I was waiting in line at a post office outlet that is at the back of our drug store. The line-ups are already getting long. I mail almost every day… sending out art that people have purchased from me online HERE and HERE. I began to notice that I was feeling irritated. Then I realized why: they are already playing Christmas music! I was starting to feel anxious about Christmas gifts: choosing them, wrapping them, and mailing them out with cards before the Canada Post deadline where they sort of assure us they get there on time. It’s not even half way through November and I’m forced to listen to Christmas music. And BAD Christmas music.
Which got me thinking about how controlled our society is by consumerism. That’s what it’s all about. The stores aren’t playing Christmas music because they want to spread Christmas cheer, but because they want you to spread your Christmas cash! It gets earlier and earlier every year.
Which got me thinking about how the dominant religious culture, even the dominant expression of Christianity and church that we are exposed to, attempts to set the rule. The biggest and richest Christian cultures and churches spread their brand of Christianity and church to everyone they can because they can afford to. The smaller and poorer Christian cultures and churches are being commercialized to buy into that whole paradigm of bigger and richer. They are unwillingly exposed, in a sense, to the constant drone of those who set the agenda of what gets heard on the air-waves and read in print. Indeed, I believe much of religion is consumerism with robes on.
The fine art photograph is the creative work of my friend Mark Hemmings. I have to ask, “What is she thinking?” Brilliant work Mark!
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David Hayward is an artist trapped in a pastor's body, stripping to the essential.
:^)
I heard someone say that the surest sign that the Christmas season has arrived is that everyone starts griping about consumerism and how Christmas keeps coming earlier and earlier every year!
I guess it’s now time to say “Merry Christmas!”
i had a similar experience sunday. we had gone out to lunch and the restaurant’s background music system was piping in “jingle bells!” along with our unseasonable balmy, humid weather, the effect was enough to make me want to scream, “enough already!!!”
David, you’re right about the above.
On the plus side though, I’m looking forward to Christmas because it’s all cold and dark. Roll on family and friends, food and crying at carols!
ps she looks like Amy Winehouse
Sas x
i love christmas season and i love consumerism during christmas…
ooopppss…wrong post
She’s thinking… “You did *not* put that Little Drummer Boy song on my iPod.”
about three weeks ago at about midnight i shouted up to a guy who was suspending christmas decorations in the main shopping street… “do you realise how miserable that makes me!”
“not as miserable as it makes me!” he called back!
we both laughed…
so maybe the decorations have done their job already this year… two blokes sharing a knowing and empathetic joke with each other. that’s what gets you through!
i’m constantly banging on about consumerist religion on my blog… so i shall uncharacteristically resist the rant now, but just say that i whole heartedly agree with you!
Happy Easter!
I note that the German Christian site “jesus.de” today announced that the site will be permeated with Christmas quiz questions (presumably until purgatory ends on 25th December).
So they come a close second in the race to be the first Christian website to mention Christmas.
And the winner is …. (drum roll) … NAKEDPASTOR !!!!!!!!!!!
David,
Thanks for Mark’s fine art and for this post. I have recently posted something along the same lines. “Lamentable” just keeps coming back to me like pelting sheets of driving rain.
Of course, you are absolutely right. Our society has become so obsessed with “things” and money that it is truly sad. However, I think it’s effect on us is only as great as we allow it to be.
Maybe Linus summed it up best in the Charlie Brown Christmas, wouldn’t you say? That was in the 60’s, and not much has changed, has it? But Linus didn’t allow it to change his meaning of Christmas, so it didn’t.
Oh, this is so on my mind at this time of year!
I belong to the Episcopal church, and we celebrate different seasons throughout the year, as I’m sure you know. The big, festive holidays (Christmas and Easter) are preceded by times of quiet reflection (Advent and Lent), which I feel makes the holidays even more special. Christmas has its own season: it’s celebrated from December 25 to January 6. But starting the Sunday after Thanksgiving it is the season of Advent. We don’t sing Christmas songs in church until Christmas Eve. And then we do sing them for the next two weeks, but it feels kind of hollow because the rest of the world has moved on and we’ve been so saturated with Christmas stuff already that it takes some of the shine off the celebration.
I wish that the pre-Christmas time wasn’t quite so over-hyped. By the time Christmas actually gets here, it almost feels like nobody wants to celebrate any more.
Isn’t Christmas music an UPside? What does the music have to do with consumerism? I like it!
High on the list of hated Q, ( and I’ve been asked by multple strangers already this week) ” Have you started your Christmas shopping yet?” ………which will shortly be replaced, usually by the first week of December, ” Have you finished your Christmas shopping?” UGG!!!!
We had a family meeting this weekend. We all dread the holidays, but aren’t entirely sure why since we had such a great time as children. Most adults hate the holidays because they hold an expectation of mirth and happiness and families are filled with broken people, so their expectations are dashed. I see holiday gatherings as a source of stress and axiety, like most women do. I don’t think much about gifts. If I don’t send you a gift, get over it, thinking about it stresses me out.
My husband, on the other hand, enjoys the holidays. He has realistic expectations. He accepts the family as it is. His only expectations are that people will show up and there will be the same delicious food that we had last year. Invariably these two things happen and he is happy. SO, if someone laughs or the conversation moves, he is pleasantly surprised. I hope to learn from him because I’ve been depressed about the holidays for over a month now.