Least Favorite Christmas Carol

[PaddyMaxwell]

Truthfully, after working several Christmas seasons in retail during college, I have a real disdain for most Christmas themed music; try listening to the same 30-40 songs day in and day out for 2 months at a time (especially when overtime is involved). Even duct tape and bailing wire can't fix that damage.

[NWguy]

"Do They Know It's Christmas" - Band Aid

I've always thought it was a dumb song, but I also feel like Christmas music should focus on the holiday and not about poverty in Africa.

[BraveMaroon]

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Because for many of us, it isn't. I. LOATHE.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by NWguy

"Do They Know It's Christmas" - Band Aid

I've always thought it was a dumb song, but I also feel like Christmas music should focus on the holiday and not about poverty in Africa.

I never liked that song either, though I'm sure I've made clear in this thread that I really dislike almost all pop Christmas music.

That said, I think a reasonable argument could be made that concern for the poor, wherever they may be, is closer to what the holiday is actually about than are songs about Santa Claus and reindeer or snow and jingle bells.

[chi-o_cat]

Originally Posted by NWguy

"Do They Know It's Christmas" - Band Aid

I've always thought it was a dumb song, but I also feel like Christmas music should focus on the holiday and not about poverty in Africa.

Isn’t that the point of the song, though? That people in the first world just want to focus on the holiday, when there are people who are struggling just to make it through the day.

[amillionlights]

Originally Posted by chi-o_cat

Isn’t that the point of the song, though? That people in the first world just want to focus on the holiday, when there are people who are struggling just to make it through the day.

My disdain for that song has always been the 'white savior' aspect of it: it is racist, and condescending, and really, really gross. This article says it really well, so I'll quote:

The celebrities promote a worldview in which “they,” Africans, are unable to help themselves in preventing famine, and so passively await rescue from “we” Western famine experts, a category that apparently includes rock stars.

It also bothers me that, really, the celebrities that recorded it could donate far more money than could ever be raised by singles being bought (especially now, with a changing industry), yet they decide to stick their name on a single and consider it done, problem solved.

I definitely believe the holidays are a time for giving, helping others, etc, and I support that. But this song just leaves me feeling... a little icky.

[Munchkin03]

"Do They Know It's Christmas" always struck me as a poor man's "We Are the World." Same intent, not enough star power (or the wrong star power) to pull it off successfully. Even though it happened first, it's just weak.

"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"--WORST.

Like an above poster, I also worked retail at Christmas. The store manager LOVES Elvis. In another life, she'd want to be Priscilla. So she played "An Elvis Christmas" the whole holiday. They were all terrible, but "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas" was the worst.

[DubaiSis]

My primary issue with "Do They Know It's Christmas" is most of the afflicted are Muslim, so even if they did know, they wouldn't care. But music for propaganda, marketing or reminding the douchebags of the world that there's more to Christmas than whether they get a Nintendo or not is a good thing.

I worked Christmas at a record store. YIKES. That Christmas the Peanuts Christmas album was huge, as was the Aaron Neville Christmas. I love Aaron Neville even though his style is, shall we say quirky? The Peanuts was thankfully mostly instrumental so it could easily play in the background, but it didn't get played much because pleasant background music isn't what sells in music stores. That Christmas I missed meeting Frank Thomas while I was in the back of the store. But not a serious loss; when told that I said "The guy who invented Wendy's?" The black girls I work with titled me the whitest girl in America. Then I missed John Cusack buying gifts for his sisters on Christmas Eve. Now HE I knew and was devastated to have missed him.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Because for many of us, it isn't. I. LOATHE.

As warped as it may sound, I only like this song on the Office Depot ads, when the Dad is thrilled to be buying things to send the kids back to school!

Like so many of y'all, my least favorites are the one that celebrities do for the almighty buck.

My mother, whose elder brother was killed during WWII, hated I'll Be Home For Christmas and White Christmas. On that same note, my brother was overseas with the Army and recorded a "letter" on Christmas Day. Hey, There, Lonely Girl was on in the background. I still refuse to listen to that song.

[DubaiSis]

Originally Posted by honeychile

Like so many of y'all, my least favorites are the one that celebrities do for the almighty buck.

The first couple Christmas albums in support of Special Olympics were such great albums, then they sort of went off the rails and became pretty obvious exposure tools for up and comers. Or 5 stars throwing together some shlock. Miles away from Run DMC's awesome Christmas song.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by honeychile

My mother, whose elder brother was killed during WWII, hated I'll Be Home For Christmas and White Christmas. On that same note, my brother was overseas with the Army and recorded a "letter" on Christmas Day. Hey, There, Lonely Girl was on in the background. I still refuse to listen to that song.

"I'll Be Home for Christmas" makes me sad as well. When I was in first grade, I was chosen to read in our Christmas pageant. After that song played, I had to read this line, which I have hated for the past twenty-eight years:

"Everyone dreams of being home for Christmas, but some can only be home in their dreams."

It always made me feel very guilty and sad and I promised to always be home for Christmas...until last year, when my fiancé and I went to Paris for the holidays. That song came on in one of the restaurants and I was MIZ.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

The first couple Christmas albums in support of Special Olympics were such great albums, then they sort of went off the rails and became pretty obvious exposure tools for up and comers. Or 5 stars throwing together some shlock. Miles away from Run DMC's awesome Christmas song.

"Christmas in Hollis" is always one of the songs I play when addressing holiday cards. I feel like they recorded that one for fun and not for money, like a lot of today's holiday songs and covers.

[tinydancer]

Originally Posted by BraveMaroon

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Because for many of us, it isn't. I. LOATHE.

I totally agree with you. For many it is the most stressful time of the year.

[LXA SE285]

Originally Posted by amillionlights

Not sure if this has been brought up (in 19 pages, I'm sure it has) but my least favorite Christmas song ever is Santa Baby, in all of its incarnations. Michael Buble's Santa Buddy is just as heinous.

That being said, I'm sick of Buble this season. The local Christmas station here loves him.

His lounge-lizard cover of "Hava Holleh-Jolleh Chrizmaz" makes me stabby.

[navane]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Like an above poster, I also worked retail at Christmas. The store manager LOVES Elvis. In another life, she'd want to be Priscilla. So she played "An Elvis Christmas" the whole holiday. They were all terrible, but "Why Can't Every Day Be Christmas" was the worst.

Hahaha...while shopping this evening, I heard Elvis' "Santa Bring My Baby Back" and immediately thought of you.