How being at the mercy of retailers has wrecked Christmas

I was awake – and so were the rest of my family. I sat down next to the Christmas tree and stared at the dining table knowing that in a few hours’ time, Mum will have transformed the bare wooden surface into an annual feast fit for kings who have traded their metal crowns for paper ones.

In walked my family – cuppas, cards and presents at the ready.

“Merry Christmas,” I said – more pleased that the preparation was over rather than that the day had arrived.

“Yes, Merry Christmas, mate,” replied my brother – probably feeling as enthralled as me. And that’s how it felt this year; more of a financial burden that’s been forced upon us by commercial pressure and social inclusion.

“We’ll open presents to a few festive tunes,” suggested Mum. With that she turned on the television, scrolled through to a music channel and sat back down by the tree. That’s when it hit me:

‘Our 60 per cent sale now on…’

‘The half-price sale begins tomorrow…’

‘Visit our January sale online…’

Here we were about to exchange gifts – many that were bought beyond our means – and still retailers were trying to pilfer our hard earned cash on products at a fraction of the price that we initially paid out for.

But what is it all for? Are we judged on our religious ceremonial purchases? Am I a worse Uncle for not spending as much as my brother on our niece and nephew? No.

When you’re unemployed, hard up or going through a career change, Christmas is without doubt an ominous few months – despite repetitive festival tunes trying to persuade you that ‘it’s the most wonderful time of the year.’ When broke, the prices of presents feel higher; the queues at the checkouts seem longer; the voice of Noddy Holder sounds louder; and the prospect of Christmas more daunting.

So what’s the solution? Do you bite the bullet and succumb to the commercial pressure of a religious festival in a secular state? How about throwing purchases on plastic and paying it off throughout 2013? Or do you cut off the friends and relatives that you only buy for because they buy for you? The truth is that you will not admit defeat; evading an immense bank statement is not an option. Retailers and marketing geniuses have been working hard all year so you have to spend, pay, purchase, buy, borrow and sell your soul to the devil.

And what about the endless intake of Christmas cards? – Arguably the most pointless exchange of well wishes by any atheist. They’re a mythical festive façade worth millions of pounds annually.

So the fear of present buying; the busy shopping streets; the endless wrapping; the buying for people who buy for you; the anticipation of missing a delivery; and the worn-out, battered, depleted bank card all come to rest on the morning of December 25 – like a couple about to give birth in a stable in Bethlehem.

And, within minutes, it’s over.

For me, this is when Christmas really begins; I immerse myself around friends and family, enjoy foods that only arise at Christmas, and drink fine ales – three passions of mine that not everybody has in life.

So next time somebody comes across as a ‘Scrooge’, take a moment to wonder if it’s a breathless bank card that’s playing on their mind. Or, just maybe, they've grown tired of a materialistic exchange that’s taken months to prepare for.

We’ll do it all again next December.

Happy New Year

Sex Factor: misogyny and the music industry

Almost 50 years ago, in 1963, the Beatles released ‘I want to hold your hand’ – their first Number 1 hit in America. The popular tune topped the UK charts for five weeks; it was rhythmic, innocent and romantic.

Notably, times have changed since the Beatles stormed the music world, with factory made singers being projected into the limelight via Saturday night television. However, the most pernicious change in the music industry has to be the growing misogyny and sexualisation of women - a growing problem embedded in the mainstream.

In 2000, the vulgar Iranian-Danish euro-dance producer, DJ Aligator, released ‘The Whistle Song.’ The club anthem opens with the lyrics, ‘blow my whistle bitch, open up and put it in, let’s begin’. Regardless of the misogynistic tone of the song, its catchy rhythm distracts listeners from the innuendo, which allows the abuse to go unnoticed in the public domain.

The highly criticised rapper, Akon, and international DJ, David Guetta, kicked the summer of 2009 off with a collaboration that dominated the club scene for months. Titled ‘Sexy Bitch,’ the chorus cites Akon’s frustration of ‘trying to find the words to describe this girl, without being disrespectful’. At what point do women’s features become so appealing that they can’t be described without being rude?

Rap music is renowned for gloating and glorifying guns, sex and drugs. The song title ‘Candy Shop’ by rags to riches rapper, 50 Cent, sounds innocent enough until you dissect the lyrics: ‘I’ll take you to the Candy Shop, I’ll let you lick the lollipop, go ahead girl don’t you stop, keep going until you reach the spot.’

The demeaning and forceful lyrics may be swept under the carpet within a nightlife environment, but that’s where they should remain. Disappointingly, through pre-watershed exposure, Candy Shop reached number one in America, the UK, Austria, Germany, Belgium and Sweden. The song was also nominated at the 2006 Grammy Awards for Best Rap Song and the video – which was extremely sexualised, was nominated for Best Male Video at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2005.

Two years later, Soulja Boy reached number two in the UK charts with ‘Crank That.’ The tune features the line: ‘Superman that hoe.’ According to the repugnant website urbandictionary.com, ‘superman’ is when a man ejaculates onto a sleeping woman, sticks the bed sheet to her back, so when she wakes up in the morning she has a cape.

  

Women who are striving for equality must surely detest Barbadian-born Rihanna. Some may consider her outlandish approach to music as doing wonders for women. Others may disagree with Rihanna’s skimpy clothing, raunchy videos and seedy lyrics.

Rihanna’s hit, S&M, which focuses on sadomasochism, bondage and fetishes, reached number two in the UK, yet her video, which was restricted to over-18s only on YouTube because of its salacious content, couldn't be broadcasted in the UK. The video shows Rihanna sucking a banana, imitating sex with a blow-up doll, and prancing around in white latex. Her lyrics are equally as crass: ‘Sex in the air, I don’t care, I love the smell of it.’

The youthful ears of the present generation have without doubt become desensitised to the sexist remarks made by artists who profit from offending and degrading women as an art.

The question is: are we concerned? A recent survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, found that nine in 10 parents are worried about the vulnerability of their children to advertisement.  Despite broadcasters and marketers being forced to abide to strict guidelines regarding the commercialisation of youngsters, the vulnerability of children is left open to the influence of pop music.

Having said that, there’s no doubt that the music industry has always had an element of sex appeal. But what’s concerning is the concealed sexism, which is hiding behind upbeat tunes and catchy beats.

Women are being objectified with lyrics that are overpowered by the music. Yes, women are slowly nearing equality. But, the respect that’s being shown for women – in an age where obscene pornography is easily accessible, may be changing for the worse.