Christmastime is here once again, so it’s time to commit hours to decorating your house with lights that end up not even working, spending too much money on people you probably don’t like, and overall ignoring the tragedies that are happening around the world during this “joyful” season. But nothing creates holiday nostalgia like an awful selection of Christmas movies.
The surplus of holiday movies that are tacky and unrealistic does not help, and ultimately taints the true meaning of Christmas.
“Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” “Krampus,” and “Deck the Halls,” are just a few abominations that create the toxic cesspool of awful holiday movies. But the epicenter of Christmas movie madness is the Hallmark channel.
“No one just falls in love at first sight, and the fact that they are all the same is just overkill” said Shannon Francis (’20), who is an active critic of most Hallmark movies. “Some people just have a sucky Christmas [and] some people are alone…it’s just inaccurate” said Francis.
And that’s exactly what the problem is. Hallmark movies create a false depiction of Christmas that has been overdone to the merry max. Movies like “Love Actually” are a prime example of this. For those of you who are lucky enough to have not seen this movie, it’s your typical multiple love stories that are intertwined. Here’s the twist: it all works out on Christmas– how original!
Look, I wouldn’t say I’m a Grinch, and in fact I enjoy Christmas. But I’m not going to ignore that these movies are ruining what makes Christmas so magical: people being thankful for what they have, unity of family and friends, and just being kind to one another because it’s Christmas.
So how exactly are these sad excuses for holiday films ruining Christmas?
“Christmas is a huge money grab; the whole true meaning of Christmas is gone. Kids don’t know about Jesus or the angel Gabriel, they just think presents and Santa” said Nathan Hamidi (’19), who doesn’t even celebrate Christmas. “Christmas is a max consumer holiday created by big companies to make money.”
Big companies like film studios who put together a half-assed holiday love story, that they know will earn them a quick buck because it has some sort of affiliation with Christmas.
What’s just as bad is when filmmakers decide to remake a holiday classic into some modern-day mess for the same financial gain as Hallmark movies. How many times do they have to ruin a child’s innocence with another remake of the Grinch?
But what truly saddens me is that Christmas classics like “Christmas Vacation,”” Elf,” and even “Home Alone” no longer provide me with holiday joy. The hundreds of new selections of appalling Christmas movies polluting every channel have forced me to choose these movies to watch repeatedly. And with each viewing the magical effect they once had fades, like my belief in Santa Claus.
What would make my small, grinchy heart grow three sizes bigger would be a new Christmas movie for everyone to enjoy. The plot should be original, but some familiar themes and ideas wouldn’t hurt. This movie should have some comedy but still be able to exhibit some of the traditional themes Christmas is based off: Love, unity, and kindness. Lastly it should bring friends and family together in a way that’s not cheesy, but genuine and relatable.
That’s all I want for Christmas this year… well maybe that and a MacBook too.