Christmas Music 24/7

It's disappointing to me how down some people are on Christmas music. But I can understand why. Whenever the market is flooded, there's going to be a backlash.

Which is why I'm not so sure I'm in favor of these "all Christmas music, all the time" radio stations that seem to be popping up everywhere. First of all, most of the music they play is worthless filler, including awful renditions of "Silent Night" and "What Christmas Means to Me" recorded by fading pop stars in a last ditch effort to generate a little more revenue for their record companies before they fade off into oblivion. Who wants to listen to that noise pollution?

Second of all, even if you do happen to tune in only when the good songs are played, you're burnt out by Christmas. It takes years of training to be able to sustain a prolonged enthusiasm for Christmas music; I should know. I can start in early November and be full of Christmas cheer right up until the big day. But I've been honing my listening skills since age 9 or 10, when my family's Christmas music obsession really blossomed. The average uninitiated Christmas music listener cannot support a full month of continuous Christmas music without turning sour on the stuff. I've seen it happen over and over again.

I propose a moderate diet of Christmas music throughout December. Perhaps one or two days a week at first, to whet the appetites of the listening audience. Then, the week before Christmas, hit 'em full blast. For those of us who can handle a more generous portion earlier on, there are Christmas albums galore, or if you're a member of my family, taped recordings of radio Christmas shows from years past. There's just no need to turn the whole world against Christmas music by overdoing it; the genre deserves better.