"Essential" Misuse

My husband has picked up on the perennial misuse of the word "essential," looking over my shoulder as I whimsically work my way through the Amazon website. This relates, of course, to all the holiday advertisements aimed at convincing us that each and every item they have to offer is, of course, "essential." A dog grooming brush? A re-fillable Keurig K-cup? A $2K plus LED TV? Certainly one must have new furniture for your holiday guests! I have to confess that it's hard not to fall prey to this illogic...even when I recently aired my incredulity at my suburban friend's Black Friday madness in order to get $200 off the price of a flat screen TV. Need vs. Want. We are sheep, indeed...prone to our whims and the advertisers' wiles...and never is it at a more fevered pitch than these days leading up to one of the most holy times of the year, Christmas. Having a very hairy dog in the house makes me think again about the grooming gadget...