Anyone else addicted to the Hallmark Channel Movies? This holiday season I became a new member of the Hallmark Channel audience. Although we can make fun of the predictability of each movie plot, there is some science to the reason why we can’t help watching these holiday treats!
According to mentalfloss.com, there is a reason why Hallmark has blown up with over 70 million people tuning in during the holidays to consume these downtime treats. “Like a drug, Hallmark Channel Christmas movies provide a neurological reward. Speaking with CNBC in 2019, Pamela Rutledge, behavioral scientist, director of the Media Psychology Research Center, and a faculty member in the Media Psychology department at Fielding Graduate University, explained that the formulaic plots and predictability of the films is rewarding, especially when viewers are trying to unwind from the stress of the holiday season. The lack of reality at all levels, from plot to production, signals that the movies are meant to be escapism entertainment, Rutledge said. The genre is well-defined, and our expectations follow. This enables us to suspend disbelief.”
Hear more about our perspective on the Love/Hate Relationship with Hallmark Movies. Listen to the Momentum Artist podcast on Spotify.
Karen Ahuja, The Momentum Artist and Shawna St. James, The Empowered Painter