Plastic surgery is de rigueur. Celebrity has become reality. People are living Second Lives online. And shopping malls have become full-fledged Disneyfied shopping experiences.

In a world where fakery has not only become commonplace but socially acceptable, especially at the time of year when everyone celebrates Santa Claus, I believe there's something comforting, almost old-fashioned about throwing on a DVD that replicates a real wood-burning fireplace.

Maybe that's because my real fireplace doesn't work. Or maybe because I think there's something existential about watching a bundle of logs endlessly burn, never to become ash. Or maybe I'm just lazy.

With the prevalence of DVD, a huge market has opened up for such loopy constructions, quite possibly because they're so cheap and easy to produce. It's true. Just search Amazon for "fireplace DVD" and over a dozen different versions will appear.

There's a high-definition edition if the flickering isn't crisp enough for you. There are setting-specific versions if you need your fire to have a backstory. In Cape Cod or Sierra Nevada? On the beach or inside a cabin? The choice is yours, friend.

For less than $20, I prefer this one because you can choose between flames or embers, fullscreen or widescreen, ambient sounds or music. There are also some special features, such as an interview with the director and a preview of an aquarium DVD.

Fake fish? Now thaaat's bizarre.

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Stay tuned to asap for more gift suggestions throughout the holiday season.

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Derrik J. Lang is an asap reporter based in New York and blogger for The Slug.

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