🎙️ Episode 28: Keeping Up With The Clauses episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 23, 2025 · 39 MIN

🎙️ Episode 28: Keeping Up With The Clauses

from Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud · host Taz Thornton and Asha Clearwater

Christmas feels ancient, cosy and untouchable.It’s also been aggressively meddled with - mostly by the Victorians.In this episode, we unpack how angels ended up policing the top of the tree, how Christmas pudding started out (you really would NOT have wanted custard with it!), why tinsel wasn't always tacky, and how class, comparison and respectability quietly rewired the season.This is Christmas traditions through a brand lens - part folklore, part rebrand, part Victorian PR disaster. Also, I think we deserve points for not calling it 'Brand AId: Do They Know It's Christmas?'. Ahem... moving swiftly on...This is festive, fascinating and just uncomfortable enough to make you look at your tree differently. Get it downloaded, you cheeky little Christmas elf, you! xSomething you’d love us to know? Send us a message - we’d love to hear from you. Support the show✨ Unfiltered. Unedited. Awesomely Off-Topic. New episodes every Tuesday.Follow us on Instagram for more rants, rambles and random brilliance: 👋  @AwesomelyOffTopic, plus our co-hosts @thetazthornton + @ashaclearwater

Christmas feels ancient, cosy and untouchable. It’s also been aggressively meddled with - mostly by the Victorians. In this episode, we unpack how angels ended up policing the top of the tree, how Christmas pudding started out (you really would NOT have wanted custard with it!), why tinsel wasn't always tacky, and how class, comparison and respectability quietly rewired the season. This is Christmas traditions through a brand lens - part folklore, part rebrand, part Victorian PR disaster. Als...

NOW PLAYING

🎙️ Episode 28: Keeping Up With The Clauses

0:00 39:03

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

Big Old Life: Heather Blackbird interviews people on planet earth. Heather Blackbird loves asking questions. This podcast is a learning experience. Join me, Heather Blackbird, as I talk to people about their lives. Frequency of new episodes is a little all over the place and I'm learning as I go. Big Old Life is a small way of talking about the vastness of life, one person at a time. If you are reading this or found this podcast it's probably because someone you know gave you a link to it. :) Explicit Tales Of A Superstar DJ The Insomniac Spun seemingly out of nowhere from her complacent life in the corporate world, turned seemingly overnight from 16-Hour shift work and into the life of a literally starving artist and working musician, The Protagonist navigates her supposed rise to fame and superstardom on a journey through spiritual awakening, coming-of-age, and intimate self-realization--guided by an omnipresent force and equipped with the power of love, magic, and music. {Enter The Multiverse.} [The Festival Project] The Festival Project, Inc.™ is a multidimensional multimedia platform which encompasses exploratory and artistic social personifications and expressions on cosmic theory, spirituality, growth, health & wellness, philosophy and theoretic dynamics in entertainment such as music, design, film, television, radio, dance and festival culture, art, fashion, literature, and science. The Festival Project™ and its subsidiary Non-Profit, The Collective Complex © aims to challenge modern artistic and philosop Explicit Bitcoin Is Dead Trey Carson Welcome to Bitcoin is Dead, the ultimate Bitcoin variety show where host Trey takes you on a journey through the ever-evolving world of Bitcoin. Each episode brings new personalities, fascinating locations, and insightful conversations with politicians, educators, and innovators shaping the future of Bitcoin. Whether you're a seasoned Bitcoiner or just starting your journey, tune in for thought-provoking discussions, unique perspectives, and a deep dive into the ideas and people driving the Bitcoin revolution. Explicit The Sacred +Profane Podcast nephtaragrace The Sacred + Profane Podcast is a provocative conversation dedicated to cementing a better future for all. We specialize in unpacking the nuances of what is considered sacred and profane, particularly focusing on sex, death, and all that pertains to the circle of life. Our aim in focusing on such ”taboo” subject matter is to demystify what is unconscious, bring to light what has been known for centuries as ”the occult,” and empower the rapid transformation that is occurring on the Planet. Explicit

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud?

This episode is 39 minutes long.

When was this Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud episode published?

This episode was published on December 23, 2025.

What is this episode about?

Christmas feels ancient, cosy and untouchable.It’s also been aggressively meddled with - mostly by the Victorians.In this episode, we unpack how angels ended up policing the top of the tree, how Christmas pudding started out (you really would NOT...

Is there a transcript available for this episode?

Yes, a full transcript is available for this episode. You can read the complete transcript on the episode page.

Can I download this Awesomely Off-Topic: Books, Brands, Business and Everything Else We’re Not Supposed to Say Out Loud episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!