Note: This is from something I wrote for school. It's about holiday themed tv shows and ads etc. Don't like? Don't read.
Over the last few years, I've noticed a decrease in Halloween-themed television shows as well as Halloween-themed anything. I have come to realize that I just had stopped watching TV programs in which they targeted children as well as my age group. Because of this, every year I forget Halloween is coming and it does not make a blip on my radar. Don't get me wrong, Halloween is important to little kids and naturally, it makes sense that I am less interested now that I am older. But my main point is that the moment I stopped getting excited for Halloween was when I was not being exposed to media that convinced me to act a certain way when the season came around. As soon as October approached and TV shows started guest starring Frankenstein, Dracula, and Satan (I watched quality programming), the spirit of the season had consumed me and everything seemed like it was Halloween-themed because that was the mood I was in. But nothing else focused on Halloween. It was only the TV shows that convinced me that the world beyond it only thought of October 31st.
I have had the same sort of experience with Christmas over the years. Like I said, holidays lose some of their charm because I am an adolescent now, this much is obvious. But holiday commercials dictate how to act appropriately during the season. I don't run out and buy a thousand coloured light bulbs because I saw some guy from some Christmas commercial's porch was so bright it could be seen from space. But he looks happy and everyone on earth is in the pursuit of happiness. Even though most people would claim to know this commercial is a bunch of bullshit, images are incredibly powerful. We feel guilty that we are not being normal and because we do not necessarily partake in regular holiday traditions, it removes the spirit of the holiday altogether sometimes. Truthfully, I am glad TV brainwashed me as a kid. In October, I would get into heated debates with myself over which costume to wear, set up traps for the boogeyman, and try to find a magic bag that could somehow hold gallons of candy but was light as a feather. Those are some of my best memories of my life to date.
I was wondering if any newgrounders will offer any insightful feedback on this. I'd love to hear what people have to say :). Once I filter out the internet scum of course >.>.