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The Hallmark Channel became famous for producing low-budget, formulaic Christmas films aimed at women, and this spread to Lifetime and Freeform, and now Netflix and other mainstream outlets have been inspired to create similar features, though with higher budgets and less conservative restrictions. Mark, Lawrence, Sarahlyn, and Al each watched a smattering of these and share their reflections on the genre and their specific experiences.
Why are these films typically not religious, yet also sexless? Have they become appreciably less white over time? Are they at all political in their a-political stance? Do they all use the same sets? Is magic allowed in these films? Most importantly, what does it say that many of us ravenously consume and enjoy these films that are on the whole objectively bad?
Some of the films we mention include Champagne Problems, Joy to the World, Haul Out the Holly, Rebuilding a Dream Christmas, Christmas on the Alpaca Farm, A Carpenter’s Christmas Holiday, the Holiday Touchdown films, The Merry Gentlemen, Mistletoe Mix-up, Hot Frosty, Single All the Way, An Unexpected Christmas, and Our Christmas Journey.
Also, you might want to look for Disney’s Hulu’s Family Guy’s Hallmark Channel’s Lifetime’s Familiar Holiday Movie.
Follow us @law_writes, @sarahlynbruck, @MarkLinsenmayer. Al simply has no time for love or social media.
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