Currently- at this very moment- we are being smothered and inundated with an infestation, far beyond our control. In fact, this canny creature has been progressively revealing itself since October. It haunts our television screens and hallucinates us into an inescapable trance. You’ve guessed correctly, it’s Christmas adverts.
Now don’t be fooled, I for one am a lover of all things Christmas; the beauty of the Oxford Street lights, the cosy evenings in and the warm buzz that emulates from person to person. But unarguably, one cannot deny that there are fundamental issues with Christmas adverts which act as a catalyst for someone’s inevitable disappointment after being stifled and blanketed with a false version of reality.
We sit in awe of the quintessential family, masked with radiant smiles (bright enough to power a home) as the dad carves the golden and perfectly cooked turkey- but this fallacy only serves to inform us that the Christmas which we have for so long enjoyed is now not ‘good enough’. Perhaps this is because of a different family dynamic, financial situation or any other external factor which contributes to the way we live. The archetypal ‘perfect’ family flaunted to us perpetually throughout our day fails to keep up with the contemporary, diverse and multicultural society which we live in. The illusions presented only remind us of our inability to transform these expectations into a reality.
Besides this, there appears to be a conjecture that failing to cry at a Christmas advert instantaneously reduces us down to mere callous and cold-hearted individuals. One is made to feel like a ‘Grinch’ to the Christmas spirit.
What they fail to take into account- however- is the intent of such companies. I refuse to be encapsulated by an advert utilising an animated, heart-warming toy on my screen, forcing an absurd number of consumers to buy such a product after the advert is released.
So, is it time for us all to stand up, fight back and tell these advertisers ''Get real''?
