Holiday programming too early in season

Just the other night I witnessed an atrocity.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was being shown three weeks before Christmas, in the middle of the week no less. This blatant display of Scrooge-like behavior has been going on for quite some time.

Every year Christmas starts a little earlier. Stores are decorated before Halloween even rolls around. And now our favorite childhood programs are shown weeks in advance. Pretty soon we will be having  Christmas to November.

Last week, Frosty the Snowman was on. From what I can tell, each year the best and most festive shows are pushed up more and more. Before you know it, we'll be watching Rudolph on Thanksgiving.

I remember when I was a child all the good shows were shown the week of Christmas. Shows like "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "The Little Drummer Boy," "Charlie Brown," "Frosty," and "Rudolph." Talk about being excited. All the children's shows added to the anticipation of Christmas morning.

Shelly Simmons

The week before Christmas was about the kids. Remember putting on the Christmas pajamas and having a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV?

What about going to bed with a racing heart and wide eyes, sneaking out of bed in the middle of the night to see if Santa had arrived? Am I dating myself? Some of these shows are not even aired anymore. What is being shown the week of Christmas are boring programs designed for adults.

Come on television networks, put the yawners (adult programs) on a month before Christmas and give that old Christmas spirit to the youth of today.

I know this is the season of giving, but after all the giving is done leave a little bit for the family. Those moments when the family gathers around the fireplace or listens to favorite Christmas carols.

Perhaps I'm being a bit nostalgic, and I think that's OK. Is there a better time of year to be this way? After all, this is the most wonderful time of the year.

Shelly Simmons is a media communications graduate at Cal State Long Beach.

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