his ego. We’re building a movement that leaves him behind.

The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us. We’re not watching history happen. We’re making it.

On June 14th, we’re showing up everywhere he isn’t—to say no thrones, no crowns, no kings. READ MORE

No Kings Nationwide Day Of Defiance June 14th

Just so you know, the No Kings event will take place in every major city across America.

Now The End Begins is your front line defense against the rising tide of darkness in the last Days before the Rapture of the Church

When you contribute to this fundraising effort, you are helping us to do what the Lord called us to do. The money you send in goes primarily to the overall daily operations of this site. When people ask for Bibles, we send them out at no charge. When people write in and say how much they would like gospel tracts but cannot afford them, we send them a box at no cost to them for either the tracts or the shipping, no matter where they are in the world. We have a Gospel Billboard program. We are now broadcasting Bible studies, Podcasts and a Sunday Service 5 times a week, thanks to your generous donations. All this is possible because YOU pray for us, YOU support us, and YOU give so we can continue growing.

nteb-free-king-james-bible-program-750-550

But whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Time is short and we need your help right now. The Lord has given us an open door with a tremendous ‘course’ for us to fulfill that will create an excellent experience at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Please pray for our efforts, and if the Lord leads you to donate, be as generous as possible. The war is REAL, the battle HOT and the time is SHORT…TO THE FIGHT!!!

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;” Titus 2:13 (KJB)

“Thank you very much!” – Geoffrey, editor-in-chief, NTEB

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