Shelby Gash is the 24-year-old Kansas woman who put up a Christmas light display that certainly would have surprised Santa and may have landed her on his “naughty” list.
Gash’s rooftop lights were designed in the shape of a penis and the images have gone viral. Gash said she did it to give her neighbors a good laugh, though she has since taken the phallic symbol down after critics said it was inappropriate for children to see it.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Shelby Gash Said She Wanted to Shake Things Up Because the Neighborhood Had Become Too ‘Uptight’
Shelby Gash set out to cause a stir in her Whispering Hills neighborhood this holiday season. The suburban area is located in Lenexa, Kansas, in Johnson County.
Gash explained to Fox affiliate WDAF-TV that her goal with the penis-shaped light display had been to make the neighbors laugh. “The neighborhood’s… vibe has kind of gone down because everyone is kind of uptight. So it’s more of kind of an orneriness.”
Gash said the immediate reaction from the neighbors was primarily positive. “People are stopping in the middle of the night taking photos and laughing. People think it’s so much fun.” The symbol was created using 60 feet of leftover Christmas lights.
2. Shelby Gash Asked Her Father For Permission Before Putting Up the Lights
Shelby Gash had the support of her family before stringing up the lights. She shared a screengrab on Facebook of a text conversation she had with her father. Gash did not sugarcoat her request.
In the text, Gash asked her father, “Can I use the remainder Christmas lights to make an outline of a giant glowing dick on our roof til HOA complains?” He responded, “Heck ya sparkly.”
Gash reiterated, “I am being serious.” Her father responded back simply, “Sure.”
In the comments, one friend posted a meme of a tie sitting atop a trophy. The caption read, “Best Dad Ever Award.”
3. Neighbors Thought the Penis-Shaped Light Display Was Funny, But Inappropriate
Some neighbors apparently expressed some confusion about the light display at first. WDAF-TV reported that from further away, some people thought the display could have been in the shape of a guitar. But Shelby Gash bluntly told the TV station, “It’s a giant glowing dick.”
Neighbors Marcelo and Christi Vergara commented that they thought the phallic display was not appropriate, especially for the young children who live nearby. They remarked that the joke “wears out quick.” However, they also acknowledged that they thought the display was hilarious. Christi Vergara said that had she seen the penis lights while driving in her car, she may have caused a wreck because she would have been laughing so hard.
4. Gash Joked About ‘Getting Famous For Putting a Dick On a Roof’ On TikTok
Shelby Gash took to TikTok to express her surprise that the photos of her Christmas light display had gone viral. She asked her followers, “Do ya’ll get famous for putting a dick on a roof?” In the video, she shared some of the headlines about her light display and ended the video by joking, “Whoops!”
Gash then shared the video to Instagram with the caption, “So I have logged into my old Instagram because I’m kinda going viral bc of my giant dick I made. Sorry to my old High school friends that this story is the only story you have heard about me in six years. Probably annoying just let me have my have 15 mins of fame in my bizarre life.”
Gash doesn’t appear to share much on her public social media accounts, but a friend of hers on Facebook mentioned that Gash is artistic. A woman named Connie Davidson asked Gash if she had painted anything recently. Gash responded, “I haven’t painted in awhile! I need to work on that!”
On social media, Gash instead prefers to focus on her animals. She has an Instagram account set up for her pet bearded dragon named Eego.
5. The Phallic Christmas Display Has Now Been Removed
There’s a Christmas light display that’s definitely on the naughty list in Lenexa, KS.
The creator put up the graphic image in lights to make people laugh, but neighbors believe it’s not appropriate for kids. @fox4kc
Shelby Gash had her fun with the penis-shaped Christmas lights. The display was up for four days before Gash decided to take it down.
She said she decided to pull the plug after hearing about the concerns that some neighbors had about children seeing it. Gash told WDAF-TV, “Sorry if this was actually really bothering people. I’m just trying to make a laugh.”
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