Christmas Music

Thanksgiving is over. You know what that means? It isn't just time to do Christmas shopping: no, its also time for Christmas music.

I realize that for years, our economy has made us pretty much accept the fact that Christmas preparations can and will begin before Thanksgiving, to the piotn where Turkey Day has become marginalized to pretty much everyone but Macy's, grocery stores and the NFL. But this phenomenon with Christmas music came about even faster. A few years ago it used to just be that a few radio stations would play some holiday tunes around midnight after Thanksgiving as a joke, and then go back to their regular programming. Now we've got stations playing the stuff 24/7. This wouldn't be too shocking if it was December 20th, but when you start hearing this shit on November 20th, something is definitely wrong.

I actually like a lot of Christmas tunes, especially some of the classics from the 50's. The problem is that when you're playing them every hour for a month straight, you're going to run out of good stuff to play. Thus they subjugate listeners to really obscure (and really horrible) modern junk, as well as attrocious covers. I'll say it again: I don't want to hear any version of Jingle Bell Rock other than the original. Every schmuck who has tried it since puts in way too much fake flair and pizzazz that make it sound like crap. A lot of songs have been written for the season, but not enough to last for such an incredible length of time, and when the covers end up getting more play time, you begin to wonder who the hell is in charge.

Another reason why its such a stupid idea is that no one wants to listen to Christmas music so early. How can anyone get in the "holiday spirit" less than three weeks after Halloween? I just get the impression that they're really just trying to say "We're going to pound this shit into your mind until you have no choice but to force yourself into the mood, so then you go buy lots of stuff and our advertisers are pleased". I can't stadn seeing good music become whored out for the sake of another buck.

My final complaint is the most personal; Christmas music has never been the same since they destroyed 101 CBS FM in New York. The greatest oldies station always picked the classiest songs to play, and waited until just the right time. Now we'll never hear them again, now that JACK-FM has come along and killed good music.

Good thing the only Baltimore stations I know play classic rock, so the only time I have to be subjugated to the holiday sludge is on my way home. Still, I wonder when the Christmas rush will begin in full force before the end of October. At this point it isn't a matter of if, but when.