Why’s the John Lewis’ Xmas Ad so bloody menacing!

Well, an awkward teen phase does not mean bad parenting, dysfunction or detachment. We are all different. My relationship with my parents was definitely most strained when I was a teen. I hate being a teen all together, it was the unhappiest period of my life. Largely due to friendships and peer pressure but I took it out on my parents.

I saw the ad as being symbolic of the moment a kids recognises their parents as actual people with their own identities beyond a parent and giving a gift that reflects that. The dad in turn is reminded of how his son has grown.

If it had have been a mother, daughter scenario and the daughter gifted the mum a bloody Abba record and slipping through my fingers was playing, I reckon it'd be received completely differently.

But a teenager being a bit moody and distant is not "something going badly wrong". It's just what many (most?) teenagers are like. They push boundaries, they find their parents embarrassing and old-fashioned, they have hormones flying around causing mood swings, they believe themselves to be grown-up and yet are still quite needy. In turn, the parents are navigating how to set fair rules, getting frustrated with their child, and the relationship becomes more distant, at least temporarily. Did you never see Kevin and Perry, or did you consider that to also be a situation of dreadful parenting leading to traumatised children? If teens stayed as happy little 10 year olds they'd never want to leave home and their parents would never let them.

I liked it, quite a lot actually, but there are two issues since it’s a Christmas add for the masses.

1. It’s too stressy and depressy for Christmas.
2. It’s too “deep” for an ad.

Yes, I agree. It’s just so sad.

"BIWI · Today 10:02

My God some of you are spectacularly missing the point!"

Just a tad patronising, I think ;)

I got the point fine, and quite liked it for the 'message', which was touching, but it wasn't terribly Christmassy (is there anything wrong with a 'schmaltzy' Christmas?)

Penguins, or snowmen, or reindeer, robins; red and green and gold, Jingle Bells and so on, to brighten up our screens at this time of year.....

Can we have TWO JL Christmas ads a year, to please both the dim point-missers (like me, apparently) and the schmaltzy festive fans (also me)?

It’s true though. Maybe I’ve hit a nerve.

Something has gone wrong in a family where kids are awkward around their own parents. It’s not healthy.

😂

Err, yes, sometimes awkward around their own parents.
Not throughout their entire childhood, but occasionally during the teenage years? Sure.
People are all different, you know 🤷‍♀️

Read the discussion. I described the demeanour of the family. The poster who responded said none of that was in the advert. Therefore I went through the advert describing what was in there in terms of dialogue and facial expression. At no point, as per your stupid post, did I claim that I "think that everyone in a happy family walks around all day with an inane grin on their face and that a neutral expression indicates utter misery?"

Oh rubbish!

That’s the whole point though. It’s not great. It very basic parenting. Your bar must be very low to think that means someone is using it to say they’re perfect. It’s hardly a boast to say that parents and kids can talk to each other and that we have a relationship where our kids aren’t nervous around us.

Well aren't you sweet.

You repeatedly refer to the family not smiling or talking whilst doing ordinary boring tasks. And then use that to conclude that this is a miserable family.

So you tell me.

Sorry your medal @PerfectionInADog

And yours 🏅

I’m very comfortable with my parenting and how I’ve raised my children thanks, to the extent I don’t feel the need to slag off an advert to show off how great I am.

The reason I said not smiling/not talking is because the poster I was responding to said I was lying about those things. So I have specified where in the ad there is dialogue and where there is smiling. Do you understand now?

Elton John was Tiny Dancer which wasn't a Christmas Ad, I think it was for JL insurance.
What about Edgar and the bear and the hare!

How sad that people are doing this. As the poster said, it’s hardly being perfect to bring up children who can communicate and are comfortable with their own parents.

The bar really is in hell for some people.

The entire way through your post you have said

’Not smiling not talking’. For every person for the whole advert..

The entire point of every John Lewis advert is the music and which song they have chosen. They don’t tend to be very wordy adverts! They are supposed to be more subtle than that and don’t require a script..

Just because for 5 minutes on Christmas morning nobody is smiling or talking doesn’t mean they are a miserable family.

Well done

Here’s your perfect parent medal 🏅

Are you so stupid that you think that's what I was implying?

I’ve just had a read of that thread and it’s exactly the same as this one!