Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Pet Peeve: Rushing Christmas
For Christ's sake... it's Veterans' Day - November 11, 2009.
Halloween is less than two weeks past!
Thanksgiving is slightly more than two weeks away...
ENOUGH WITH THE EARLY CHRISTMAS MARKETING...!!!
Santa was at the mall this weekend. He SHOULD be at the North Pole supervising toy production!
Listen... I love Christmas...
I love the Christmas season...
The Christmas season starts not after Halloween... not days before Veterans' Day... not on so-called "Black Friday"...
Nope. No way. The Christmas season commences on the First Sunday of Advent; this year - 2009 - the First Sunday of Advent falls on November 29th. Period!
Rather than "get me in the mood," the only thing that merchants achieve by bombarding me with "Christmas Spirit" prior to Advent is to piss me off.
Listen. I'm a capitalist. I understand commercialization... marketing... trying to get a jump on competitors and grab market share early... but this is getting ridiculous!
There's such a thing as RESPECT!
I want Jesus shown respect. I want Santa - jolly old Saint Nick - shown respect. I want our kids - and my fellow adults - to view the Christmas season as more than a race for trinkets. I want Halloween and Veterans' Day and Thanksgiving to be shown respect for what they represent and not to be seen as simply preludes - part of the countdown - to Black Friday.
That's how I feel.
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7 comments:
I want Jesus shown respect.
Yes, SIR! Respect for Jesus, SIR!
(Uh, how about going back to not commercializing Christmas at all, rather than merely quibbling over the "proper" date on which to begin the binge?)
Sorry Bill, but I have to side with Rodak on this one (although not in the area of commercializing the "binge"). You're nitpicking. If you're going to allow commercialization, then it's up to the retailers to decide the optimum time for it.
That said, if the early commercialization bothers you, then boycott the guilty retailers. They'll get the message. ;)
"Sorry Bill, but I have to side with Rodak on this one..."
No need to be sorry, Ed; you feel the way you feel.
As for Rob...
Rob. You actually have a good point. "Good" in the sense of logical and defensible.
I disagree. I happen to LOVE certain aspects of the "commercialization" of Christmas. By that I'm referring to Christmas cartoons and movies, the Salvation Army Santa ringing his bell as folks throw money in his red donation pot, the festive atmosphere, the parties... (You guys get the idea.)
Now Rob may be against ALL of that or some of that and if he is... fine. As I say, if you're coming at it PURELY from a religious aspect than such a view makes perfect sense.
But Ed...
(*SIGH*)
Unlike Rob and unlike me, you're trying to have it both ways. (Or so it seems to me.)
(*SHRUG*)
No one is saying anything about "allowing" or NOT "allowing" private entities to market in any manner they choose. If Walmart wants to run their Christmas sales in July that's their right.
(*SHRUG*)
What I wrote (clearly wrote...) (*SHRUG*) was that *I* personally find the practice off-putting prior to Advent.
(Is that ok with you, Ed...??? Am I entitled to feel the way I feel?)
(*SNORT*) (*SMILE*)
Oh, Ed... I only wish that you were...
(*STOPPING MYSELF*)
Merry Christmas, Ed!
(*WINK*)
You too, Rob!
BILL
* P.S. - Ed. I actually do make my feelings known at retailers.
(*WINK*)
I think that the reason Christmas is "merry" is that it was located on the calendar at the time of year when the days begin to get longer, and the light increases, which was a cause for celebration, particularly in agrarian societies.
I'm not against parties and celebrations.
I am against a consumer binges and the often quasi-mandatory gift-giving ceremonies that go with it.
I'm against the relentless multi-media commercial ad campaigns that inculcate the worst kind of matierialist values during a season that should be primarily spiritual.
And basically I'm with you, Rob.
I suppose it's all a matter of degree... where we each place the line.
(*SHRUG*)
"I am against a consumer binges and the often quasi-mandatory gift-giving ceremonies that go with it."
Yep. Me too.
"I'm against the relentless multi-media commercial ad campaigns that inculcate the worst kind of materialistic values during a season that should be primarily spiritual."
We're in the same house... but in different rooms - perhaps even on different floors!
(*GRIN*)
Here... example of where I'm 100% with you:
Those Lexus commercials where one spouse gives the other spouse a new Lexus as a Christmas present... THOSE ADS MAKE ME SICK.
Parents who buy their kids each and every "fad" item - this years "must have" gifts - those parents MAKE ME SICK.
Going into debt in order to "not look stingy"... folks who think like that MAKE ME SICK.
Being generous... buying appropriate gifts sure to be appreciated regardless of price... that's my idea of the proper "commercial" aspect of Christmas.
Spreading "cheer" far and wide... that's my idea of Christmas.
Keeping "the Christ" in Christmas regardless of whether one is a daily churchgoer or an infrequent churchgoer... that's important to me.
Being charitable... extra charitable... THAT'S Christmas to me.
Sharing is caring... but too much is too much. Is it fair to say we're united on that thought, Rob?
BILL
Bill, in other words, you're just griping. That's cool. Just don't call for any new laws, ok? That's all I ask of you. ;)
Aahhh...
Gotcha, Ed!
No new laws; I promise!
(*WINK*) (*SALUTE*)
BILL
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