# "A Charlie Brown Christmas" question. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 28, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990 "2007-11-28T01:46:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/21 "2007-11-28T14:40:16Z")
[QUOTE=Sublight] Is the special still sponsored by Peter Paul? I miss York Peppermint Patties. [/QUOTE] You know I have lived in or near York PA for over 15 years and it never dawned on me that the candy was originally made there until a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/22 "2007-11-28T15:37:48Z")
I’ve always been bugged by the sloppy animation in this, but only in one scene. When our intrepid protagonist visits Lucy in her psychiatry box, the front of the box says, The doctor is and for some reason, there’s a placard that says “real in” but it’s positioned after the word “doctor”, not after “is”. So it looks as if it says “The doctor real in is”. There are one or two shots from the side of the box and the front can still be seen, but in those shots it says “The doctor is in”. It’s as if nobody noticed the sloppy placard placement. Perfectionist? Me? Nahhh. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/23 "2007-11-28T15:43:20Z")
Is it possible that they ran fewer commercials when the special originally aired. Without seemign to fluff it up with commercials too much, it still runs to about 8:35. I still like this special. It’s just fucking nuts, ain’t it. There are continuity problems. There are color problems. There are long musical interludes. It totally slams consumerism. The kids are totally cruel. Violet is a flat-out bitch. It would never get made today. One of the weirdest bits is when Lucy goes from “The Doctor is Out” to “The Doctor is In”. First of all, the lettering on the sign is always changing. Second of all, the sign actually says “The Doctor is Real In”. WTF does that mean? And, because of the first two, at one point, it looks like the sign says “The Doctor Real Is In”. It looks like it was put together by amateurs. But, it’s got great touches. I love when they’re whipping snowballs at the can on the fence, and Charlie Brown puts a snow ball together, and then leans in like he’s checking the signs from a catcher. Anyway, go to youtube and serach for “charlie brown hey ya” for a video made from the Xmas footage set to “Hey Ya”. Hilarious. Might also want to check out the “Charlie Borwn MLK day” video. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/24 "2007-11-28T15:49:18Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Just what the heck is ‘Graphic Blandishment’? [/QUOTE] Animation. Fancy term. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/25 "2007-11-28T15:57:25Z")
As I recall from the strip, 5’s father named their children as a protest against being treated like a number by society/government/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/26 "2007-11-28T16:00:48Z")
[QUOTE=Zebra] Just what the heck is ‘Graphic Blandishment’? [/QUOTE] I agree this term had me stumped. I have never used “blandishment” in a sentence, but I looked it up and it means “flattery to influence someone.” So I guess that clears everything up. I watched a bit of the extra peanuts tacked on. Why did Schultz come up with the new character - Rerun? He is indistinguishable from Linus. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/27 "2007-11-28T16:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will be shown again on December 3rd, according to [The Futon Critic](http://www.thefutoncritic.com/listings.aspx?id=20071112abc07). [/QUOTE] It says, > [@](#): > > Editors please note: “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will repeat on Tuesday, December 3, from 8:00-9:00 p.m., ET. only 12/3 is a _Monday_. Who’s got the straight dope? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/28 "2007-11-28T16:25:07Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] …the sign actually says “The Doctor is Real In”. WTF does that mean? [/QUOTE] Beatnik or hippie talk (remember, this was made in 1965). “Hey man, like, the doctor is in–\*real \* in. Can you dig it?” ---
**Author:** ![randwill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@randwill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randwill)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/29 "2007-11-28T16:26:58Z")
Lucy’s sign, in the strip, normally read, “The Doctor is In”. The phrase “real in” was a nod to the slang of the time meaning she was “hip” or “with it”. Rerun was Linus’ brother and did look just like him only smaller. As time went on Schulz added characters to the basic cast to open up story possibilites. Rerun on the back of his Mom’s bicycle was a recuring element in the strip at that time. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/30 "2007-11-28T19:04:59Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas] It says, only 12/3 is a _Monday_. Who’s got the straight dope? [/QUOTE] Well according to [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=445755) it is going to air on 12/3. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/31 "2007-11-28T19:36:43Z")
[QUOTE=Happy Lendervedder] Oh, is that “I Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown?” My wife checked that out of the library last week and it was so brutally bad, we had to jam forks in our eyeballs. [/QUOTE] No, it was a bunch of short holiday-themed Peanuts shorts. for example, Snoopy as a street-corner Santa, Sally dictating her letter to Santa to Charlie Brown, and other similar cartoons. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/32 "2007-11-28T19:42:05Z")
This is probably a sign I’m mentally unravelling but after hearing Lucy for the upteenth time challenge the greatness of Beethoven because he never appeared on a bubble gum card, I automatically thought, “Famous composer cards–that’s not a bad idea.” Granted, it would be a niche item but there might be an audience for it. (“I’ll trade you a Shastikovich, Debussey and Philip Glass for a Mozart rookie.”) ---
**Author:** ![Runestar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/74df32/32.png) [@Runestar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Runestar)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/33 "2007-11-28T20:57:35Z")
[QUOTE=cantara] I don’t have the reference and I’m too lazy to search, but I remember that his name is actually longer than 5…5 is his shortened version. Kinda like Bob. [/QUOTE] Checked my book. His full name is “5 95472”. The family’s last name is their zip code. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/34 "2007-11-29T00:08:38Z")
[QUOTE=Runestar] Checked my book. His full name is “5 95472”. The family’s last name is their zip code. [/QUOTE] His full first name is 555, after his telephone exchange. > [@Borborygmi](#): > > I don’t believe a scene was cut, but a second or two was. Snoopy licks/kisses Lucy, Lucy aaaaaauggghs, and ABC goes to commercial. When we come back from commercial, Charlie Brown starts handing out scripts. We miss the cut to Charlie Brown, Lucy entering on the left, aaaaaauggghing behind Charlie Brown, and exiting on the right. The way I recall it, ABC does go to commercial there, but when we come back, we do see Lucy running. The commercial comes after Snoopy makes a face of disgust. According to the official _Charlie Brown Christmas_ companion book, the first line after this is “All right, all right, script girl. Continue with the scripts.” As for what fills up the remainder of the hour: the first year ABC ran the special, it was a making-of special hosted by Whoopi Goldberg. From then on, it was originally-commissioned shorts under the title of “Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tales,” taken directly from the strips. (The making-of special appears on the Paramount DVD as a special feature. Warner Bros. will be taking over the Peanuts specials DVDs next year- they plan to rerelease all the ones Paramount has in new editions, plus many obscure ones never-before released on DVD.) The second airing is indeed Monday, December 3 at 8pm. ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/35 "2007-11-29T00:37:50Z")
[QUOTE=Trunk] Anyway, go to youtube and serach for “charlie brown hey ya” for a video made from the Xmas footage set to “Hey Ya”. Hilarious. [/QUOTE] Thank you for posting this. I liked that video but what I liked even better was the Charlie Brown Christmas done by the cast of Scrubs that showed as a related video. It appears to have been out for a few years but better late than never. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/36 "2007-11-29T00:42:31Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] The twin girls are named “Three” and “Four,” and they have an older brother named “Five” (the boy with spiky hair). In the “Peanuts” comic strip, we learn that their father gave them numbers instead of names in protest of the tendency of modern society to reduce people to mere statistics. [/QUOTE] 5: . . . My Dad thinks modern society is replacing our individuality with numbers. Linus: So, this is his way of protesting, huh? 5: No, this is his way of giving in. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/37 "2007-11-29T00:43:33Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas] Beatnik or hippie talk (remember, this was made in 1965). “Hey man, like, the doctor is in–\*real \* in. Can you dig it?” [/QUOTE] Or, in her absence: “The Doctor is way out!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/38 "2007-11-29T01:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=Runestar] Checked my book. His full name is “5 95472”. The family’s last name is their zip code. [/QUOTE] So, they’re from Sabastopol (CA), which is where Schultz’s studio was for a time. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/39 "2007-11-29T03:58:27Z")
[QUOTE=Greg Charles] So, they’re from Sabastopol (CA), which is where Schultz’s studio was for a time. [/QUOTE] Schulz lived from Sebastopol from 1958 until the late 1960s. According to the recent book _Schulz and Peanuts_ by David Michaelis as well as the PBS special inspired somewhat by it, _Good Ol’ Charles Schulz_, the relationship between Lucy and Schroeder in the strip was inspired by Schulz and his first wife, Joyce Steele Halverson Lewis Schulz Doty, in Sebastopol: Joyce would comission and build extravigant expansions to the house to please her husband, but he preferred just working on his comic strip in peace. (The Schulz family has made a number of complaints about how Charles was depicted in the book, but I see no complaints regarding the portrayal of their mother- rather, their qualm regarding this era of Schulz’s life is the fact that Michaelis omits a black housekeeper who also took care of things during the family’s time in Sebastopol.) A _New York Times_ article stated that Doty was offended by being portrayed as “overbearing and shrewdish,” her official comment to the _Times_ was, “I am not talking to anybody about anything.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2007, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990/40 "2007-11-29T04:27:27Z")
[QUOTE=mobo85] Schulz lived from Sebastopol from 1958 until the late 1960s. According to the recent book _Schulz and Peanuts_ by David Michaelis as well as the PBS special inspired somewhat by it, _Good Ol’ Charles Schulz_, the relationship between Lucy and Schroeder in the strip was inspired by Schulz and his first wife, Joyce Steele Halverson Lewis Schulz Doty, in Sebastopol: Joyce would comission and build extravigant expansions to the house to please her husband, but he preferred just working on his comic strip in peace. (The Schulz family has made a number of complaints about how Charles was depicted in the book, but I see no complaints regarding the portrayal of their mother- rather, their qualm regarding this era of Schulz’s life is the fact that Michaelis omits a black housekeeper who also took care of things during the family’s time in Sebastopol.) A _New York Times_ article stated that Doty was offended by being portrayed as “overbearing and shrewdish,” her official comment to the _Times_ was, “I am not talking to anybody about anything.” [/QUOTE] OK, this thread has now passed way beyond the Geek Event Horizon even by **Doper** standards! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-charlie-brown-christmas-question/427990.md?page=3)