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

[Purplefoo]

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2025/nov/04/john-lewis-christmas-advert-countdown-90s-club-classic-where-love-lives

I genuinely thought it was about an abusive dad or a murderous son at first! So intense……

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.

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.

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!

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?

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.

Sorry your medal @PerfectionInADog

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.

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.

Oh rubbish!

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?"

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 🤷‍♀️

😂

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

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

It doesn’t need to be spelled out but I guess the disbelief comes from the fact it’s just so…sad. Sad that a teenage boy is having to ‘try to reconnect with his dad.’ Sad that they can’t just speak to each other and can only communicate through buying things. Just sad all round.

I know teenagers can be hard (believe me I know). But I also know this advert isn’t depicting a happy or celebratory moment. It’s a moment where things have gone badly wrong. And I feel sorry if that’s something people identify with.

And it doesn’t make me want to splash the cash at JL

"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)?

Yes, I agree. It’s just so sad.

I think we shouldn’t also forget that, as evidenced by a lot of posts on here, many women struggle with their husbands/ partners being decent and active fathers. And that’s probably reflected in responses. This validates that behaviour. It makes it ‘all ok really.’

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.

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.

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.

God yes. I fucking hate ABBA!

I actually thought it was lovely, but maybe that’s because I live with a teen boy.

Dad’s are notoriously difficult to buy for and even harder to surprise. This gift has clearly been long in the planning by the son, the dad is completely overwhelmed by the memories it unleashes in him. It’s the kind of present we all want to give and also receive. The dad’s reaction is more than the son could have dreamed of - it’s just a great moment. He’s an older version of the little boy who was counting down until he could give his parents their present, but now he’s a teenager and therefore trying to be a bit cooler about it.