Mt. Rainier and Lenticular Clouds - Dec. 2008 copyright: JMM

November 27, 2007

Is it me?

Or are the rest of you as sick of the Crissmiss commercials that are running nonstop on TV? It's November 27 and I'm already reaching for the remote control to mute each and every commercial break. Has it always been this bad and annoying in the past?

Throughout the years, my favourite Crissmiss carols have changed. When I was a real little kid, I loved "Sleighride" and "Winter Wonderland" the best. Then I went through a "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Do You Hear What I Hear?" phase in the mid-70's. But it was the Andre Cold Duck commercial that started running in 1975 or 1976 that caught my attention, because they used "Carol of the Bells", which has been my fave carol since then.

Unfortunately, this season, the Powers That Be have done a nice job of taking my fave carol and beating it into the ground. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I logged six, count 'em SIX commercials using "Carol of the Bells". Brian was in hysterics every time a commercial would start and I'd reach for my pen and paper, poised to jot down yet another tired rehashing of "Carol". The offenders are, as follows:

Walmart
Verizon Wireless
DirecTV/Qwest Broadband
The movie "Fred Claus"

The winner of the "Most Obnoxious Use of Carol of the Bells", however, goes to Hyundai, with their unbelievably annoying ad campaign using "Duh", which started to get old the first time with their use of "2001: A Space Odyssey" earlier this summer. I'm embarassed to be driving a Hyundai, lemme tell ya. And we're a 2-Hyundai family too!

The winner of the "Best Use of Carol of the Bells" goes to Garmin GPS because at least the new lyrics are really funny & clever, and the choir sounds great.

I've also noticed that a lot of ads are overusing music from "The Nutcracker" as well.

Needless to say, if I hear another carol of any kind, I'm gonna start taking hostages. I used to break out my holiday music tapes and listen to them in my car going to and from work. Unfortunately this season, the tapes will continue to gather dust in the back room.

Brian read a sad statistic the other day that says that most Americans are going into the holiday season this year in really bad moods. We're suffering from war fatigue, the constant bickering and scandals involving politicians, not to mention the massive foreclosures & bankruptcies and the price of gas. Could this be why the commercials are driving me mad?

All I can say is, if Kia runs their year-end sales event ad this January, I will slit my throat. Seriously. I'm sure the rest of you forgot the hell that was January, 2007, watching a bunch of fat, middle aged car salespeople lumber their way through "So Long, Farewell" from "The Sound of Music". It was an obnoxious song when the Von Trapp kids sang it, and it's ten times more annoying as a commercial jingle.

And it's not just the holiday ads with the singing that piss me off, I get apoplectic at the "guilt trip jewelry" ads as well. "Give her the gift she really wants! DIAMONDS!" or the one with the bitch who snaps at her husband, "He went to JARED!" And the bumbling husband cringes from his holiday mistake. I keep shouting at the TV, "Screw you bitch! You're lucky you got anything at all ya selfish pig!" And since when do couples give each other CARS as presents? How does that even work?

Hmmm.....maybe I should just quit watching TV? Nah. It's more fun to send emails to the companies bitching about their stupid ads.

21 comments:

  1. I just e-mailed Diane about this on Saturday! If I have to see the Macy's christmas commercial One More Time...I'm going to slit my wrists.

    But,I did get in on the tale end of a commercial the other night that had me on the floor I was laughing so hard. Don't know what it was for, but all of the characters from the sixties classic, Rudolph The Rednosed Reindeer were attacking Christmas shoppers! Blitzen was using his antlers to flatten car tires...It was hysterical. I'm dying to see that one again.

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  2. I haven't seen that one but I'd love to! The only Rudolph-themed commercial I've seen out here is for Aflac.

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  3. Erm - can't say I've really noticed any. But then, I'm always so busy Vincenting.

    Don't ever buy a Hyundai, JoJo - they are Korean, and the things those people do to dogs...THEN they eat them.

    Hippy Bathday, BTW. Is it today/tomorrow/yesterday (you know what I'm like for dates - I only just remembered today was my cousin's b/day when I was flicking ahead last week trying to fix a meeting time.)

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  4. Anonymous3:15 PM

    Happy Birthday Jojo!

    Must admit, I try and avoid all commercials, but like I told Tess, the first 'Book your Christmas Party NOW!' flyer I got at work was back in April. No wonder I'm sick of it all by the time December rolls around.

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  5. Anonymous3:16 PM

    I'm with you Jo, these commercials are so hideous that it makes you want to puke!!! The only one from past Xmas's is the Miller Life with I'll be home for Christmas, now that one I really liked. Unfortunately they start shoving the holidays was too far in advance at us. I guess that maybe I have the "Scrouge" syndrome in me anymore and refuse to make the damn merchants rich with my money.

    Jean

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  6. Anonymous4:09 PM

    That Kia year end ad from January was THE WORST EVER. I've reduced my T.V. viewing by close to 90%, but I still saw enough of that ad to annoy me for the rest of my life. I hear ya.

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  7. Anonymous4:17 PM

    happy birthday to you
    happy birthday to you
    happy birthday dear jojo
    happy birthday to you

    you know why the commercials don't bother me... I hardly watch tv and when I do I sky+ it and fast forward the ads.... boom boom!!!!

    lotsa luv and best wishes to you for a happy and healthy year ahead

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  8. ahhhh...it's sooooo outta control..there's a radio station here in detroit which went 24/7 xmas music on nov. 1. which coincided with macy's putting out their xmas decorations. i love, love, love, christmas, but, hate the way it is celebrated!

    byw...my absolute fave xmas song is "the bell that couldn't jingle" and it's so obscure that you never hear it anywhere!!! i'll have to post it on my blog.

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  9. i am with you 100% about this.
    make them stop!!

    oh, and happy birthday to you. i so enjoy visiting here.

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  10. Happy birthday Jojo!

    I agree about the jewelry thing,It is such a stereotype that it REALLY pisses me off!Not everyone with a uterus wants or gives a damn about overpriced trinkets!

    Now,pass me a nice handmade piece of jewelry with simple designs and I am happy.Cost?Less than $30!

    I am already sick of X-mas music though and they always play the worst of the worst!

    My favorite song is "Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You" by Billy Squire....it ROCKS!

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  11. Happy Birthday! :D

    And wow, you really email the companies, bitching about their ads? I'm impressed. :D

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  12. I am pesonally offended by the playing of Christmas music before its time. Drives.Me.Nuts.
    The ONLY good thing about extra holiday commercials is less limp dick commercials which also irritate the shit outa me.
    Happy Freakin' Birthday!!

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  13. As a fellow Hyundai owner (Santa Fe - love it!), I must share your shame. I also agree the Garmin commercial is very clever, but confess I've always hated COTB since that Andre commercial of our yoot.

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  14. HAPPY B-DAY, BABE!
    Fuck, being on the wrong side of the planet really ruins my timing, huh? LOL!

    I also despise having Xmas ads this time of the year! BUT, since I am always watching DVD's, I hardly notice the ads.

    Picturing u yelling at the TV does sound very entertaining, though!! ha-ha!

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  15. Hey all! Thanks so much for all the b-day wishes! They are very much appreciated!!

    Jean - that Miller commercial makes me cry every time!

    Fen - please put the carol on your blog; I'd like to hear it.

    Tamara - yes, I send email all the time to companies about their ads.

    O'Tim - Brian's got a Santa Fe and I have the Elantra!

    Axe - As a Sagittarian born in the Year of the Dragon, I'm ALWAYS yelling at something! lol

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  16. In that case Jojo...why am I always yelling at things?;)

    I am an Aries-Horse combo (did someone just cue "Don't Fence Me In"?)....the horse part always seems boring.I always wanted to be a dragon or a monkey.

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  17. Hey, I'm glad someone else noticed the overabundance of COTB. I don't even own a TV and I think I counted up to 7 companies using that song over Thanksgiving weekend alone... can only remember 4 of them, though.

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  18. i haven't gotten tired of too many-yet- i am w/ you tho in those car giving, diamond giving ones, gimme a break!!

    last year i went into the holidays w/ a ho hum attitude and determined this year to be different and so far we're good! we have our tree up and decorated and some outside lights up and little decorations all over the house and we put lights in the kids room! they are thrilled!

    i'm hooked on this country christmas song, i think it's by clint black, i think it's called the christmas cookie song. i luv it! the kids laugh whenever they her it. and joj i know how much you LUV new country! *wink*wink*

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  19. Anonymous8:32 PM

    Please google BK holiday for a different version of the carol of the bells. You'll laugh and the others won't be so annoying!

    The excessive commericialism is crass and annoying, but we are a consumer driven society. I always mute commercials- Ryan and I make up our own dialogue. It's much more entertaining.
    And yes, the world's meanest kindergarten teacher has said no gift exchange this year. We are doing non-perishables for the food shelf instead of buying crap!

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  20. Anonymous8:34 PM

    Just read Claire's comment ! :) I am with you on that!

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  21. Happy Birthday Jojo...whenever it was :-) If you don't tell us how can we celebrate properly??

    Last year I really wasn't into Christmas at all..I shopped because I had to,and I cooked because I had to,but all of it with very bad grace.This year I feel better about it,but the commercials are enough to turn me off again.

    Oh,and I don't want jewellery,or a car,or anything else extravagent..why do they insist on stereotyping us that way??

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