Once again I tried to blog Muppet Family Christmas, but got too overwhelmed. It's hard when every single moment is a Crowning Moment of Awesome (TM). So, I'll do this one, which is almost as awesome. It is really from the good old days of Sesame Street-- 1978, before I was even born.
It begins with a quiet ice skating party. The Muppets are all in costume form (which is a little weird), and they're skating. Big Bird is having trouble, but a little girl helps him and he gets his footing. The other Muppets goof around, and then Oscar gets thrown down stairs. There's a long moment of Oscar's legs sticking out of his can, being thrown down stairs and through thin walls. I'm guessing that was fun to film (that is not sarcasm). And I guess that makes Oscar cranky, because he decides to plant worries in Big Bird's head about how Santa Claus gets down the skinny little chimneys on Sesame Street.
Song: "True Blue Miracle." Love this song, and all the visuals-- everyone on Sesame Street looks genuinely happy.
Bert is in the bathtub trying to think what to get Ernie for Christmas. He decides on a soapdish to keep Rubber Duckie in. Ernie decides to get Bert a cigar box for his paper clip collection.
Bob sings a song that makes me sleepy. And then we're at Hooper's Store, where Ernie trades his rubber duckie for a cigar box, and Bert trades his paper clip collection for a soapdish. Does this seem like a familiar story? Oh, yes, it does. It is not discussed why Bert and Ernie are broke.
Kermit is reporting on kids' ideas of how Santa gets down the chimney. My favorite is "Santa sneaks in with the other relatives at Thanksgiving and hides in the laundry until Christmas."
Cookie Monster is trying to write his letter to Santa (on Christmas Eve, what a procrastinator!), but he eats his pencil. Then he eats his typewriter.
Oscar sings a grouchy song called "I Hate Christmas," which includes the line, "I'll tell him where to put his toys!" Oh my... I don't see that one flying with today's Moral Guardian parents.
Bert and Ernie's again. They exchange gifts, and panic a bit over the gift's uselessness-- but Mr. Hooper knocks just in time with gifts for Ernie and Bert-- their rubber duckie and paper clips, of course. Aw. Thank you, Mr. Hooper, for brightening up a usually dark tale. They sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
Cookie Monster has decided to call Santa-- how does he have his phone number? Santa himself even answers-- no secretary or anything! Unfortunately, Cookie has already eaten the phone.
Cookie is talking to Gordon, who is sure Santa knows to bring cookies, but suggests Cookie might want to leave something for Santa. Cookie wants to leave Santa a necktie, which makes me laugh out loud, because Frank Oz has fantastic comic timing as Cookie Monster. Or maybe because the idea of leaving Santa a necktie is just fantastically silly.
Big Bird has gone to the roof to look for Santa. The rest of Sesame Street is in a panic looking for him. Maria yells at Oscar for starting all this. Poor Big Bird falls asleep and wakes up with icicles on his beak. So he decides to go down to Gordon and Susan's to warm up. Of course, Santa has already come to Gordon and Susan's apartment. Big Bird still wants answers, but Gordon tells him to just believe.
We fade out with a song: "Keep Christmas With You." Oh, and Cookie Monster ate the tree.
Visuals: 4 out of 5
Spirit: 4 out of 5
Nostalgia: 4 out of 5
Humor: 4 out of 5
Music: 4 out of 5
Overall: 4 out of 5
Well, I guess that's my 25 Days of Christmas! Suck it, ABC Family. May post more (after all, Christmas isn't over until January 6th, and grad school doesn't start up again until the 12th), but I've met my quota. Oh, and I've also watched specials/movies/episodes that I didn't blog...
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