# That Peanuts Christmas song is a bummer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983 "2004-12-15T16:06:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/81 "2004-12-17T17:12:45Z")
> [@hazel-rah](#): > > I’m working retail in the music department of a big box bookstore this Christmas. I’ve already logged a solid 100+ hours of Christmas music. At this point the Charlie Brown stuff is the only thing we play that doesn’t make me want to kill people. > > Whenever “Linus And Lucy” comes on, I wonder if it isn’t the most utterly perfect three minutes of music ever recorded. It’s staggering to think that “Linus and Lucy” is probably the most widely-recognized jazz tune since “In the Mood.” ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/82 "2004-12-17T19:21:18Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Reminds me of one Sunday Peanuts strip where a group of kids is standing, and in each panel one of them is reciting their part for the Christmas play, and in each panel Linus is mumbling about how he’s doomed, he can’t remember his line, etc. Then Lucy, standing by him, whispers something like “You better remember right now, or when we get home I’m going to pound you good!” and Linus shouts “THE STAR THAT SHONE AT BETHLEHEM STILL SHINES FOR US TODAY!” (or something similar) and passes out, and Lucy whispers something like “Merry Christmas, you blockhead.” It’s touching. Yeah, it should remind you. Most of the jokes in the special are ripped off from the comic strip, pretty directly. Bill Melendez sold ‘vapor’ to the CBS executives and they an incredibly tight deadline to bang out the script (and do everything else). ---
**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 17, 2004, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/83 "2004-12-17T19:54:29Z")
> [@chorpler](#): > > Reminds me of one Sunday Peanuts strip where a group of kids is standing, and in each panel one of them is reciting their part for the Christmas play, and in each panel Linus is mumbling about how he’s doomed, he can’t remember his line, etc. Then Lucy, standing by him, whispers something like “You better remember right now, or when we get home I’m going to pound you good!” and Linus shouts “THE STAR THAT SHONE AT BETHLEHEM STILL SHINES FOR US TODAY!” (or something similar) and passes out, and Lucy whispers something like “Merry Christmas, you blockhead.” It’s touching. > [@bup](#): > > Yeah, it should remind you. Most of the jokes in the special are ripped off from the comic strip, pretty directly. Bill Melendez sold ‘vapor’ to the CBS executives and they an incredibly tight deadline to bang out the script (and do everything else). I don’t know if the special “ripped off” from the strip since Charles Schulz wrote both. (Can someone rip himself off?) > [@chorpler](#): > > Point 1: A couple episodes ago on Arrested Development, they played the “Christmastime is Here” music every time one of the characters became sad or disappointed. And they had the characters walking with their heads hanging so far down, they were pretty much perpendicular to their bodies. It was hilarious. “Christmastime is Here” was also used to underscore a scene in [The Royal Tenenbaums](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0265666/). In fact, if they ever do a live-action version of “Peanuts”, Wes Anderson would be a natural choice to direct. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/84 "2004-12-17T21:18:02Z")
> [@hazel-rah](#): > > Whenever “Linus And Lucy” comes on, I wonder if it isn’t the most utterly perfect three minutes of music ever recorded. Fact: According to Lee Mendelson’s book _A Charlie Brown Christmas: The Making of a Tradition_, when Guaraldi wrote that song, he immediately called up Mendelson to play it, saying “If I don’t play this for somebody now, I’m gonna explode!” I guess he was a fan of it, too. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/85 "2004-12-17T21:30:49Z")
I always liked Linus–he seemed the smartest of the kids, except maybe Schroeder. It does seem a bit harsh to criticize him for quoting Christian Scripture in a show celebrating a Christian holiday… That strip was always dark–those kids had alot of angst. The music bugged me for years–until just recently. I am no jazz fan (it looks like it would be great fun to play, but I don’t enjoy listening to it), but this year I am liking the music alot. It is not so relentlessly effervescent and JOLLY. Maybe b/c I am a bit melancholy this year (recent death in family). The special always made me cry–that tree and how sorry it was etc? And like some here, I think the specials were valued more b/c of their inaccessiblity. To share the viewing of Charlie Brown etc–it was neat. When you were little, it was a family event, then later, you went to friend’s houses to see it and share it. Now, you just download it or buy it-oh, well. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2004, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/86 "2004-12-17T21:51:44Z")
> [@hazel-rah](#): > > I’m working retail in the music department of a big box bookstore this Christmas. I’ve already logged a solid 100+ hours of Christmas music. At this point the Charlie Brown stuff is the only thing we play that doesn’t make me want to kill people. > > Whenever “Linus And Lucy” comes on, I wonder if it isn’t the most utterly perfect three minutes of music ever recorded. **hazel-rah** , yes! So as not to hijack this thread though, I started a [shiny, tinsel trimmed new one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=292422) in your honor. And hey, have a Holly Jolly Christmas! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/87 "2004-12-18T02:37:04Z")
I remember one year when the night the Charlie Brown Christmas special was on TV it coincided with the night we had to go to our school’s Christmas program. I was so mad that year. I hated singing and I didn’t want to go to some stupid ol’ singing thing at my school (where I just lip-synched anyway). I just wanted to stay home and watch the special, knowing that it would not be on for another whole _year!_. Nowadays with DVDs, VCRs, etc. I wouldn’t ever have to miss it. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/88 "2004-12-18T02:57:25Z")
> [@Nonsuch](#): > > It’s staggering to think that “Linus and Lucy” is probably the most widely-recognized jazz tune since “In the Mood.” I’d think the _Flintstones_ theme would be more widely-recognized still. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/89 "2004-12-18T04:42:21Z")
> [@42fish](#): > > On the other hand, when Lucy assigns Linus the role of shepherd, he > complains that he can’t memorize that many lines that quickly. > > We’ve just discovered another sin of the CB Xmas: Inconsistent characerization. Not to be a fanboy apologist, but I think that’s more Linus’ stage fright talking. The more troubling inconsistency is that, in the bible, the shepherds have no lines. But then again, when I see the ‘artistic license’ that so many children’s nativity plays take with the source material, my soul barfs spiritual spew. ## Peace. _“What the Hell is the drummer boy and rudolph doing in that nativity scene you ignorant pseudo-Christian melodramatic hacks?!”_ ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/90 "2004-12-18T17:29:45Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > The more troubling inconsistency is that, in the bible, the shepherds have no lines. But then again, when I see the ‘artistic license’ that so many children’s nativity plays take with the source material, my soul barfs spiritual spew.\* Another unusual thing I noticed this year is that there are two shepherds in the play- Linus and Shermy. I imagine there was more than one shepherd that saw the birth of Christ (in fact, Linus does use the plural in his Bible recitation), but does one really need two shepherds in a Nativity play? I’ve never been in one, but I imagine you could have just one commenting that he and other shepherds got a message from Heaven (but that would be giving the shepherds lines again, of course). Also, is it just me, or this this special really Seinfeldian? I didn’t notice _this_ until this year, but it’s basically a Christmas special about nothing, so to speak. The plot is paper-thin, but the humor and message are strong. We see them prepare for a Christmas play, but we never see them rehearse it (probably since they’re too busy dancing). And the ending- it makes sense, but it doesn’t really “end” the story. Charles Schulz obviously knew what he was doing- both _Seinfeld_ and _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ were predicted to fail. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/91 "2004-12-18T17:52:06Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > I’d think the _Flintstones_ theme would be more widely-recognized still. In what paralle dimension of lizard people is the song from _The Flintstones_ considered jazz? Fond, fond memories of _A Charlie Brown Christmas_. I think I’m going to have to get the album. Along with A John Waters Christmas… 'cause I’m a sick, sick boy. I do feel for non-Christian kids at Christmas but the US is a predomominantly Christian culture and even so it does have a lot of inclusiveness. I’ll stop there before getting thrown into the pit. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/92 "2004-12-18T18:10:33Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Another unusual thing I noticed this year is that there are two shepherds in the play- Linus and Shermy. I imagine there was more than one shepherd that saw the birth of Christ (in fact, Linus does use the plural in his Bible recitation), but does one really need two shepherds in a Nativity play? I’ve never been in one, but I imagine you could have just one commenting that he and other shepherds got a message from Heaven (but that would be giving the shepherds lines again, of course). Your average Sunday School Nativity play will have as many shepherds as there are boys left over after the Joseph, inkeeper, and Three King roles are handed out, and as many angels as there are girls left over after the Mary part is assigned. Hence Shermy’s comment that every Christmas it’s the same thing - he always ends up playing a shepherd. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/93 "2004-12-18T18:23:23Z")
> [@moriah](#): > > The more troubling inconsistency is that, in the bible, the shepherds have no lines. Sure they do. See [Luke, 2:15-18](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/index.php?search=luke%202&version=9): > [@](#): > > 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, **the shepherds said one to another,** Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. > > 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. > > 17 And when they had seen it, **they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.** > > 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things **which were told them by the shepherds.** So we get one clear quotation attributed to them, and summaries of what they said to the public. Plenty there for an author of a Christmas pagent to work with. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/94 "2004-12-18T19:18:47Z")
Re; the “extra” sheperds. One year, we had 4 wisemen! We totally deviated from the script to allow these 4 boys the chance to wear the super cool Magi costumes. The script is stretched as much as possible to include all kids. I did hear people afterward saying things like, “I never realized that there were 4…” :rolleyes: THE role is Mary–and it is hard fought for! All girls who aren’t Mary get to be angels–Gabriel and “head” angels…we’ve had Christmas dancers, the donkey, Martin Luther, Santa–all on stage. No reindeer. (thank God) Anyone remember little Ramona–had to be a sheep at her Nativity play? sorry, OT. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/95 "2004-12-18T19:28:22Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > One year, we had 4 wisemen! We totally deviated from the script to allow these 4 boys the chance to wear the super cool Magi costumes. > The script is stretched as much as possible to include all kids. > > I did hear people afterward saying things like, “I never realized that there were 4…” :rolleyes: That’s not a deviation. [Matthew](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=2&version=9) does not say how many wise men there were: > [@](#): > > **Matthew 2** > > 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, > > 2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. The tradition that there were three wise men seems to come from the later passage that they gave three gifts to Jesus: > [@](#): > > 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh. I suppose it’s reasonable to assume each wise man brought one gift, but it’s not compelling. You coud have a larger group who happened to pool their money and together brought three gifts. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/96 "2004-12-18T19:45:57Z")
> [@eleanorigby](#): > > Re; the “extra” sheperds. One year, we had 4 wisemen! We totally deviated from the script to allow these 4 boys the chance to wear the super cool Magi costumes. > The script is stretched as much as possible to include all kids. > > I did hear people afterward saying things like, “I never realized that there were 4…” :rolleyes: If I’m not mistaken, there is a story about a fourth wise man, who got lost along the way and never made it. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/97 "2004-12-18T19:57:49Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > If I’m not mistaken, there is a story about a fourth wise man, who got lost along the way and never made it. Are you thinking of [Baboushka](http://www.dwarfnet.com/christmas/christmasstories/baboushka.shtml)? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2004, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/98 "2004-12-18T20:13:05Z")
There’s also a story by Henry Van Dyke called [_The Story of the Other Wise Man_](http://www.ccel.org/v/vandyke/otherwiseman/cache/otherwiseman.txt), from which apparently a [novel](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0803723121/002-4825016-1224068?v=glance) and [film](http://www.booksofthebible.com/p5633.html) both called _The Fourth Wise Man_ have been adapted. ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2004, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/99 "2004-12-19T04:53:17Z")
> [@Northern Piper](#): > > Sure they do. [Shepherds have lines] See [Luke, 2:15-18](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/index.php?search=luke%202&version=9): > So we get one clear quotation attributed to them, and summaries of what they said to the public. Plenty there for an author of a Christmas pagent to work with. Argh. You got me. Serves me right for not fact checking. _“Let us go to Bethlehem and see him for whom the angels sing: ‘Gloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooria in excelsis Deo!’”_ ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983/100 "2004-12-25T05:02:22Z")
—Having **A CB Xmas** on DVD does not detract from its charm for me. We were just watching it a little while ago with some friends, and I teared up as I always do. —Many thanks to the Dopers who posted links to the Eat’n’Park commercial and to the CBS Special animation. —Linus’s forgetfulness was a running gag in the strip. There was another Sunday strip in which he and Lucy were making ready for the Christmas program. He vows that he knows his lines letter perfect. Lucy, primping: “Yeah, well I remember last year; you almost goofed the whole program!” Linus: “Well, THIS year is THIS year, and THIS year I’m not gonna forget anything!” He leaves the house, reciting his speech along the way, then comes back. “I forgot where the church is!” Hey, he’s an intellectual: he has trouble with the mundanities of life. —The year that Ramona was a sheep in the Nativity play was the same year that there were three female Wise Persons. (Beezus was Mary.) All the grade-eight guys were just _too cool_ to be Wise Men. after one guy was roped into being Joseph and the shepherd roles were assigned. This turned out to be a good thing, because one of the Wise Persons used her mascara to give Ramona a black sheep’s nose! —I’m not entirely sure why, when Snoopy started dancing to Schroeder’s jazz stylings, Schroeder and Lucy glared him out of there. He was just expressing himself! Maybe Schroeder didn’t want claw marks on his piano? Or he felt one groupie was already more than enough? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-peanuts-christmas-song-is-a-bummer/279983.md?page=6)