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Comment by ryandrake | Hacker News Reader

It’s probably a mistake to read too much into it but I can’t help but notice the McDonald’s ad is kind of a mirror held up to all the things that American culture has been progressing into: cynical, mean, isolated, artificial... whatever the opposite of “wholesome” is. Totally off-key for what Christmas is supposed to stand for. Christmas (at least the secular holiday) is supposed to be about kindness, putting differences aside, enjoying people and family, and the commercial was pretty much the opposite of that.

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Here in the UK, Tesco is running a pretty similar campaign to the McDonald's one (without the AI): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=711Cq8_E0oI

I think Brits tend to be more cynical than Americans, though, so it kinda tracks.

That ad is brutal. I feel sorry for people who experience Christmas like this.

That montage version is actually quite uplifting compared to the longer version of each individual segment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMUWrBKHoKc

I mean, that's just depressing to watch :(

I'd like to know what Monopoly knock-off is partly in the shot here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebA8X4HChJM

PSA: if you have family meltdowns playing Monopoly, try following the rules and allowing auctions of un-bought property. At least the game may eventually end then. Or just don't play games intended to be teachable "well isn't this shit" moments.

Misery loves company. Some people just want other people to be as unhappy as they are.

Seemed pretty realistic to me!

One exception: with the stamp cost rise, I think this might be the year even the staunchest card senders may be reconsidering!

I remember my mum sending out 20 or 30 cards all with first class stamps. I don't see many millennials and down doing it. "Not in this economy"!

It was generated by McDonald’s Netherlands who said the ad was about Christmas mishaps in the Netherlands.

There is no agreed on meaning of secular Christmas. It might converge on one some day, but secular culture is literally dying so it has only about 100 years to come up with one.

Merry Christmas!

> secular culture is literally dying

Can you elaborate on this? It doesn't match my experience at all.

> It’s probably a mistake to read too much into it

I disagree; art both reflects and influences culture. If we don't discuss and explore the subtext of things, we're impacted without understanding, and that's never a good position to be in.

I don't think a commercial for a fast food joint can reflect an entire nation let alone the other 174 it has restaurants in.

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