# "A Christmas Story" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 8, 1999, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609 "1999-12-08T05:23:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 1999, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/21 "1999-12-08T16:44:00Z")
“A Christmas Story” is that very rare thing, a modern classic. I grew up in a small Canadian town on the prairies in the 1960s, and yet so much in the film resonates: the snowball-throwing bullies; the bulky snowsuit; cars freezing up…but no real _prairie_ kid would fall for the toungue on the flagpole bit: we knew all to well the effects of -40 degrees! For my friends here in the usually snowless part of Canada, it just isn’t Christmas until we sit down and watch “The Grinch” and “A Christmas Story.” One of the great things about this movie is that it is a genuine “family” movie: kids enjoy it just as much as adults. For years, friends and I have used the line “I like the wizard of Oz!” when someone is being annoying or stupid. ---
**Author:** ![KCB615](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ea666f/32.png) [@KCB615](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KCB615)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/22 "1999-12-09T06:18:00Z")
Deck the harrs wif bohs of hahrry Fah ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra. Tis the season to be jorry Fah ra ra ra ra, ra ra ra ra. Great movie. Its just not Christmas without seeing it. * * * Jeremy… If your red lights are melting, you’ve parked too close. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/23 "1999-12-09T06:27:00Z")
Let’s see, I was a child of the 1980s and grew up in the New York metropolitan area. That makes about zero resonace for me regarding this movie. Add the fact that they show it a bajillion times a season makes it worse. And Princess Bride was far too chicky to be really good. Peter Falk was its only saving grace. So nyaaaaah. * * * If I wanted smoke blown up my ass, I’d be at home with a pack of cigarettes and a short length of hose. ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/24 "1999-12-09T06:46:00Z")
Alpha…I think I love you. FINALLY someone else who hates this movie! * * * “There is no worse lie than a truth misunderstood by those who hear it.” - William James ---
**Author:** ![Frankie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@Frankie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frankie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/25 "1999-12-09T06:59:00Z")
Thanks to everyone for making me smile. I love this movie and all of the lines in it. Who can think about changing a tire without timing yourself. “Oh Fudge, ‘only i didn’t say fudge’” One of the all time classics. thanks for the laughs group! ---
**Author:** ![TheNerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/858c86/32.png) [@TheNerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheNerd)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 1999, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/26 "1999-12-08T19:10:00Z")
Gotta agree with Falcon and Alphagene. I hate this movie. I think it’s because kids annoy me. Always have. Princess Bride was good though. I can appreciate a good chick-flick. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 1999, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/27 "1999-12-08T20:22:00Z")
**OH MY GOD…** You can actually purchase a replica of the “major award”, and bask in the glow of electric sex: [http://www.leglamps.com/](http://www.leglamps.com/) (the company) [http://www.leglamps.com/joe2.jpg](http://www.leglamps.com/joe2.jpg) (the lamp) “A Christmas Story” sounds page: [http://www.wam.umd.edu/~cpbrown/xmastory.htm](http://www.wam.umd.edu/~cpbrown/xmastory.htm) * * * **Launcher may train without warning.** ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 1999, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/28 "1999-12-08T20:48:00Z")
There’s no doubt that ACS is a classic. One of the best Christmas films because it’s one of the least sentimental. I detested Jean Shepherd (from his PBS show, where he ruined everything by essentially laughing at the jokes – when he wasn’t telegraphing them) until I saw this one, BTW. It’s a movie (like THE FATAL GLASS OF BEER), that gets funnier the more times you see it. Most people have mentioned my favorite moments. Though I did like: ## “Do you know what Ralphie said? He said \.” (For the sound on the other end of the line.) “East is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does.” – Marx Read “Sundials” in the new issue of Aboriginal Science Fiction. [www.sff.net/people/rothman](http://www.sff.net/people/rothman) ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 1999, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/29 "1999-12-09T19:57:00Z")
I don’t hate this movie, but I don’t really like it either. It does have it’s moments (the already mentioned “fra-GEE-lay!” as well as the teacher giving him an “A plus! Plus! Plus! Plus!”) but a lot of it is tedious and annoying; plus I have to admit the part at the end were they’re at the Chinese restaurant is borderline offensive. I’m sorta amazed that Ted Turner leaves that part in. He’s usually excessivly gung-ho about censoring that sort of thing (Tom & Jerry cartoons, etc.) * * * "There’s a snake in my boot! ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/30 "1999-12-10T01:19:00Z")
Great Christmas movie! I love it! BTW, my family has a homemade version of the electric leg lamp that circulates around every year. Whoever gets it for Christmas has to hold onto it, and give it to someone else the next year. So far, I’ve been lucky enough to avoid getting it. _“You used all the glue on purpose!”_ * * * Mr. K’s Link of the Month: [The Enchanted World of Rankin-Bass](http://www.rankinbass.com/) ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/31 "1999-12-10T01:49:00Z")
Jean Shephard was from Sanibel, Florida, by the way. There was a nice obit for him in the local paper after he died recently. I’ll see if I can’t get a copy from the library and maybe scan it in for you guys. BTW, I love this movie. We watch it every Christmas at my house. * * * _ **SanibelMan** _ - [My Homepage](http://members.macconnect.com/~jonkleinow/) “Step away from the bell curve, sir.” ---
**Author:** ![SanibelMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@SanibelMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanibelMan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/32 "1999-12-10T01:50:00Z")
Shepherd! Shepherd! Shepherd! I know how to spell it, really! [kicking self] ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Crunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@Chief\_Crunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Crunch)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/33 "1999-12-10T03:41:00Z")
It Runs in the Family (AKA My Summer Story) is so bad, most people who revere A Christmas Story, haven’t ever even heard of it. It was just on The Disney Channel today. ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/34 "1999-12-10T15:32:00Z")
I love ACS, too. I don’t think that there’s a bad moment in it. The cast was outstanding. I loved McGavin as the Old Man. Scott Farkas and his Toadie. Flick. Speaking in tongues. Double dog dares. How the piggies eat. Lifebouy. Red Ryder BB guns. Electric sex. Bumpases. Bunny suits. What more could you ask? ‘Randy lay there like a slug, his only defense.’ ---
**Author:** ![Yankee\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/7ea924/32.png) [@Yankee\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yankee_Blue)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/35 "1999-12-10T15:32:00Z")
I love ACS, too. I don’t think that there’s a bad moment in it. The cast was outstanding. I loved McGavin as the Old Man. Scott Farkas and his Toadie. Flick. Speaking in tongues. Double dog dares. How the piggies eat. Lifebouy. Red Ryder BB guns. Electric sex. Bumpases. Bunny suits. What more could you ask? ‘Randy lay there like a slug, his only defense.’ ---
**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/36 "1999-12-10T16:13:00Z")
Put me down in the “love it” column. “Such was my mania…” for this movie, I went on a search for “In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash”, only to find it was out of print. A finally received a copy a few years ago. You can’t read the book, without hearing J.S’s narration. It’s great! Anytime anyone in my circle of friends wins something for recieved any type of honour, (Employee of the month?) we always congratulate them on their “major award.” SANTA: “I hate the smell of tapioca. If old man Higbee thinks I’m working one minute past nine, he can kiss my foot!” * * * With God as my witness, I thought turkey’s could fly. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 1999, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/37 "1999-12-10T23:07:00Z")
I bought the DVD of it this year, I like it so much. The only person I know that doesn’t like this movie, looked exactly like Ralfie as a child, and I pointed this out to them. * * * I’m only your wildest fear, from the corners of your darkest thoughts. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/38 "1999-12-12T21:11:00Z")
OK, the leglamp website was hilarious! I loved that you could get one shipped with a certificate stating it was a “major award” and stamped “FRA-GEE-LAY” * * * “There’s a snake in my boot!” ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 1999, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/39 "1999-12-12T21:47:00Z")
I cannot get enough of this movie. The tongue-on-the-flagpole scene cracks me up, especially that moment when the kid first tries to get his tongue _off_ the flagpole, and the look on his face when he realizes that he can’t. Another favorite scene is when Mom is calling Schwartzie’s mom, after the “oh fudge” incident, after she tells Mrs. Schwartz that Ralphie heard that word from Scwartzie. You hear Mrs. Schwartz hollering & thumping on Schwartzie, and the poor little kid yelling “What? What did I do?” One more fave scene: Ralphie in the bathroom, with soap in his mouth, and the narration of Daniel Stern, discussing the various soaps. IMHO, the narration makes this movie. Without it, I think the movie would be okay, but not great. ---
**Author:** ![beerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85e7bf/32.png) [@beerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beerman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 1999, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609/40 "1999-12-31T17:46:00Z")
I thought I read somewhere that Shepherd was the guyin line waiting to see santa that said the line starts back there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-christmas-story/12609.md?page=3)