Thanks to Tivo, I’ve been watching all those Christmas specials that used to hypnotize me as a child. In fact, I watched Charlie Brown bungle the big Christmas tree purchase multiple times, at the urging of Anita’s 4-year-old daughter, Emma. The Grinch, Frosty, Snow Miser/Heat Miser … it brought back a flood of Christmas memories. It’s amazing how much these images and sounds are intertwined with my recollections of Christmas past. I remember sitting up late, watching Christmas specials on our little black and white TV, waiting for my postman father to return home late from delivering holiday mail. Most vividly, I remember that Norelco commercial, with Santa riding an electric shaver across the snow.
I guess that says something about the commercialization of Christmas. I was also amazed at how this was a recurring theme in many of the specials. Charlie Brown already was hitting commercialism head-on in 1965. The Grinch made his pitch in 1966. I wonder what they
8 replies on “Ho ho humbug”
I’ve always been impressed by the sexual politics in the Rankin-Bass Christmas specials of the 60s and 70s. Years before Stonewall, these guys were giving us gay characters. There was Hermie the Elf in “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” whose desire to be a dentist instead of a toymaker was a thinly-veiled allusion to his desire to be out of the closet way back in 1966. Santa’s disdainful elves were homophobic little bastards and we kids all knew it.
Then there was Freeze Miser and Heat Miser from “Year Without A Santa Claus.” These climatically differentiated brothers were created in 1974, about the same time as the Village People, so their sexuality was an open secret. Anybody watching those flashy song-and-dance numbers (“Friends call me Heat Miser, ’cause whatever I touch, starts to melt in my clutch. I’m too much”) knew these charismatic boys listened to a massive collection of Judy Garland records when they weren’t fighting about who was controlling the Earth’s thermostat.
I always thought Hermie the elf was gay, but never picked up on the Misers’ vibe. But I wonder if androgynous is a better word than gay. Bugs Bunny wasn’t afraid to wear a dress, dance and lay one on Elmer Fudd’s lips. A lot of the cartoons I grew up on really didn’t reinforce the manly man stereotype the way some earlier ones did. In fact, I watched an old Popeye the other day on the Cartoon channel and was blown away by what an asshole he was and how racist the storyline was. He spent most of the 20 minutes beating up a stereotypical Indian chief. I’ll take the Misers — and Bugs Bunny — any day of the week …
I’m sure there are entire American studies dissertations that address these issues.
does anybody else think that hermie looks EXACTLY like the father on “alias”? (my husband makes me watch it… alias, that is. i watch rudolph of my own free will)
I refuse to watch “Alias” because its star, Jennifer Garner, is younger and thinner than me.
And about Popeye: I’m guessing that the reason Olive Oyl looked and acted like your crazy spinster aunt is because the only relationship options she had were Popeye a tattooed, jingoistic sailor and Bluto, a big fat tatooed jingoistic sailor. (Bluto was a seaman, wasn’t he?) If I were Olive, I’d befriend Hermie the Elf and start investigating alternative lifestyles.
And was Swee’ Pear, that Casper-the-Ghost-looking-kid, hers? Who was the father? Could Popeye be hit with a paternity suit?
i don’t like “alias” because it’s stupid. i can tolerate it to keep the peace in the family tho since i sometimes revel in the inane too. if i applied your criteria, leanne, i don’t think i’d be able to watch much tv at all… except maybe “60 minutes”.
p.s. even as a kid, i always assumed the sweet pea was popeye’s.
Bluto was a seaman, which reminds me of one of my favorite Simpson jokes.
It was a dark and foggy evening. Mr. Burns and Smithers are standing on a
wharf as if they’re expecting someone else. Marge approaches.
Marge: My name is Marge Bouvier. I’m here about your ad [in the newspaper
she is holding]: “Single white female wanted for mysterious
expedition. Must like monkeys. Non-smoker preferred.”
Burns: Well, you’d be a welcome change of pace from the rest of these crude
and uncouth sailors.
On the dock, two of the crude and uncouth sailors (“Aarrr!”) attempt to
stare each other down. Mr. Burns turns to Smithers.
Burns: What do you think, Smithers?
Smithers: I think women and sea-men don’t mix.
Burns: We *know* what you think!
Hey bob that is one awesome girl cuz its me!!!! Bob is so great bob is so great emma is grater emma is greater.
-Your great friend Emma