# Who watches yule logs on television? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 26, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631 "2004-12-26T01:51:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/1 "2004-12-26T01:51:33Z")
I’ve also got three channels airing burning yule logs. One of them, apparently the public access channel on the cable system at Mom and Dad’s house, is from a GAS FIREPLACE. Who watches a burning yule log on television? Someone? Anyone? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/2 "2004-12-26T02:04:35Z")
What, you mean that’s not just a joke from _Better Off Dead_? That there are some stations that actually do this? Huh. Well I’ll be damned. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/3 "2004-12-26T02:28:09Z")
watch the flames closely and eventually the images of young women coupling with exotic beasts will emerge. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/4 "2004-12-26T02:29:51Z")
Hey, it’s a longtime tradition started on an independent TV station in NYC in the 1970s. The Yule Log is a much-loved tradition, and they were forced to bring it back when they got rid of it. There’s a whole article in today’s Times about the [famous Yule Log!](http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/25/arts/television/25watc.html?oref=login) It wins its timeslot! It’s from California! It’s something everybody in New York grew up with! RESPECT THE LOG!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/5 "2004-12-26T03:32:06Z")
You can buy DVDs of yule logs to watch year round, BTW. No, really. ---
**Author:** ![I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@I\_can\_t\_believe\_that\_s\_butter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I_can_t_believe_that_s_butter)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/6 "2004-12-26T03:38:59Z")
They had a Yule log on WGN after Hardrock, Coco and Joe/Suzy Snowflake/Frosty The Snowman to round out the hour. It was eerie how it began; the camera depicted a fireplace with toys and stockings surrounding it, and then it gradually zoomed in to the fire. I thought it was the introduction to a movie or a show, but after 15 minutes of the log (replete with festive background music), I was convinced otherwise and changed the channel. There was a slick in the Friday paper called React, aimed at teens. They would run in every issue a few ads for Fingerhut products, including VHS cassettes of a Yule log. ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/7 "2004-12-26T04:10:06Z")
Yes, I had KCAL 9 on this morning with the log and Christmas music while the family opend gifts. I put it on beforehad for some of them to calm down to while a few more finnished their chores. ---
**Author:** ![Mauvaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mauvaise/32/11084_2.png) [@Mauvaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mauvaise)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/8 "2004-12-26T05:34:30Z")
I watched about 5 minutes of it when I got up this morning. That was about all I needed 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/9 "2004-12-26T07:11:23Z")
> [@Joe K](#): > > They had a Yule log on WGN after Hardrock, Coco and Joe/Suzy Snowflake/Frosty The Snowman to round out the hour. It was eerie how it began; the camera depicted a fireplace with toys and stockings surrounding it, and then it gradually zoomed in to the fire. I thought it was the introduction to a movie or a show, but after 15 minutes of the log (replete with festive background music), I was convinced otherwise and changed the channel. I watched that last night and I quite enjoyed it. I don’t know, it was just nice to snuggle in bed with my husband and my cat with the low light of a fire, listening to nice, classy Christmas carols that didn’t make my ears bleed. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/10 "2004-12-26T11:58:36Z")
The friends I spent Thanksgiving day with had a fireplace DVD they played after dinner. There was much excitement at two points: when a hand holding a poker appeared to jab at the logs, and when an unseen person offscreen chucked a fresh log onto the grate and sent up a shower of sparks. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/11 "2004-12-26T14:28:54Z")
Comedy Central did that several years ago for an entire day. It was just a shot of a burning fireplace, and Penn Jillette’s voice would come on every ten minutes or so to remind us that we were watching Comedy Central’s yule log. At the time, I thought it was just a joke gone too far. I’m shocked to hear that some serious channels do this as well. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/12 "2004-12-26T15:32:43Z")
> [@Miss Mapp](#): > > The friends I spent Thanksgiving day with had a fireplace DVD they played after dinner. There was much excitement at two points: when a hand holding a poker appeared to jab at the logs, and when an unseen person offscreen chucked a fresh log onto the grate and sent up a shower of sparks. That’s the good one we watched last year. One of the local channels was playing it and every so often they would superimpose a message at the bottom of the screen saying “this hour of yule log brought to you by ACE Hardware” or something, so it was 3 hours of commercial-free “log.” The one we watched this year was a little cheesier, because there was no “action” and the repeat loop seemed to be about 15 minutes - plus every half hour they cut in with some abrasive-voiced local furniture salesman and his haggard staff to wave at the camera and say “ThisisJoeScmoefromJoeSchmoefurnitureIhopeyou’re enjoyingYuleLoghaveamerrychristmas!” all crammed into like 20 seconds or something, lol. It’s just nice to have on while you’re unwrapping presents and people aren’t distracted by football or cartoons or whatever. Plus you get all the gags like “hey, careful not to stand too close to the fire!” etc. Good times! ---
**Author:** ![scotandrsn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a4c791/32.png) [@scotandrsn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scotandrsn)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/13 "2004-12-26T15:39:37Z")
God, my wife watched in on WGN AND KCAL 9 and kept waking me up in the wee hours to watch it! In her defense, she never had a fireplace growing up. > [@Alias](#): > > Comedy Central did that several years ago for an entire day. It was just a shot of a burning fireplace, and Penn Jillette’s voice would come on every ten minutes or so to remind us that we were watching Comedy Central’s yule log. At the time, I thought it was just a joke gone too far. I’m shocked to hear that some serious channels do this as well. I hadn’t heard of Comedy Central’s prank, but it reminds of the articles I read when, I believe it was the Sci-Fi Channel, was starting up. In order to alert channel-surfers to the idea that there would eventually be a channel with real content there, they broadcast a live shot of a fish tank 24/7. When the channel finally began regular broadcasting, many called in to complain about the lack of fish. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/14 "2004-12-26T16:58:35Z")
You can also buy the aquarium on DVD. With DTS sound, even. Don’t miss a single bubble! ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/15 "2004-12-26T20:49:00Z")
Dagnabbit, people! WHERE(!!!) can I get this Yule Log DVD!?! \*\* This would be perfect for “Leon Day” (aka “Christmas in June”). I don’t want to have another last-minute-rushing-around-for-gifts-last-minute panic like I did last time we celebrated (do you know what was like trying to dredge up a recipie for egg nog pre-internet?), and this would be great for sitting around in the air conditioning, opening presents and watching the log on the fire without sweating any more than we already are? FWIW, does the Home Shopping Network still run the Yule Log on the 25th, the one day they aren’t shilling stuff? \*\* I’d check google and stuff, but I keep getting knocked off-line - such a pain in the batoot. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/16 "2004-12-26T22:35:22Z")
> [@screech-owl](#): > > Dagnabbit, people! WHERE(!!!) can I get this Yule Log DVD!?! \*\* > \*\* I’d check google and stuff, but I keep getting knocked off-line - such a pain in the batoot. They sell one at Party America. I’d think they’d have them anyplace that sells Xmas videos, etc. ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/17 "2004-12-26T22:44:04Z")
Here in the Twin Cities, we have [24 hours of log](http://www.startribune.com/stories/389/5153438.html) on KSTC: > [@](#): > > Back by popular demand, the “Yule Log,” a commercial-free, continuously burning log, accompanied by holiday music, will air on KSTC, Channel 45, for 24 hours starting at 7 p.m. Friday. > > Stupid idea? Well, last year the log beat “Dr. Phil” in the ratings. > > “People just love the fact that they can turn on the TV and have a burning fire – especially if they don’t have a fireplace,” said Joe Johnston, marketing director of Ch. 45, KSTP-TV’s sister station. > > Viewers are treated to a brightly burning close-up of a fireplace with an occasional cameo by a poker-wielding hand. > > “You know, you could set the TV inside a box and it would look like the real thing,” said Johnston. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/18 "2004-12-26T23:53:53Z")
Fox News, morning edition, got into a bit of trouble with a Yule log. See, the Yule log video was accompanied by buxom ladies in clinging negligees, doing things like painting their nails, brushing each other’s hair, eating popcorn, etc. No nudity, but not G rated either. The blonde anchor was interviewing the three Yule ladies, wearing negligees, and apparently one of them didn’t have a mike, so she had to lean over and speak into Blonde Anchor’s mike, hooked onto his tie. Lots of banter back and forth, but then they cut back to the studio, where a disgusted Female Anchor was a bit miffed, and apologized for showing such nonsense at 7:45 in the morning. They did get a few annoyed e-mails, which they read on the air, and again apologzied, realizing it may have not been the most appropriate thing to show at that time of the morning. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/19 "2004-12-27T00:00:38Z")
i bought the yule log videos as host gifts for friends who had tree triming parties. they are really good for a laugh. the poker wielding hand is very exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631/20 "2004-12-27T03:59:36Z")
Search Amazon DVDs for “fireplace” and get not just the Yule log videos but _lots_ of different fireplace DVDs. Beach bonfires, romantic fireplaces, Christmas fireplaces, ambient mood fireplaces - it’s evidently big business. When I worked at Suncoast there was just the one we could order - evidently it has expanded. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-watches-yule-logs-on-television/281631.md?page=2)