Holiday Shill Starting Already
Is anyone else besides me disturbed by the fact that Christmas advertisements are already on the air? It's still two+ weeks until Thanksgiving and it seems like every retailer is trotting out their Chris-ma-hannu-kwanza stuff already. I think I saw the first ad the day before Halloween, but I dismissed it as an aberration. Apparently not.
True, I'm a bit biased because I hate TV commercials. For real. Can't stand'em. I remember about three, four years ago, there was a Gillette razor commercial that would almost make me have seizures because it was so jarring and annoying. Plus the change in sound volume from the actual program baseline to that of the commercial, is very, very disturbing, and as a child, my mother never believed me when I told her that the volume went up automatically when commercials came on. So, I've got mad beef with TV commercials from way back.
But more contemporarily, this shilling for Christmas, barely into November is ridiculous. Did holiday commercials always start this early? Somehow, I don't think so. I certainly understand that retailers' years are made in the last 5 weeks of the year, but can we delay the start of abject commercialism until at least the Wednesday before Turkey Day? For such a "Christian" country, retailers sure do worship some graven images -- dollars -- around this time of year.
I guess in a few years, we'll have Christmas ads starting right after Labor Day. I can see it now: "You've only got 111 shopping days before Christmas...Get into <RETAILER NAME> now, for holiday savings!!!"
Note to my friends that work in advertising/marketing: I love you guys, but hate your commercials.
True, I'm a bit biased because I hate TV commercials. For real. Can't stand'em. I remember about three, four years ago, there was a Gillette razor commercial that would almost make me have seizures because it was so jarring and annoying. Plus the change in sound volume from the actual program baseline to that of the commercial, is very, very disturbing, and as a child, my mother never believed me when I told her that the volume went up automatically when commercials came on. So, I've got mad beef with TV commercials from way back.
But more contemporarily, this shilling for Christmas, barely into November is ridiculous. Did holiday commercials always start this early? Somehow, I don't think so. I certainly understand that retailers' years are made in the last 5 weeks of the year, but can we delay the start of abject commercialism until at least the Wednesday before Turkey Day? For such a "Christian" country, retailers sure do worship some graven images -- dollars -- around this time of year.
I guess in a few years, we'll have Christmas ads starting right after Labor Day. I can see it now: "You've only got 111 shopping days before Christmas...Get into <RETAILER NAME> now, for holiday savings!!!"
Note to my friends that work in advertising/marketing: I love you guys, but hate your commercials.
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The retailers are desperate to get their money as early as possible. And because I hate the malls and crowds and such, I've already started my xmas shopping online. No pressure, but its easier to do it early and get it out of the way. There is even a radio station here in the chi that has already switched over to its annual 100 percent holiday music format. I think the season is shallow, materialistic and suspect. But I still feel a bit giddy on xmas morn. Guess I am a kid at heart...
I love the Xmas season as much as the next person -- it is in fact my favorite holiday -- but I just wish that the shills would give us a few moments to put down our Halloween stuff and digest our turkey, before putting on the big push.
As for that radio station, they ought to be ashamed. I mean, it's not even into the second full week of November, for goodness sake...
Ahhh...Christmas. And for those of us with kids, the shills never let up!!! They peddle their wares 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year! Watching the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network is tortuous for the average parent! We get no rest! My kids start talking about Christmas during summer vacation!
I saw the chocolate Christmas candy in the aisles of the grocery stores the week before Halloween and had a small tantrum in the self checkout line. When I turned I saw it wasn't just candy but all around me were little fat men in bright red suits, stockings, elves, snowmen and candy canes. All the other holidays are nothing more than a precursor to Christmas - bridesmaids but never the bride. Commercialism doesn't die it only gets stronger - bah humbug.