December 3, 2008--The Two Trees of Christmas
I’m confused. While switching around last night to find something diverting to watch on TV, I stumbled onto the Christmas tree lighting ceremony. But it was on CBS and in Bryant Park in New York City. Thus my confusion—I always thought the Christmas tree is in Rockefeller Center and that the lighting was going to be tonight, Wednesday, and on NBC.
When I finally figured things out I realized how naïve I can be.
There are these two trees which get lit on back-to-back nights. One is literally sponsored (i.e. paid for) by CBS and the other by NBC; and though they both occur in public, each of the networks gets exclusive proprietary rights to broadcast the lighting of their tree on their channel.
What’s next, a Fox News tree with Bill O’Reilly throwing the switch? That seems appropriate since he’s been railing forever for American merchants to stop calling this time of year the more-inclusive holiday season and not the Christmas season.
But curious as I am I took a closer look at the TV schedule to see what would be available to me if I tuned in for the lighting of all the Christmas trees or Chanukah menorahs or Kwanzaa candles or whatever.
I couldn’t find information about what the Lubovicher cable channel might be up to and BET doesn’t seem to do that much to celebrate Kwanzaa, and so the best that I can report is about the programming surrounding the two Christmas tree lightings.
Last night in Bryant Park you could have seen the Barenaked Ladies perform in front of the tree. I had never seen them before, and you can only imagine my disappointment that they showed up in full Christmas costume and not as their name implies.
But not to worry, tonight, after Tony Bennett and Beyonce sing and gyrate on the Rock Center skating rink (I assume Al Roker will turn on the juice), at 10:00 o’clock after the kiddies are asleep and visions of sugar plums are dancing in their heads, to keep the adults tuned in, a version of real naked ladies will show up on the Victoria’s Secret Holiday (not Christmas) Fashion Show.
At least I know what I’ll be doing later. And it won’t be watching Anderson Cooper 360 or reruns of Countdown With Keith Olbermann.
When I finally figured things out I realized how naïve I can be.
There are these two trees which get lit on back-to-back nights. One is literally sponsored (i.e. paid for) by CBS and the other by NBC; and though they both occur in public, each of the networks gets exclusive proprietary rights to broadcast the lighting of their tree on their channel.
What’s next, a Fox News tree with Bill O’Reilly throwing the switch? That seems appropriate since he’s been railing forever for American merchants to stop calling this time of year the more-inclusive holiday season and not the Christmas season.
But curious as I am I took a closer look at the TV schedule to see what would be available to me if I tuned in for the lighting of all the Christmas trees or Chanukah menorahs or Kwanzaa candles or whatever.
I couldn’t find information about what the Lubovicher cable channel might be up to and BET doesn’t seem to do that much to celebrate Kwanzaa, and so the best that I can report is about the programming surrounding the two Christmas tree lightings.
Last night in Bryant Park you could have seen the Barenaked Ladies perform in front of the tree. I had never seen them before, and you can only imagine my disappointment that they showed up in full Christmas costume and not as their name implies.
But not to worry, tonight, after Tony Bennett and Beyonce sing and gyrate on the Rock Center skating rink (I assume Al Roker will turn on the juice), at 10:00 o’clock after the kiddies are asleep and visions of sugar plums are dancing in their heads, to keep the adults tuned in, a version of real naked ladies will show up on the Victoria’s Secret Holiday (not Christmas) Fashion Show.
At least I know what I’ll be doing later. And it won’t be watching Anderson Cooper 360 or reruns of Countdown With Keith Olbermann.
posted by Steven Zwerling at
6:50 AM
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