Cruel Christmas Commercial

Christmas time is my absolute favorite time of the year!  I love how the spirit of giving is in the air and everyone just seems so happy.  I also love watching Christmas movies.

I even love Christmas commercials.  My favorite that I look for every year is the one that features Hershey's kisses acting as hand bells and playing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."  A newer favorite is the Well Fargo commercial where the snowmen give the Well Fargo horses their carrot noses to eat so that the team can carry on with their Christmas deliveries.  I tear up every time!

While watching Hairspray Live, a new commercial appeared for Comcast Xfinity.  It showed an elderly couple sitting on a couch reading a social media post from their granddaughter.  The post read:  "I am about to enter the gates of hell where there is no wifi and no shows...aka grandmas."

The confused woman asks her husband what this could possibly mean.  The man replied that it means they are out of date.  In a flurry of activity, the couple hurriedly upgrades their house with the latest technology.  A big screen TV, computers, WIFI, etc.  The commercial then shows the granddaughter taking selfies with her grandma and falling asleep with her head in grandma's lap while watching TV.

Honestly, I am shocked that this commercial was even aired.  Boiling Christmas memories down to playing on the Internet is simply abominable.  Electronic devices are not what Christmas is all about.

I cannot believe that the granddaughter is so selfish that she cannot be without her precious technology for one day.  Instead of having her face buried in a screen, she should be cherishing the time that she is able to spend with her family.

I lost my grandmother to Mantel Cell Lymphoma two years ago.  She was quite literally the heartbeat of my family.  All of my favorite childhood Christmas memories involve her.

Since my birthday is on Christmas day, she would give my family Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve.  But she would not simply have the gifts lying under the tree.  That was not Grandma's way!  She was all about preserving the magic of Christmas.

Every year, she would have some item that was "broken" that she needed my dad to fix.  He would ask me to help and we would go into her garage and get to work.  When the item had been repaired, we would emerge to find piles of gifts underneath the Christmas tree.

Grandma and Mom would be sitting at the kitchen table, calmly sipping their coffee.  I would see the presents and scream that Santa had been there.  Mom and Grandma would look shocked as they entered the living room.  They would continue to talk about how sneaky Santa was because they hadn't heard a thing.

Grandma's Christmas Eve feast was definitely a highlight of the season.  She was the best cook in the world and had no problem whipping up a five course meal from scratch.  As a special treat, she would always make popcorn shrimp because she knew that I loved it.  Her green beans with the small cubes of ham and tiny onions were always a crowd pleaser.

Christmas day held even more magic.  Grandma would come to my parent's house where we would play board games until late into the night.  Her favorite game?  Aggravation.  She would viciously race her marbles around the board and jokingly say, "I'm going to take you out!"

Since Grandma's passing in 2014, Christmas has never been the same.  I miss getting to see her house decked out in Christmas decorations from floor to ceiling.  I miss playing games and listening to her tell stories about her childhood and life.  Most of all, I miss the hugs and kisses.

I cannot imagine missing out on knowing the amazing person that Grandma was because of social media and the Internet.  What values are we as a society instilling in our children?  Ignore your family and watch cat videos?  Don't bother creating lasting memories because it's all about posting a viral holiday selfie?

Why should the grandparents in the commercial have to buy their granddaughter's love with gadgets and gizmos?  Why is the granddaughter allowed to publicly insult her grandparents?  Where is the #respect?

Especially in an era where cyber bullying runs rampant, why are the girl's comments supposed to be viewed as "funny" instead of insulting and hurtful?  Have we as human beings really sunk so low that being without the Internet on Christmas day is viewed as going to "the gates of hell?"

There are hundreds of homeless people on the streets who would love nothing more than to spend Christmas inside of a cozy home eating a good home cooked meal.  There are children lying in hospital beds who would cherish getting to spend Christmas in their own home surrounded by friends and family instead of doctors and nurses.  Let us not forget about the brave men and women who are serving our country in the armed forces and are unable to be with their families so that we can be with ours.

Comcast Xfinity's commercial highlights the selfishness of today's youth as well as our society's dependence on social media and the Internet.  It showcases our humanistic need to be accepted by showing that our value as people is evident in the items that we possess.  Needless to say, I will not be supporting this company in any way, shape or form.

To me, Christmas has always been about love, joy and being thankful for my blessings.  I could not care less about what goes on in the digital world on Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Nothing means more to me than spending time with my family.

Children's Book Review Author Showcase

I am so honored to be featured in the Author Showcase on The Children's Book Review website!  Check out the review below!



https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/weblog/2016/12/priceless-penny-by-lauren-kramer-theuerkauf-press-release.html

Literary Classics Book Awards and Reviews: Priceless Penny, by Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf, earn...

Literary Classics Book Awards and Reviews: Priceless Penny, by Lauren Kramer-Theuerkauf, earn...: Penny, a pound puppy, anxiously awaits adoption day.  She's so excited to find a family to love and take her home with them.  But Pe...