Yes, I’m American, born and bred. I have a warm heart and more Christmas spirit than perhaps Old Saint Nick himself (especially in The Year Without a Santa Claus where he is frustrated and thinks he needs a vacation; you work one night a year, dude — suck it up!)
So how, you ask, how could I hate A Charlie Brown Christmas? Well, I suppose you need to know that my loathing is not reserved for just the Christmas special; I hate all of the Charlie Brown specials; oh, don’t get me started on the Great Pumpkin one … but I digress.
I know it’s supposed to be a feel-good moment on TV every December, but it has never, ever made me feel good. As a child, I fled from A Charlie Brown Christmas. I’d rather have been doing any of those 29 things that are better than watching According to Jim.
Why didn’t I like it then?
- It was boring. I couldn’t tolerate Mr. Rogers, either. Slow-paced just wasn’t my bag. Yes, I was That Kid.
- Lucy was mean; I just didn’t understand how she could get away with being so very mean to Chuck. It went against everything my Mum taught me, and really, where the hell were the adults who should have been giving guidance to these kids?
- Peppermint Patty was just too real for me. Man, how she made my heart ache with the unrequited love of my elementary school crush.
Why don’t I like it now?
- All of the same reasons I didn’t like it then. Really, I haven’t grown up very much.
- Charlie Brown is whiny and pathetic and has no self-esteem whatsoever. Watching a show that glorifies this behavior isn’t making the world a better place. Seriously, he needed more therapy than Lucy could give him for a dime.
- And what about poor Pig Pen? Maybe the little dude has some serious disease that accounts for his hygiene problems, and here all the kids just prey on his lack of cleanliness. Maybe he’s homeless, or his mother is a crack whore and he can’t get a regular bath. Come to my house, Pig Pen. I’ll bathe you and give you a good meal.
- Even South Park makes fun of the token black kid. ‘Nuff said about Franklin.
- There’s just no chemistry between Lucy and Schroeder. I’d rather be watching Booth and Bones.
- Speaking of no chemistry, what’s with Peppermint Patty looking to Chuck to be her beard? Just too weird to deal with the bisexual in a children’s Christmas special.
OK, I’ll admit that picking out that scrawny little Christmas tree is mildly endearing, and Snoopy is not without his charms. And then Linus dragging around his blanket does remind me of my Owen with his little Snuggle Puppy …. But it just isn’t enough to make me endure the drudgery that is A Charlie Brown Christmas year after year.
Maybe I need to read Rich’s historical account of A Charlie Brown Christmas in his CliqueClack Kids column this week to get a better point of view…
Photo Credit: ABC
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Yes, I’m American, born and bred. I have a warm heart and more Christmas spirit than perhaps Old Saint Nick himself (especially in The Year Without a Santa Claus where he is frustrated and thinks he needs a vacation; you work one night a year, dude — suck it up!)
Since I live with this woman, I need to go on record saying that I still hold a dear place in my heart for the Peanuts specials. I’ll even listen to the music and fond memories come back to me. Deb speaks blasphemy! … but I guess I still love her in spite of that.
Deb, I totally agree. I hate all things Peanuts. I’ve never understood the appeal. In fact, I was considering writing a very similar post.
Sounds like we had a very similar upbringing.
I also hate Oreo cookies, so I think that may make me even less American than you.
What?! You hate Oreo cookies?! Have you had the double stuffed?
:)
I will admit the double stuffed are better than the normal cookies… And at one point they had double stuffed that were coated in a white chocolate shell… now those were worth eating!
My mom makes chocolate covered oreos every Christmas. Take a double stuff, drip it in chocolate and it’s heaven.
In the spirit of the season, I suggest we all agree to diagree.
Deb, you must sit down and watch this special again. the scene where Snoopy mocks Lucy behind her back is one of my favorite TV moments. Also, Peppermint Patty does not appear in this show at all. The “Patty” character in this show is a separate character, although I agree, she is a jerk, to put it mildly. BTW, Franklin does not appear in this special at all. Perhaps you watched one of the crappy follow-up Peanuts specials they did by mistake?
Bob doesn’t like Peanuts or Oreos? I am calling Homeland Security…
*POST AUTHOR*
OK, if it is still on our DVR (Owen loves it!), then I will give it a try again; for you Bill! :-)
Keith should not talk to you for a week just for the headline of the post! Then again, maybe you were going for that. :-) I don’t know that any of the Peanuts specials are necessarily great TV or have the best educational content. They are fixtures of every holiday and I enjoy watching them with my kids.
Oh, and Bob’s dislike of Oreo’s is just…..just…….crap I can’t come up with anything worthy of that……
Boy, it looks like you touched on some nerves Deb. You probably knew that would happen though.
I love this special–perhaps it is the era in which I grew up, but the Peanuts characters always make me smile. Snoopy is especially funny in this one. Also, who doesn’t love that dance scene? You can’t tell me that at some point you never duplicated one of those dance styles.. come on! The dance scene is one of the most parodied moments from an animated show.
I always get a warm fuzzy when they all learn “what Christmas is all about”. I think that lesson alone is worth 1/2 hour of my time.
Watch it again, Deb (you can borrow it from the library) and then do a little dance with Owen when it’s over..
Debbie, you’re a Scrooge and Keith is a saint for putting up with that! :o)
Now, on to Bob Degon and his blasphemous rantings: Bob, I can understand differences of opinion on things like politics, finances, child-rearing, etc., but to attack Oreo cookies goes too far! It’s probably the most heinous statement ever to be printed and you should be tossed into the heart of the sun for it. You make Debbie’s scroogeality look all cute and fuzzy!
Have an Oreo, a glass of milk and a merry Christmas!!!
Should I refrain from admitting than nothing gives me the creeps like a big tall glass of milk? *Shudder*
I can’t even watch someone else drinking milk, it gives me the heebie jeebies. Maybe I should just pack my things and move to France. ;-)
Bon Voyage!
:-)
P.S. – Milk is my favorite drink of all time, you frog!
waste of space. written just to meet the minimum word count needed.
A Wah a wah a wah wah wah uh wah wah wuh wuh wah wah wah.
Debbie you have no Christmas spirit. I’m going to prescribe you two showings of Its a Wonderful Life. If the Christmas spirit isn’t back by then I suggest Kieth just play the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack nonstop till you are broken and the tunes are stuck in your head.
Bob you are hopeless. If this was the 1950s you would be brought to the UnAmerican Affairs Commitee for hating oreos and be branded Commie Degon for the rest of your life.
Least my loss of Christmas spirit was for good reason this year: The asshole in the Palisades Mall underground lot took it along with the last parking spot in the place. And Ginger our angry rants are all in jest… well sort of…
*POST AUTHOR*
Oh, if only you knew of my unabashed love for “It’s a Wonderful Life,” you’d never call me a Scrooge! Not to mention my almost weird fondness for “A Miracle on 34th Street.” I cry at “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” I love every second of “A Year Without A Santa Claus and can sing every verse of the Heat and Snow Miser songs.
It’s just that darned Charlie Brown … *sigh* …
They’re much better in the comic strip. Peanuts is one of my all time favorite comic strips (I’m a junkie of them I’ll admit), but while the animated specials have never lived up to the heart and quality of the source material, there was still always something special about seeing it all come to “life.” And Snoopy is always worth the price of admission alone!
Ok Debbie you are off the hook. Hating Its Christmastime Charlie Brown is one thing, but loving Its A Wonderful Life makes up for it. Hating Wonderful Life means you are completely lost. Just the happiness at the end can cure the Grinch and put a smile on his face.
Okay, Deb, you like Miracle on 34th Street, so maybe your heart isn’t 2 sizes two small.
But I’m not sure your head is screwed on just right…
You are not alone in this world Deb. A Charlie Brown Christmas is not a good thing.
But then, I have a cynical view on christmas I guess. The only things I allowed to be shown in my house as “christmas” movies are:
The Ref
Better Off Dead
Die Hard
Scrooged
No Bad Santa?
Dunno… Die Hard is one of my favorite movies all time, but Die Hard II just feels more Christmasy to me, even though both were set at Christmas.
My favorite Christmas movie is “A Christmas Carol”. The George Scott version was one of the best, but another favorite edition was perhaps not as widely known….the version that starred Henry Winkler….”An American Christmas Carol” It was quite good.
I will not dignify this post with a “true” response, only to say that I’m listening to my “Lucy and Linus” ringtone on my phone right now in protest.
for shame … hating on A Charlie Brown Christmas.
partially makes up by liking Miracle on 34th St, as long as you’re talking about the original with Natalie Wood and not that *shudder* remake.
but I don’t know if I can talk. I abhor A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life.