To not get the hype about Christmas adverts

[Qwertybynature]

Am I just being a grinch? I can't understand the level of excitement about the John Lewis advert or the Coca Cola Lorry. When did it even become a thing? I'm not religious so I'm not even bothered about the commercialization of Christmas but I can't get excited about a TV ad.

How long as the JL ad been a 'thing'?

I don't remember them from 5odd years ago? Was it just that Damned snowman buying a scarf that started it?

This is going to sound patronising, but can you really not understand that people are different? I mean I think Eastenders is a load of old tripe and wouldn't watch it if you paid me, but I can see why other people like it. They're different from me.

People love them for different reasons. Sometimes it signifies the start of a time of year they love, it's comfortingly cyclical, it reminds them of adverts of years gone by and their childhood anticipation, some people like the creativity and craft behind it, some people like shopping. There are loads of reasons I can think why people might view them as a joyful thing. I can think of lots of reasons why people dislike them too.

Exactly what I wanted to say showofbloodystumps. Everyone is different, what I see as shit, you may see as fantastic. It doesn't mean either of us is right or wrong, just that we have different tastes.

You're right show, that does sound patronising.

I think everyone has the right to like and dislike exactly what they want, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to question other people's different opinion.

I don't understand why people like any music other than the music I like so its interesting to open the comms and debate bout the plus sides to the music they claim is superior. (Though theyre still wrong because Kylie is obviously the best )

YANBU! I hate adverts and never watch them. I don't understand the fascination.

You've slightly misunderstood me. I'm defending both sides of the fence. The OP doesn't have to feel like she's a grinch or in the wrong because she doesn't like something. It's okay to wonder why people take pleasure in different things, particularly things you are completely unmoved by.

I was trying to point out that the op not being able to get excited or wondering if she is a grinch, is actually irrelevant. It's just different things exciting different people.

I know how patronising it sounded. I genuinely don't mean it that way though. Which sounds doubly patronising.

There's a ridiculous amount of hype around Christmas in general, and the expectation that everyone is bursting with excitement over it from October onwards, and thrilled to be spending a day (or several) with their lovely family. Its just not like that for everyone. I find it irritating as well OP, the way that Christmas seems to be shoved down your throat, and the level of advertising is a bit ridiculous.

On the other hand, I think ShowOf gives a good explanation of why some people find it very exciting and look forward to stuff like the new John Lewis advert. Not my cup of tea either, and yes it can get a bit tedious, but relatively harmless all the same I reckon.

I actually find all the hype and chatter about Christmas adverts intensely annoying (especially the coca cola one, what the fuckety has coke got to do with Christmas? I usually have my very few glasses of coke per year in the summer), but not nearly as annoying as the plethora of "aibu to not get some reasonably harmless activity" threads on Mumsnet at the moment.

All is says is that you aren't very tolerant of people's differences. Infact, you sound like my mum!

I think the JL ones are relatively new - only started a few years ago, but they have become known/loved for the emotional element.
Otehr than that one, I can rarely tell one advert from the other, particularly the supermarkets they just all merge into 1. Piles of food, close up of mince pie, Xmas pud on fire etc..

I totally hate the Coca-cola adverts. I really do not get the fascination with them or the desire to go to see the truck. Are there subliminal messages that I am immune to?

I can't bear it, it's part and parcel of the infantilisation of society that makes me want to go and live in a cave.

I saw a thread about the JL advert earlier, where one person said she was so excited 'I actually squealed'. I mean, honestly. It's an advert. You see hundreds a week, probably, and they're only designed to part you from some cash. No more, no less.

These are the same people who have 'Powered by fairydust' car stickers and wine glasses covered in glitter. Just act like an adult when you are one, it's ok!

I agree, its ridiculous, people on FB saying how exciting its coming out today, bah humbug!

I've never even tasted coke.

Maybe you need the double whammy of the drink and the advert at the same time and something happens to you and your response from that point onwards is utterly pavlovian.

I like Christmas adverts. I don't notice adverts at other times of the year. I'm not childish or an infant. I don't have a very commercial Christmas at all. We exchange only a few, inexpensive gifts and only with close family. Our Christmas is about tradition and family and sharing. The commercial, ridiculous, consumerist Christmas is nothing to do with how we celebrate. I don't think it has anything to do with growing up or not and such sweeping generalisations only succeed in making you look childish yourself.

Christmas adverts remind me of being young and in amongst the chilly Autumn term at school, the homework and the bundling up against the weather, these little flashes of promise used to come onto the television and we saw these gifts and treats and beautiful foods and it was a bit like somebody whispering a secret in your ear. It was there and then gone. It said that Christmas, my most favourite time of year as a child, was on its way. It was random too. I'd be doing my homework or putting my shoes away or colouring in and suddenly, a little carefully-crafted nugget of Christmas would appear and I remember the sheer pleasure of those 30 seconds.

I've grown up into a bit of an anarchist, anti-capitalist curmudgeon. I hate marketing and big business and I loathe the way people are sold things in such a cynical and disgusting fashion. However, the child in me (not childish, not infant-like, just the part of me that is a simple constant) sees those adverts and that frisson is still there. I watch my own DC watch those adverts and I see them full of excitement too and it's a great leveller in our house. If I put on my blinkers against the terrible, reductive and commercial side of it all, I can still feel a moment of simple joy. I think that's okay actually.

Coke is kind of nice Showy. Not the diet stuff, but proper coke in a glass with ice and a slice of lime. It's nice but nutritionally disastrous of course.

Showy, I am not saying they're not nice, or nostalgic. It's the simmering, simpering, gushing all over Facebook about such things that annoys me. Having that opinion doesn't make me seem childish, it just makes me seem like I have an opinion.

I don't get the slightest bit bothered but tbh I hardly ever watch tv.
I never understood why people didn't watch tv until I stopped doing it myself.
I guess the old adverts from childhood used to signify the start of Christmas but they were never on until December.
Now it's right after bonny night.

It's not all Christmas adverts (although I'm going to through in Oak Furniture Land while I'm on a roll), and I agree that it creates buzz of nostalgia and excitement for people. But my entire news feed is full of people raving about a JL ad ("total tear-jerker") and a countdown to the Cola Lorry. I don't remember this happening even ten years ago. Perhaps I need to ditch Facebook.

Although I hate Eastenders too so perhaps I'm the one being unreasonable .

*throw

I can't understand it as I think that the JL ads are mawkish crap!

Qwerty, I'm with you on Eastenders too. We should form a Curmudgeons Club.

Curmudgeons Club , Mintyy I'll send your mum an invite

Eastender is a whole other thread. Why people want to escape their life and watch people screaming at each other and trying to bump each other off baffles me!

JL adverts are a load of mawkish, overblown, faux-sentimental shite

I think the problem might be FB and the weird way it encourages interaction. It's not the Christmas ads themselves, it's the weird sub-culture that is FB.

I assume most people's news feeds have a healthy smattering of squealing, whinging, passive aggression, om nom noms, look at my cute lil man pictures, !!!!!!!!!, checking in at places you don't give a shite about, drunk pictures, grammatical horrors, pictures of dinner, borderline racist/disablist/homophobic crap shared because it's got a minion or a poppy on it and on and on and on.

Maybe it's FB that's the problem?

NB. I like FB too. Mostly. 74% of my friends are fabulous and don't do any of the above.

I went on holiday with my parents this summer. They watch Eastenders. I moved out of home 16 years ago and haven't watched it since. I saw it twice on holiday. The characters were all exactly the same people. Some gruff bloke with a shaved head and piggy eyes going on about faaammmmleeeeee and a ratty little man with a pointed nose and another failed marriage. They were in it 16 years ago I swear. Seriously, it hasn't changed at all. It was all screeching and crying and dull secrets.

Bloody minions I'm going to have hide my own thread before I explode in a cloud of harrumphs.

The only reason I can think of is because you see them over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over ..................again .

So it's nice if a retail company uses a nice piece of music or image.