This was the John Lewis “Christmas” ad in the UK in 2021! Ain’t it cute?!!
There’s much that has been crammed into these two minutes and three seconds of what can only be described as lollipop propaganda.
So let’s examine the message inside this saccharin-sweet fairy-tale wrapped in Christmas tinsel.
1 A winsome, young boy is travelling alone on a public bus in the dark winter.
2 The adult(s) on the bus are fast asleep and don’t see/notice that a whole alien ship is falling from the sky, or that this child has exited the bus to wander off into the woods by himself.
3 The young boy is naturally afraid and cautious, yet he pushes past his fears in order to satisfy his curiosity.
4 He’s taken off guard and surprised by the “alien,” and he has no way of knowing if it is friend or foe at this point.
5 They find a “common” word in the five pointed star and beauty in its “light.”
6 The “alien” performs a “wonder” or magic trick by turning on the lights on the tree, impressing the young, naïve lad, winning his trust, and firing his imagination.
7 Cue the music! “I only knew you for a while. I never saw your smile, until it was time, time to go away.”
8 Pan to warm scenes of a loving nuclear family, who are completely oblivious to what is happening to their young family member, apart from his even younger sibling, who has been entrusted with the “secret.”
9 Unbeknownst to the adults, he sneakily steals from the family provisions to give away to his now beloved secret “friend.”
10 More musical lyrics about love and their not realising it was developing, (love/lust) as they cut to scenes depicting the growing and undeniable bond between this vulnerable human child and the “stranger” who is visually older than him and presumably female! He is the teacher, and she the student, as she marvels at this unfamiliar planet called Earth. Now he feels like a useful, and more importantly, needed and understood adult!
11 His innocent and childish snowball play is met with a disproportionate response, albeit “playful.” He is reminded that he is inferior to this alien, and therefore no match, should things …take a turn.
12 He is depicted as trying to steer the relationship in a romantic direction by using his personal technological device, to stream a romantic movie, or at least a movie with a love scene in it, as the camera homes in on his boyish side-eyes and awkward blushes. We are invited to witness their “moment,” even though the reality is in fact that the alien is innocent, and is the one being “groomed” by the child!
13 The boy is lovesick and, as the song expresses, he doesn’t realise just how deeply in love and forever fundamentally changed he is, until he hears the sound of her/its departure.
14 Time to exchange gifts against the backdrop of emotionally tear-jerking music. Who likes a sad goodbye?! She “innocently” kisses him before leaving, but only because she has been taught that this is the appropriate response.
15 He is left heartbroken as the bright lights shoot off into the sky like a rocket, coupled with the slogan, “For A Christmas As Magical As Your First.”
There’s a word for this, and it’s called “grooming!”
Once upon a time, we children were warned not to talk to strangers, especially ones who produce rabbits out of hats or try to entice us with magic tricks, sweeties, or secrets! Yet for some reason, this advert seeks to turn absolutely everything on its head and present every red flag as something to be “oohed” and “aahed” at! Equally as sinister are the purposefully crafted and well thought out conditions that allow for this grooming to take place, and the disturbing fact that they have managed to simultaneously turn the victim into the predator!! This intentionally perpetuates this process.
Whilst they are careful to present the stranger as friendly and innocent, they also do not miss the opportunity to hint at its power and capabilities. But shouldn’t that be a red flag in itself? The fact that this unknown creature from another planet, also possesses unknown motives, emotional and mental processes, even spiritual ones? Why are we being invited and encouraged to smile along with, and become emotionally invested in, what can only be described as an inappropriate love story, with sexual undertones between a non-human and a child who is only experiencing this as a result of neglect, missed clues, secrets, lies and plain naivety BECAUSE he’s a child?! In the same way that this young boy is reading his own desires into his situation, so the creators of this propaganda, beckon boys and girls everywhere to make this story their own too. I mean, just imagine if one day, aliens were to visit planet earth!! How cool would that be?? And wouldn’t you just love to be the guy with the alien chick who’s LITERALLY from another planet?!
What’s also disturbing, is how he is left with a broken heart and no way of reconciling his emotions with such an “out of this world” experience. What girl is ever going to be able to compete with that? How will he ever view the world, his own humanity and others, minus this distorted lens? He can never go back! This is much like the “first time” of a sexual encounter. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. He has been imbued with a longing for a story that may or may never be realised, and in the absence of his desire, she/it will become even more deified in his mind, and incomparable. The only way out of his misery, will be for her/it to return and soothe his longing. How is this worthy of coo-cooing?
The alien/human encounter isn’t a new concept, such as with the popular movie “E.T.” and countless other nods to this interconnection. However, this advert is in a league of its own because even though it’s not a movie, it is “make-believe.” It’s an advert that has been married to a seasonal time of Christian celebration of “goodwill to all men.” As though, the only right response to such an encounter, would be to test the waters, embrace the unknown and cultivate relationship all based on emotion. To cast caution to the wind and every lesson we’ve ever been taught about “stranger danger” and morality. We must understand that the rules change as long as the stranger is other-worldy! Another, and perhaps even more important point to bring out in all of this, is the fact that the Gospel message has been hijacked and distorted. The good news that is the Gospel — through the coming of the Messiah from heaven to earth to reconcile man to God, and the heralding of this glorious moment by the angels in said glad tidings, have been replaced by what the world cleverly calls “aliens.” Technically they are. They are beings that are not from this plane, but the Bible calls them demons!
Did you know that humans can be described as aliens, too? A person who enters a country not his own is called an illegal alien. We Christians are people who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and thus become a “new creature” and an “alien,” just passing through because this world is no longer our home. Our citizenship is a heavenly one. So it’s not enough to simply use “alien” as a technical word as though there’s only one type. What IS this alien being? Is it of God or is it of the Devil? That is what we should be asking. Then we should be questioning why they are so keen to make that decision for us in favour of their being something so benign that even a child can “take their chances” with it. Adults are by comparison, silly, ignorant and unenlightened because they fail to see magic all around them because they are too closed and indoctrinated by dogma, traditions and the wrong kind of “fairy-tale” that speak of our need of Messiahs, Trinities and Salvation. Their belief that we are in fact NOT innocent, rather, we are guilty of sin and in need of reconciliation that only God Himself can make, is in direct opposition to the message being presented in this video. How Satan mimics God by requiring a child-like faith to be able to enter into this other-worldly relationship!
We must be careful not to brush off what we are seeing all around us today. Our children, and even us adults are being bombarded with demonic propaganda and it comes dressed up with sparkly lights, it masquerades as love and presents itself as innocent and promises amazing experiences to all who are open and willing. Don’t sip from this poisoned chalice! Always remember that the ratio of poison to water doesn’t need to be equal. All it takes is a drop.
Be on your guard.
2 Corinthians 11:14
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Ephesians 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armour of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
Author – ITSDOXOLOGICAL
Editors – Joanie Schumacher, Charmaine Bailey
Video -John Lewis Christmas Advert 2021