# Screw you, Burl Ives! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 18, 2024, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833 "2024-12-18T22:59:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mundane_super_hero/32/6304_2.png) [@Mundane\_Super\_Hero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mundane_Super_Hero)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/81 "2025-12-10T23:52:43Z")
It’s probably been mentioned… [but…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTx-sdR6Yzk&list=RDqTx-sdR6Yzk&start_radio=1) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/82 "2025-12-10T23:58:19Z")
New to me. And quite catchy. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/83 "2025-12-13T02:49:23Z")
> **[I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Want_a_Hippopotamus_for_Christmas)** > > "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" is a Christmas novelty song written by John Rox\[a\] and performed by 10-year-old Gayla Peevey in 1953. The song peaked at number 24 on Billboard magazine's pop chart in December 1953. > "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" was released by Columbia Records, with the B-side of the original record featuring "Are My Ears on Straight?". Upon its national release, the song shot to the top of the charts. Peevey performed the song on the November 13, 1953 episode of... Puts me in the mood every time. This little girl has it all figured out. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/84 "2025-12-13T03:23:58Z")
That’s not what you want. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cB6L_BiRGA8/maxresdefault.jpg "Alien for Christmas Music Video") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB6L_BiRGA8) ---
**Author:** ![Sylvanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Sylvanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylvanz)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2025, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/85 "2025-12-13T04:45:49Z")
Where I work they play the worst Christmas music ever. It is all secular which by itself is fine, I’m an atheist, however who prefers Christmas carols. I think it’s nostalgia mixed with good music. Too much of what plays at work would convince you that few secular songs escaped the forties. Too much do wahhh and wham bam. I would love to hear Lucy and Linus, Snoopy’s Christmas, Run Run Rudolph, and yes Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer. Marshmallow world, The Man with the Bag, no just no. The list of nos from our company Christmas play list is almost endless. Sigh. TSO would be awesome. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/86 "2025-12-18T04:43:19Z")
I’ll bet he didn’t even know how to suck eggs 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/87 "2025-12-18T05:40:37Z")
Most people I know think the voice is a fake done by an adult. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2025, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/88 "2025-12-18T06:33:16Z")
They’re confusing her with 28 year-old George Rock who sang “[All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth](https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/All_I_Want_for_Christmas_Is_My_Two_Front_Teeth)”. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2025, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/89 "2025-12-21T20:18:47Z")
> [@Sylvanz](#): > > It is all secular which by itself is fine, I’m an atheist, however who prefers Christmas carols. Same. Weirdly, I seem to prefer the religious ones to the secular ones. Probably brings me back to my days as a Christian. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/90 "2025-12-22T20:28:15Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > 28 year-old George Rock who sang “[All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth](https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/mobile-html/All_I_Want_for_Christmas_Is_My_Two_Front_Teeth)”. [The B-side of the 45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwcSLSg3Ak8) features Rock as Rudolph. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/91 "2025-12-22T20:43:35Z")
The hippo song was cute. Once. Ever. Once you’ve heard it, you never need to hear it again. > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > Same. Weirdly, I seem to prefer the religious ones to the secular ones. There’s been centuries of religious Christmas music. The ones that have lasted are the really good ones. Most secular Christmas music, meanwhile, comes from the 50s, and is only sticking around because the Boomers are. So, on average, the religious Christmas music you hear is going to be better than the secular Christmas music you hear, for reasons that have nothing to do with religion itself. ---
**Author:** ![Ancient\_Nerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed655f/32.png) [@Ancient\_Nerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ancient_Nerd)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/92 "2025-12-22T20:54:33Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The hippo song was cute. Once. Ever. > Mother says the hippo will eat me up. But then Teacher says a hippo is a vegetarian. She has done her research and quotes a reliable source. This kid has it figured out. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/93 "2025-12-22T21:04:03Z")
Vegetarian my keester. Hippos are notorious for scavenging any carcasses that come their way, and on occasion will extend their natural belligerence and territoriality into active predation. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/94 "2025-12-22T21:15:31Z")
So will most “herbivores”. Nature rarely follows the nice, neat lines we try to fit it into. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/95 "2025-12-22T21:31:17Z")
I have a friend who insisted on hearing [Pretty Little Dolly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tij1MxKbtQ4) at our group Christmas parties. Seriously twisted. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2025, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/96 "2025-12-22T22:53:17Z")
Heeeeere’s Mona! [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G0xq2K-ut8U/hqdefault.jpg "Mona Abboud") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0xq2K-ut8U) ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/97 "2025-12-23T00:06:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The hippo song was cute. Once. Ever. Once you’ve heard it, you never need to hear it again. IMO that applies to 100% of all xmas music ever. If I heard it as a kid, then it, and all possible future remakes of it, are useless overage. ---
**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:** [December 23, 2025, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/98 "2025-12-23T00:43:21Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Vegetarian my keester. Hippos are notorious for scavenging any carcasses that come their way, and on occasion will extend their natural belligerence and territoriality into active predation Hippos are responsible for about 500 deaths per year. Lions, by comparison, only kill 22. > **[10 deadliest animals to humans: Discover nature’s top – most lethal – killers...](https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/deadliest-animals-to-humans)** > > Discover some surprises in our expert guide to the world's 10 deadliest animals to humans! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/99 "2025-12-23T00:46:14Z")
Killing isn’t the same as preying, though. Most hippo kills are just because they’re in a bad mood (they’re always in a bad mood). They don’t usually eat the people they kill. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2025, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833/100 "2025-12-23T01:40:32Z")
Hippos: Nature’s coal rollers. OTOH, the rest of that article points out that hippos are #10 on the top 10 list. So really pretty trivial as killers go. Lions rank much lower, but even hippos at #10 of 10 are already killing a mere rounding error versus the kill counts of the serious top 3 killers. Who collectively get through 1.5M humans a year; not the triviality of hippo kills which is a piddling 500 humans a year. IOW … Hippos kill one of 3,000 humans killed by macro-scale wildlife. Who cares? They’re a rounding error. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/screw-you-burl-ives/1011833.md?page=6)