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Another classic bites the dust
The Canton Repository ^ | 12/17/06 | Angie Gent

Posted on 12/18/2006 7:42:45 AM PST by qam1

I’ve heard all the talk about the “War on Christmas” and the battle of “Happy Holidays” vs. “Merry Christmas.”

All the while, the real war on Christmas was going undetected. I’m talking about the war on classic Christmas specials.

This year’s victim: “The Year Without a Santa Claus.”

MODERN SCHLOCK

On Monday, NBC aired a live action version of the 1974 stop-motion animated classic. The story line was basically the same: Santa gives up on Christmas, thinking kids don’t care about him anymore, while his elves, Jingle and Jangle, set off to find kids full of Christmas spirit. The elves are nearly thwarted by warring brothers, Heat Miser and Snow Miser. In the end, a boy named Iggy rediscovers the magic of Christmas, and Santa finds out people love him after all.

That’s about where the similarities end.

The show was billed as “a holiday family event” and rated “G,” yet one scene depicts a video game battle where a man gets his arm and his head ripped off, complete with spewing blood. The dog warden offers Iggy a beer. Jingle eyeballs a female gym teacher and is told by Jangle that it’s no time for a “booty call.” Heat Miser and Snow Miser’s back-up dancers are no longer smaller versions of themselves, but women in tight metallic tank tops and miniskirts.

Throw in that the movie was two hours long and started at 9 p.m., and you can’t tell me this was made for children — and especially not for us kids-at-heart who grew up with the holiday staple.

LET IT BE

Sure, holiday classics have been redone for years. But changing a black and white film to color or adding a few modern touches to the story line doesn’t ransack the fundamental feel of those beloved films, as it did this time. The original “Year” delivered more heart and soul in an hour with its low-tech animation than this yawner could muster in two hours with an all-star cast.

With this remake, the network basically stole the proverbial candy from the babies of my generation. Much like the now-available chocolate-coated Pop Rocks, a true classic has undergone a painfully unnecessary makeover that renders its fans baffled and disgusted.

Don’t believe me? Go to any Generation Xer and say “Heat Miser” and see if they don’t start singing “I’m Mr. Green Christmas, I’m Mr. Sun.” Then tell them those favorite Miser characters — who make this a classic in the first place — were reduced to bit players in bad stage makeup and see what happens.

The bottom line: Don’t mess with the animated classics. There’s a reason they’ve stayed favorites for decades, and it has nothing to do with being “modern.”

First we had Jim Carrey in creepy makeup for Ron Howard’s version of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Now, this.

Someone needs to tell Santa’s favorite reindeer he’d better “run, run, Rudolph” or he could face a worse foe than the Bumble.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News
KEYWORDS: christmasspecial; culturewar; genx; grinchstolechristmas; heatmiser; sexualizingchildren; snowmiser
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To: the OlLine Rebel
But, these commies HATE the USA and don't believe it's "freest" or "most prosperous" or anything else, so your argument is useless.

Right you are...thanks for the correction. ;-)

41 posted on 12/18/2006 9:28:34 AM PST by Mr. Silverback (We need to crush the Iraq Study Group like we crushed Harriet Miers. Let fly!)
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To: whd23

"Oh, I don't know. I liked all five of the "Thin Man" movies. :)"


Myrna Loy...perfect!


42 posted on 12/18/2006 9:29:45 AM PST by Prokopton
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To: Mr. Silverback

"Rerun" - that sounds right! Referring to the fact that he looks just like his older brother.


43 posted on 12/18/2006 9:41:03 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue.)
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To: Prokopton

Class. Ah the movies and women of old.


44 posted on 12/18/2006 9:41:42 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue.)
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To: qam1
Just as long as they don't mess with my own favorite Christmas classic I'll be fine. Die Hard just wouldn't be the same with a PC "Yippie Ki Yay"...
45 posted on 12/18/2006 9:42:38 AM PST by Billthedrill
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To: the OlLine Rebel

Watched "Ice Age: The Meltdown" last night. It was amazing how much sophomoric humor the inserted.

Let's teach little kids to say "ass" and "damn." Besides the references to animal breeding and, of course, global warming.


46 posted on 12/18/2006 9:49:21 AM PST by rightinthemiddle (Without the Media, the Left and Islamofacists are Nothing.)
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To: rightinthemiddle

Along with my medical problems and age, it makes me consider not trying to have kids.

I'm so afraid of what they'll "learn" just by seeing the commercials!


47 posted on 12/18/2006 9:56:48 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

No kids for me, either. I can't imagine trying to raise them these days.


48 posted on 12/18/2006 9:58:23 AM PST by rightinthemiddle (Without the Media, the Left and Islamofacists are Nothing.)
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To: Mr. Silverback

You have way too much time on your hands.


49 posted on 12/18/2006 10:19:59 AM PST by carolinalivin
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To: Xenalyte

LOL...ok then...don't count it.

It wasn't one book of 3 though...


50 posted on 12/18/2006 10:27:30 AM PST by Maelstrom (To prevent misinterpretation or abuse of the Constitution:The Bill of Rights limits government power)
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To: Maelstrom

From Wiki:

"It was originally published in three volumes in 1954 and 1955 (much to Tolkien's annoyance, since he had intended it to be a single volume) . . ."

From the Tolkien Society:

"The Lord of the Rings is not a trilogy: by the time it was being prepared for publication in 1950, Tolkien was thinking of it as a duology: a book of two parts, the other being The Silmarillion - a work concieved of as being of equal size to The Lord of the Rings (Letter 126 to Milton Waldon, 10/3/1950)."


51 posted on 12/18/2006 10:38:57 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: Maelstrom
I misspoke. The Bakshi/Zaentz version omits the final book.

So it doesn't count, since the Jackson version covers all three books.

Also the Bakshi/Zaentz version should be omitted on grounds of pure suckage. I mean, just look how gay the hobbits were! (Legolas will go unspoken of, because he is unbearable in the Bakshi/Zaentz. Even having the voice of C-3PO couldn't save him.)


52 posted on 12/18/2006 10:42:56 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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To: rightinthemiddle

"Watched "Ice Age: The Meltdown" last night. It was amazing how much sophomoric humor the inserted.

Let's teach little kids to say "ass" and "damn." Besides the references to animal breeding and, of course, global warming."

Uh-oh, my in-laws just gave this to my husband's nephew for Christmas this weekend. The boy, only three years old, really lit into me for saying "gosh" at dinner. That's right, even "gosh" is too strong a word for my BIL's family, so I betcha he and his folks aren't going to be happy with this gift! My in-laws are gonna be in the dog house for sure... ;)


53 posted on 12/18/2006 10:51:43 AM PST by To Hell With Poverty
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To: carolinalivin
You have way too much time on your hands.

If somebody urinated in your breakfast and you objected, and they told you that you have too much time on your hands, how would you recieve that?

That's what Ron Howard did with the Grinch remake. He targeted that movie right at my kids, then put a bunch of irrelevant adult stuff in it. That's kids, K-I-D-S.

54 posted on 12/18/2006 10:51:49 AM PST by Mr. Silverback (We need to crush the Iraq Study Group like we crushed Harriet Miers. Let fly!)
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To: To Hell With Poverty
Ah the memories, I think the first time it was aired I was 5 years old. I felt sorry for Rudolph when the wouldn't let him play anymore Reindeer games. I was so sad when Yukon fell down the hole with the abominable snow monster but everything turned out fine when we found out Bumbles bounce.

The other reason I remember this favorite of mine so well was I spilled the beans to my mother about what dad was giving her for Christmas.

Dad's 70 now and never forgets to remind me this time of year.

55 posted on 12/18/2006 10:52:35 AM PST by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: #1CTYankee

Hee hee, did your mom's present consist of "silver and gold...silver and gold"? LOL


56 posted on 12/18/2006 10:55:07 AM PST by To Hell With Poverty
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To: Mr. Silverback
You should check out movies before you take your kids. If you don't know Carey's work or where the director is taking the movie, there's plenty of info about them on the internet.

It sounds like you didn't do your homework and now you smell urine in your cereal.

57 posted on 12/18/2006 11:05:14 AM PST by carolinalivin
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To: Xenalyte
(One does not count the Saul Zaentz monstrosity, since it was only one book of the three.)

If you are talking about the 1978 animated version - it was God-awful.

They kept singing 2 incredibly annoying songs over and over again - 'The Wearer of the Ring" and "Frodo of the Nine Fingers". Just writing this has put both of those tunes back into my head.

I think I need to go to the nearest Emergency Room and get sedated.

58 posted on 12/18/2006 11:09:55 AM PST by Tokra (I think I'll retire to Bedlam.)
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To: To Hell With Poverty
"Hee hee, did your mom's present consist of "silver and gold...silver and gold"? LOL"

;-D not back then, that came later when they had enough money to start buy more extravagant presents, like jewelery for Mom.

I remember we had this little black and white TV that Dad was always banging on with his fist to get it to stop barrel rolling. (That horizontal hold never did seem to work)

My mother (In conversation with my Grandmother) wondered aloud

"I wonder what Donald is getting me for Christmas"
Well I may have only been five years old but even I could answer that question.

A mirror!
It was one of those funny convex jobs with fancy carvings in the surrounding wood.

Dad's take on all of this was:

I knew that kid could never keep a secret.

59 posted on 12/18/2006 11:16:32 AM PST by #1CTYankee (That's right, I have no proof. So what of it??)
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To: Tokra

Oh, man, am I ever gonna get you.

My life was GOOD until you did that.


60 posted on 12/18/2006 11:22:08 AM PST by Xenalyte (Anything is possible when you don't understand how anything happens.)
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