Wednesday, 23 November 2016

Make It Stop


I've just come back from doing the weekly shop.  Look, I know everyone moans about Christmas stuff in the shops as soon as August Bank Holiday is over, etc etc etc, but can I just have a mini-moan about the bloody music in supermarkets, too?

 This morning in Morrissons, on November 23rd, it was Christmas CD time.  When I went in it was only that comparatively inoffensive one by Greg Lake, from the little known and very short CD, 'Christmas Songs That Won't Make You Pray For A Power Cut', or I might have walked straight out again and done my shopping via Waitrose Online, but I just struck lucky.  By the time my trolley was half full, it was Wham!'s Last Christmas.

 I know why they do it.  It's all about subliminal messaging, is it not?  If you are made to feel that the season is already upon us, you will think
  • Oh no, I haven't bought all my stuff yet; must buy, buy, buy
  • Oh good, it's all Christmassy and lovely; must buy, buy, buy
But there are many among us who just think make it stop.  I know I am not the only one.  Like the awful upselling, I wonder how counter-productive it is, especially as more and more people, it seems, are starting to see the whole season as nothing but a celebration of the retail trade, and are downsizing Christmas more and more each year.

 And why isn't Kate Bush's lovely December Will Be Magic Again on any of the Christmas CDs?  Perhaps it's on the same one as Greg Lake's song.  The one that no-one ever plays.
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23 comments:

  1. Lizanne Lloyd23 November 2016 at 05:48

    I can recommend Sainsbury. They never have music.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hilary Melton-Butcher23 November 2016 at 06:16

    Hi Terry - couldn't agree more ... and I so nearly walk out. It is puerile ... cheers and now have a good cup of tea or a coffee - it's way too far away from the yard arm! Cheers Hilary

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    Replies
    1. Terry Tyler23 November 2016 at 06:20

      Every time I say, I really WILL start shopping online, Hilary!

      Delete
  3. JO23 November 2016 at 10:38

    Oh yes - bloody music with a sub-text saying 'you are a mean so-and-so if you don't spent a mint' - grrrrrrrrrrrrr!

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  4. BetweenTheLines24 November 2016 at 03:44

    Should be banned until two weeks before Christmas!

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  5. Shelley Wilson24 November 2016 at 09:02

    Ha ha, I lasted an hour in town yesterday before the tinsel and turkey brigade drove me away! Unfortunately, my fourteen-year old daughter has festive fever and I've been subjected to Michael Buble drifting out from under her bedroom door for the past week!!!!!!

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  6. Norah Colvin26 November 2016 at 22:45

    I know! I know! I didn't know Kate Bush's December will be Magic though. Thanks for sharing it.

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  7. Carol Hedges27 November 2016 at 01:15

    Waitrose are fairly quiet..and their Basic range is comparable in price to other supermarkets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Terry Tyler27 November 2016 at 08:57

      No Waitrose round here, but I do use them for online sometimes. They do some good stuff I can't find elsewhere :)

      Delete
  8. https://www.judithbarrow-author.co.uk/27 November 2016 at 07:57

    I actually would like to hibernate until January every year. My friend bought me a Bah Humbug hat. I wear it shopping - together with earplugs. Surprisingly no one comes near me. get round the stores in record time!! Love Kate Bush.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Paula27 November 2016 at 20:50

    I had to work in a supermarket at Christmas once. We might have had two CDs. Torture.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Terry Tyler28 November 2016 at 06:04

      Oh dear. So, after a while, when Toto's 'Africa' was playing, you'd be thinking, right, 6 minutes until I have to sit through Bonnie Tyler's 'It's a Heartache' for the 67th time, right??

      Delete
  10. Wendy's Writing27 November 2016 at 23:46

    I like it! (Please don't hurt me!)

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    Replies
    1. Terry Tyler28 November 2016 at 06:05

      Au contraire, it's good to see that someone actually does; otherwise I'd have thought they were doing it out of sadism ;)

      Delete
  11. Lydia Schoch28 November 2016 at 03:46

    I couldn't agree more. Wouldn't it be nice if Christmas music only played for the week or two before Christmas?

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    Replies
    1. Terry Tyler1 December 2016 at 05:10

      Yes, then it would actually mean something, instead of being a background irritation :)

      Delete
  12. Andrea28 November 2016 at 12:28

    Christmas tree up on Christmas Eve and down on Boxing Day! Bah humbug!

    ReplyDelete

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