Merry Christmas????

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ocularnervosa

Location: New Mexico, U.S. of A. by gobs.
Birthday: October 01

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DECEMBER 7, 2009 8:30PM

Rate: 9 Flag

I don't get depressed during the holidays. I love giving presents and what better excuse than Christmas? Looking around for that gift someone didn't realize they really wanted and seeing the look on their face, shock, surprise and wonder. It's the best time of year for me.

But, what's up with the holiday commercials? They are suppose to make me want to go out and shop but instead they are depressing the hell out of me.

First there is a Hallmark commercial. A woman is opening a box her mother has sent and it is full of ornaments from her childhood. Included is a new one for the granddaughters first Christmas. "How sad" I think, Grandma isn't at Christmas. Then I start thinking about why not, was she not welcome because of the husband? Couldn't she afford the trip? Maybe health reasons kept her away. It would be a happier commercial if Grandma was giving them the box in person and they could sit there enjoying the moment together.

I'd put up a link to it but I couldn't find one. Sorry.

But then there's the Target commercial.

Now maybe it's just me but it looks as if we are about to see a major knock down drag out fight over money, you can even see it in the faces of the kids. "Oh great, Mom and Dad are about to have another one of their fights, there goes Christmas." These commercials aren't making me jolly, they are depressing the hell out of me.

The next Target commercial features a girl confessing her transgressions because her gifts are too nice. The parents tell her that they didn't spend that much. You know what's coming next, punishement time. It doesn't make me feel all warm and fuzzy and full of the Christmas spirit. Cut it out you advertisers!

I can't wait to see their New Years ads. Are they going to sell their special champagne by showing some guy passed out face down in the toilet? A car wrapped around a tree? How about selling condoms by showing a woman waking up, having no idea what happened the night before but thank goodness there's a Trojan in the bathroom garbage can.

Yeah, Merry Christmas, and remember, Mom got that black eye when she dropped the ornament from the tree onto her face.

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Comments

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Is it OK if I just sleep through the holidays? Wake me up on January 1st and I'll be fine.

nanatehay

December 07, 2009 08:59 PM

Just watch the Garmin commericals and you'll be right with the world.
That little squirrel with the mandolin cheers me up every time!

Andy Heizeler

December 07, 2009 09:41 PM

There are so many commercials that bug me, it's amazing!

But yeah, the ones you mentioned irritate me. Why in the world would a store that wants to encourage holiday spending depict a scene that's all too likely to set off money fights in real life???

I also wonder, what would that husband give his wife that would meet his spending approval--a Chia pet?

Shiral

December 07, 2009 09:59 PM

I'm recording everything and plan to fast forward through all of those commercials. For the past few years, it's just too hard to fake being jolly.

zumalicious

December 07, 2009 10:59 PM

OMG! I saw that Target commercial (and all the rest of these)!
Horrifying, I tell you.
I'm with Nana...wake me up next year...

spotted_mind

December 08, 2009 01:45 AM

One reason why I love the Budweiser Clydesdale Christmas commercials, just pretty horses prancing through the snow.
But I have to agree with Andy on the Garmin commercial, that squirrel kills me every time.

Dragonfly

December 08, 2009 03:31 PM

Too true. These commercials aren't really darkly humorous, just a little dark. Advertisers don't seem to know what to do with Christmas if they don't do sentimental schmaltz. Good post.

Dear reader I married him

December 14, 2009 06:16 AM

Get off the tube and check out the stars. I guess I am too unplugged to comment further.

WhereDaily

December 17, 2009 07:18 PM

Xmas can be a depressing season. But hey, we're all in the same boat this year. Go to you local public library and borrow some DVDs and some M.C. Beaton CDs especially the ones about Xmas in the Highlands. I think it will take all your blues away.

Then too think of all those people stuck in airports. What they should have done was send that ticket money home and let the rest of the family have a mary xmas.

And then there is poor Tiger about to loose half his billions to a blonde bimbo that does not understand that fidelity was some race horse running at Santa Anita.

Cheers.