Christmas: Are they shoving it down our throats too early?

[D'Snowth]

Retail always has to jump on sales a season too early. It's like how immediately after Fourth of July, they already start stocking seasonal departments with school supplies.

But again, if you think this is bad, as I've pointed out before, Hobby Lobby will start carrying Halloween and Thanksgiving items as early as Memorial Day.

 

[Luke kun]

I start holidaying as soon as it's November 1st.

 

[Drtooth]

Retail always has to jump on sales a season too early. It's like how immediately after Fourth of July, they already start stocking seasonal departments with school supplies.

I feel terrible for the kids on this one as our school year ends in June. June is exactly when stores start up Back to School Shopping because they tend to think nationally, and some schools get out in May regionally (or so I'm told).

And the thing I get is that a lot of parents want the option to spread Back to School shopping over the course of a couple months for budgetary reasons. That's what stores tend to have in mind, and that's why they do it early, other than regionally different terms. It has to be depressing to just get out of a long school year and immediately have to plan for the next one a few months later.

But with Halloween through Christmas, depending on the store, I see Halloween stuff at certain places in August, but others just at the end of September. Like target. They usually only start Halloween stuff like the second to last, if not last, week of September, and then start to pull it down a couple days before Halloween. And yet, they also debut the Christmas lights and decorations the same exact time they put up the Halloween stuff. And they clear the heck out of the Halloween stuff fast to start up Christmas stuff over a month before. So Halloween has less shelf time than Christmas usually does. War on Christmas my foot. It's like opposite Nightmare Before Christmas, and Santa's trying to encroach on Jack's territory. But...like...out of spite and wanting to be the big star instead of being fascinated by another holiday.

 

[D'Snowth]

and some schools get out in May regionally (or so I'm told).

Our school systems let out in May. But, they also start back in August, and this year was perhaps the earliest they ever started the school year: it's usually around mid-August when school starts back, but this year it was the beginning of August.

Then again, I remember my last few years in school, it seemed like they were slowly, yet progressively, starting the new years earlier and earlier each year. I think it's all part of that thing like the RECESS movie sort of deconstructed, that the solution to kids' stupidity today is to make them go to school longer.

 

[Luke kun]

It was animated by Osamu Tetzuka's studio (as was a lot of Rankin Bass specials).

ARE YOU TELLING ME THERE IS AN ASTRO BOY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TOO?!

 

[Luke kun]

If there's one thing that bugs me every single year, it's that horrible cover of "Winter Wonderland" and I still don't know who's responsible for it. It's the most offensive sounding 90's synthpop soundtrack I've ever heard. And you know me, I love my 80's synth pop, but 90's synth pop sounds like a Casio Keyboard sample if it's done lazily... which this totally is. At least they play the edited version that doesn't have the terrible serial killer movie sounding opening. Really. I wish I knew who's responsible for this dreck. It's awful. And the pathetic attempt at scatting. The end just repeats long with bad scatting over and over to the point that the ending is longer than the song itself. I swear the artist behind this even says "I'm tellin' it like it is!" at one point. Yeah, like this song was always some big, profound statement or something. That was the most pathetic attempt to be hip I've ever heard, and brother I've heard and seen some pathetic attempts.

Long story short, would it kill them to play "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron Christmas" just freaking once?

That intro sounded like people playing hockey to me as a kid. Like I said, my radio station plays the Snoopy one a few times, and that was one of my favorite Christmas songs as a young'in.

I've always loved John's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", but can't stand Paul's "Wonderful Christmastime".

When I was 8, me and my brother were fighting over the radio - he wanted to listen to Paul's Christmas song but I wanted to listen to "Love Story" by Taylor Swift. We ended up compromising.

Yes, having Christmas 2013 still shoved down your throat wouldn't work.

No, I loved December 2013. *cough* Mega Man *cough*

As far as actual adaptions go, there's no going wrong with Mr. Magoo. That's probably my favorite adaption, especially since the special shakes things up by having the Ghost of the Present first, then the Past. It gives a different perspective that pays off.

Never in my entire life have I seen the whole thing. Last year was when I watched it on TV for the first time ever, and I'm pretty sure it was at the Past part when I came in. I've seen clips of it, and my eldest brother has it on DVD (it's his favorite Christmas special), but hopefully CW shows it again this year so I can watch the whole thing.

But I'm waiting on those "Rapsitte Kids Believe in Santa" reviews. You think once that hit the net, one of the many caustic critics on the internet would have gobbled it up by now.

I'm sure I'll do a review of it this year. Caution: I'm going to make a lot of ReBoot references.

 

[D'Snowth]

Dang, they're not even waiting this year, they're playing Christmas music on the radio already.

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

At least they didn't start at the very beginning of November like over here. And my dad likes to play the Christmas station before Thanksgiving because he knows it annoys me.

Dang, they're not even waiting this year, they're playing Christmas music on the radio already.

 

[D'Snowth]

Aren't dads just like that though?

 

[Pig'sSaysAdios]

The day after Thanksgiving all the major networks were competing and showing various Christmas specials all at the same time. ABC aired "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" (one of my favorites) while CBS played "Frosty the Snowman" and NBC aired the original unedited version of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas".

And then, after The Grinch was over they showed some animated special that I hadn't seen before called "How Murray Saved Christmas" with Jerry Stiller as the title character; it was much funnier then I expected, it had a lot of humor that would appeal to both adults and children, I really loved it. Has anyone else seen it yet? I think it's gonna be a classic.