Wednesday, November 07, 2007

The Grinch is Early


That's one of my all time favorite Calvin and Hobbes strips, but the older I get, the more the grim underlying humor gets to me.

Steve and I were talking yesterday, and I was complaining about how Christmas advertising seems to start earlier and earlier every year. Back in the day, I seem to feel it really ramped up after Thanksgiving, and the month of constant bombardment to BUY! things to show everyone how much you LOVE! them was at least reasonably tolerable.

But now, as I said to Steve, Christmas does literally start the day after Halloween, and it's a non-stop hellfest of Santa this and elves that and cheesy families chucking snowballs at each other in the season of merriment and joy (all for only $99.99 + shipping and handling).

Not that this is revelatory, but as I kid, I used to love Christmas. Getting the tree, decorating it (especially with my favorite ornament, shaped like a tiny old-fashioned gum ball machine), watching the cat bat low hanging ornaments all over the house, eagerly counting my stockpile of gifts, knowing the shape and size of the box for Cornsilk Kids Cabbage Patch Doll and realizing I was getting one. Or the matching Barbie horses, one palomino and one black.

But, as an adult, there's the pressure of finding just the perfect gift and the financial sucker punch one reels from in January. I begrudge no one on my Christmas list, and I get tremendous pleasure out of happening upon a present someone I love truly enjoys.

It's really just the ceaseless, endless, shameless marketing and sheer commercialization of the season that gets me down. Two months of any one commercial is already too much, and when every commercial is practically identical, and they're all urging me to buy for the sake of buying, I feel myself thinking, "Goddammit, it's Chrismahanukwanzakah again."

Labels: , ,

AddThis Social Bookmark Button
AddThis Feed Button

2 Comments:

Blogger Adam said...

Just this morning I saw that portent of doom, "Please join us for the unveiling of the Macy's Christmas Windows on Sunday, November 18!"

12:30 PM  
Blogger squindia said...

ah yes. Reasons I am happy to miss the festive season every year. Last year I was home and it was WAY overwhelming. Even though I do miss the good things, I'm not so sure its a balance anymore. The commercialization, materialism, and frenzy is rough.

1:20 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home