to think that Littlewoods advert should be banned?

[CherylWillBounceBack]

Shameful for all the reasons below:

a) Ruins Christmas by exposing the truth about Santa's existence.
b) Encourages debt fuelled consumerism (easy payments)
c) could pressurise people out of guilt to spend more than they can afford
d) Attempts to make presents which are ridiculously look like the norm
e) Suggests that we should pass our hard earned up a generation by putting laptops on the knees of grandparents. Rich old people can buy their own electronic tat if they so choose.
f) annoying tune that gets stuck in the head.

I bloody hate that ad.

It's shite. Who the fuck can afford to spend £900 on an Apple laptop, ie one gift at Christmas? And not even for their spoiled child, but for their grandad. I don't spend that much on four entire Christmases, let alone on one present.

I saw it for the first time today and am gobsmacked. Most offensive thing for me is the guilt-tripping, and subsequent tripping into debt.
Have requested to join fb group.
Will not be buying Grandad an iMac.

There were loads of complaints on the wall of the Littlewoods Facebook page. They've all been deleted.

hate the materialistic obsession of the ad, but there is also a point about the raging hypocrisy on this thread! People referring to chavs spending x amount on their DCs, buying expensive gadgets instead of a good book.
Hmm, have read on MN several times threads along the lines of "Should I buy my 4 year old an iPad,or should I wait until he/she is 5 and bored with his/her laptop?". The DC is this case is, of course, not a materialistic chav but an Oscar/Atticus/Aurora (read the baby names thread when you want a laugh), who is terribly advanced and needs the gadget for educational purposes!. mummy pays on the credit card or with part of DH's 6 figure salary because they want DC to have this item....being fortunate enough to be able to afford to indulge your DCs does not confer the right to slag off others who want to do the same but for whom credit is one of the few options!!

It's not really about credit, it's about;

a) ruining Santa.
b) misogyny
c) exclusion
d) THEN encouraging people to buy expensive shit on the never-never, whether they can afford it or not.

I think everyone needs to make the point with their wallets...don't buy into their shit, i.e. don't buy their shit.

My kid is getting a few puzzles and games, some books, some little cars, and that's pretty much it. Oh, and one of my super-nerd friends sold off his extensive collection of superhero toys at a garage sale this summer and I bought some of those. I don't have the space, money, or inclination for overpriced tat and won't be buying it.

Our Christmas is going to be about special crafts, baking, and traditions like Christmas movies and stories and events at church. And our Super Special Christmas Morning Breakfast and our annual Christmas Eve car ride with cocoa and cookies to see the lights, and I'm organizing caroling in our town. That might make me sound precious or something, but that's what I'll be doing.

Unfortunately Littlewoods wouldn't make any money off me anyway as I'm not in the UK, but I feel I'm taking a stand. :o

I think it's rather sweet and slightly subversive, which is an unusual combination but I don't mind it.

My kids know we buy some if not all of the presents, but we then send them all to Santa for distribution .

The thing my DCs most look forward to at Christmas is making and decorating gingerbread shapes and people and gobbling them Maybe this year we will remember to include a little hole for ribbon and hang them on the tree .

Well said Picnicbasketcase, so true.

Is it just me who is totally unbothered by the advert? (other than the shocking rap that is) My DC (7 and 5) don't think things under the tree are from FC anyway, so no myth ruined there! And I don't feel pressured into spending money, and using easy repayments, as I know I can't afford them!

I think all Christmas ads are boakworthy tbh.

Agree with dementedma and IneedAbetterNickname. The rap crap is what I didn't like. The rest of it is just business. It's not evil, just people trying to sell goods.

This thread is a bit like a lot of feral classroom bullies sticking the boot into an innocent, good pupil. I feel sorry for Littlewoods. I am going to get their catalogue and look at the laptops.

Christmas is the season of goodwill. Not much evidence of it here, apart from Littlewoods advert.

Final got chance to watch the utube.
Wish I hadn't! What an unpleasant sexist pile of trash.
Your a unless Mother unless your prepared to spend the next few months paying for outrageous guide you can't afford

Gifts!
There are times when this iPod is an expensive pile of trash!

Littlewoods ad is evidence of 'goodwill'? How so?

And it's not Christmas here yet.

Littlewoods ad is evidence of 'goodwill'? How so?

'My muvver' for starters.

I have recommended the advert to family and friends, in the hope that it will spur them on for some good present ideas. That laptop looks nice.

claig, think you're just trying to be contentious - feel sorry for littlewoods? Please! They're trying to do business fine, but can they do it in aless offensive and cynical way? They're deliberately targeting those who can least afford to spend those ridiculous sums of money.

dementedma don't know about the hypocrisy - what makes you think those who don't like the ad buy expensive gadgets for their children? My oldest DD is nearly 7 and had never had any kind of expensive gadget. I am thinking about getting her a camera this christmas as she likes taking photos with ours, but I won't spend a lot on a really good one.

That's also about as far as I've got with my Christmas plans in general, and I thought it was pretty good going having one idea already. It's only early November!

I don't remember posters taling about chavs - I think the contempt has been aimed at Littlewoods.

claig, you're a hopeless wind-up, matey.

Claig - is either

a) A terrible wind up merchant
b) A shill for the catalogue industry
c) an E grade economist. Even though he suggested earlier on that we should not let the cash languish in the bank, the suggestion it should be spent on expensive tat to grease the wheels of industry is just ludicrous. Yes, pull money out of banks so that they are not able to lend based on the fractional reserve system, but encouraging needless consumption is just wrong. It's why we are all in the doo doo. We shouldn't need the life of Tamara Ecclestone to be happy.

i have seen this advert and i just remember thinking bloody hell these families must have alot of money those gifts are pricey, i mean who the hell has the money to buy grandad a laptop printer,cables, broadband conection etc and why the hell would you want to spend all fucking year paying it back?? cant see that it ruins the father christsmas story though, the song sucks and the little girl in it makes me want to stratch my eyes out turn the tv off immediately! But i have always resented the hype regarding christmas so dont get me started on that one!

Have you forgotten that song

'Do yiu know it's Christmas time at all?"

Have reported Cheryl's last post.

b) A shill for the catalogue industry

is correct. But there is no need for the rest of the abuse.

Never heard of it. I remember the classic 'Do THEY know it's Christmas?' though.

I cannot for the life of me see what's wrong with that post Claig. I gave three options for who you might be, and you identified one as correct.