John Lewis film is ‘lazy’ and depiction of care ‘falls short’

But a Scottish film academic has launched an attack on this year’s John Lewis festive offering, with ­accusations it is “lazy”, has “tired ­sit-com clichés” and that the ­depiction of care “falls short”.

The retail giant’s advert focuses on a middle-aged man’s efforts to prepare for the arrival of new foster daughter Ellie by trying to learn skateboarding.

It was developed in association with charities Action for Children and Who Cares? Scotland, which ­supports care experienced people.

However, writing in The Conversation, Karen Lury, professor of film and television studies at Glasgow University, whose work focuses on representation of children, said: “The 2022 John Lewis Christmas advert is much like a Christmas present from a relative who doesn’t know you well.

“Well-meaning, beautifully wrapped, but you kind of wish they had ­included a gift receipt.

“This year’s advert certainly has good intentions, but as a film ­academic, I think its depiction of care falls short.”

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She went on: “Whether Ellie is ­being fostered or adopted is not made clear. And not knowing is a problem, as it creates confusion as to what is actually going on in the advert.

“One of several missteps is ­leaving the transactional aspects of the ­adoptive relationship too close to the surface.

“Given the advert’s association with a retailer, this is problematic.”

Lury said the advert was ­dependent on “tired sit-com clichés”, ­including a “man-child husband” who is laughed at for his antics and a wife who does most of the “work”, such as ­organising on the phone.

She went on: “I find this advert ­dismaying, and not just because it is lazy and timid. I am furious that it adds to the way our commitment to care for the most vulnerable in our society is dissolved through palatable pops of promotional compassion.

“While Charles Dickens may have been the origin for ­associating ­Christmas with charity, at least his stories were explicit about the ­grinding nature of poverty and the vulnerability of children.

“The John Lewis advert carefully avoids this reality, instead creating a fiction where the needs of the cared-for child are obscured by the needy behaviour of the father (yes, it really is all about him).

“Worse still, it only helps to distract us from the Government’s merciless underfunding of the health and care system in the UK.”

She added: “As the advert’s ­accompanying Blink 182 cover song suggests, it may be ‘All The Small Things’ that matter in gestures of care – but the business of care is more challenging and important than this empty little tribute can express.”

In response, John Lewis said it had consulted many experts to ensure the tone and content of the advert was appropriate, and that it is part of a longer-term programme aimed at helping supporting organisations within the care sector.

A spokesperson said: “We cons­ulted many people with lived ­experience as well as leading charities to get their views and feedback before launching our Christmas advert.

“While the vast majority of ­comments we’ve had from care-experienced people have been positive, we were very mindful of the impact our ad could have on people with ­experience of care and we didn’t take this lightly.”

A spokesperson for Who Cares? Scotland said: “This advert has sparked a national ­conversation about care, which we think is ­important.

“We’ve listened to care-experienced people tell us for years that they ­experience stigma, and in part that comes from unhelpful media ­stereotypes that show care ­experienced people as somehow ­broken.

“This advert doesn’t do that and instead focuses on what all ­children need to thrive – love, care and ­nurture. All children need this – and especially care experienced children.

“To see this in the UK’s most ­famous advert of the year is ­refreshing. This advert has also been ­overwhelmingly positively received by care-experienced people.”