Christmas Radio

In the last couple of days I have heard a fair number of people complain about Christmas and describe the loathing they feel for the holiday. These people cry out that Christmas has become to commercial, that no one cares about the Christ child anymore, that Christmas is destroying the other holidays that share calendar space with it.

Those are all good reasons, and for the most part I agree with those people and feel their pain, and yet, I haven't heard anyone mention the part that really bugs me about Christmas. In my opinion, the worst part of this season is the radio coverage. Every DJ in America seems to believe that just because it's the holiday season, I want to listen to Christmas music, or even worse, holiday mixes compiled by popular artists.

I don't necessarily hate Christmas music, but when I turn the dial to 107.5 FM eXtreme Radio, I don't want to hear Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as performed by The Red-Hot Chili Peppers. What I want on the radio during the season is the same thing I want every other day of the year.

Radio stations offer little chunks of compartmentalized genre music based upon their listening audience. Why does that all change in the first week of December?

You will hear it in stores. You will hear it on the radio. You will hear it in your head until it drives you insane or you move to Massachusetts to escape.

Except it won't stop. This syrupy, jingly tune will pop up in the middle of your skull at least once every week in December ... probably for the rest of your life.

It's Christmas Eve in Washington
Dee dee dee dee dee do
And it's driving me insaaane ...