You've Got One Shot, Charlie Brown ( I fund this and had to share so true)
Another nostalgic post. Respect your elders.
We got the Deseret News every evening. Sure, the Tribune was delivered in the morning, but it was clear in my home that there was something suspect about the Tribune. I was always a newspaper reader when I was kid. For the most part, I would look through the whole thing, finishing with the comics. (delayed gratification) But, for one month out of the year, the newspaper had a very specific purpose - and it was serious business to us.
As soon as December rolled around, we would grab the newspaper with a sense of urgency, and open it directly to the TV listings to search for the signs of their coming. Who, you may ask? The Big Five of Christmas. Specifically:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town!
Frosty the Snowman!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
These were THE Christmas shows. Sure, there were some others, but these were the five that mattered. Don't believe me? Ask anyone born in the 60's and 70's.
Why the newspaper, why the panic? Let me explain to my dear, spoiled, younger readers.
Once upon a time...back before you were born, we lived in a land devoid of DVRs, DVDs, Netflix, Redbox, VCRs, straming internet viewing, the iStore and cable TV. Yes, it was a different world back then. A world that required constant attention to what was going on around us.
Why? Because you only got one shot, Charlie Brown. If you wanted to watch the Grinch, Linus, or even Hermie the Dentist, you only got one chance to see it. If you missed it, you missed it. And it would not be broadcast again until the next year. We couldn't throw in the DVD and watch Charlie Brown as many times as we wanted. We could watch it ONCE. And only if we were on our toes.
There was nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than opening the newspaper late in the evening, only to find that you had missed it. Santa Claus we not be coming to town that year - or Rudolph either. We were careful, and were able to see the shows most every year, but I remember missing Charlie Brown on some years because they showed it at some ridiculous time - like 6:30pm - and we would turn on the TV and catch the closing credits. Drat!
Sure, there were plenty of other Christmas shows - Andy Williams and every other singer of the day who was still breathing seemed to have his/her own Christmas special, but my parents always seemed to know when those shows would be on. Perhaps they had a secret TV Guide that they kept in their room.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I learned Luke 2 from Linus - and to this day I still hear his voice in my head when I read it. It is remarkable to me how ingrained these shows from my childhood are, when you consider the fact that we only could watch them once a year. Unlike the movie Elf, which was on a loop for several years at out house. For better or worse. Mostly worse.
It wasn't only the Christmas shows that were "one shot" deals. Most of the important movies were the same way. If you wanted to see The Wizard of Oz, you had one crack at it. The Ten Commandments? Once a year. The Sound of Music? Same thing. It was so different than today's culture of instant gratification.
I am glad that my kids could watch Olive, the Other Reindeer whenever the mood struck, but I wax a bit nostalgic about the old way. When a movie or program was broadcast only once a year, it was not just a movie - it was an event. We would usually watch these thing together, as a family.
In theory, having a DVD of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in the drawer should make it easier to gather the family together and share the experience. Right? But in MY reality it doesn't seem to work that way. The very fact that it is available all of the time, makes it a little less special - certainly not something important enough to schedule. Also, knowing that my kids have seen it a billion times makes it less of a special event as well.
A few years back, you couldn't pick up your remote without running into It's a Wonderful Life on cable. (A movie that I love and wrote about here.) It was on constantly, to the point of over-exposure. Thankfully, Turner Classic Movies realized what was happening to this gem and pulled it out of syndication to protect this classic, and how we feel about it.
Perhaps as a father I should try this. Maybe I should put away some of the favorite Christmas DVDs, and only bring them out for a planned family activity once a year. I know that I would be more interested. Simple economics: Supply and demand. When supply goes down - demand goes up.
But once a year? I don't think that will happen again in our home - at least not without a fight.
Another nostalgic post. Respect your elders.
We got the Deseret News every evening. Sure, the Tribune was delivered in the morning, but it was clear in my home that there was something suspect about the Tribune. I was always a newspaper reader when I was kid. For the most part, I would look through the whole thing, finishing with the comics. (delayed gratification) But, for one month out of the year, the newspaper had a very specific purpose - and it was serious business to us.
As soon as December rolled around, we would grab the newspaper with a sense of urgency, and open it directly to the TV listings to search for the signs of their coming. Who, you may ask? The Big Five of Christmas. Specifically:
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Santa Claus is Coming to Town!
Frosty the Snowman!
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
A Charlie Brown Christmas
These were THE Christmas shows. Sure, there were some others, but these were the five that mattered. Don't believe me? Ask anyone born in the 60's and 70's.
Why the newspaper, why the panic? Let me explain to my dear, spoiled, younger readers.
Once upon a time...back before you were born, we lived in a land devoid of DVRs, DVDs, Netflix, Redbox, VCRs, straming internet viewing, the iStore and cable TV. Yes, it was a different world back then. A world that required constant attention to what was going on around us.
Why? Because you only got one shot, Charlie Brown. If you wanted to watch the Grinch, Linus, or even Hermie the Dentist, you only got one chance to see it. If you missed it, you missed it. And it would not be broadcast again until the next year. We couldn't throw in the DVD and watch Charlie Brown as many times as we wanted. We could watch it ONCE. And only if we were on our toes.
There was nothing, and I mean nothing, worse than opening the newspaper late in the evening, only to find that you had missed it. Santa Claus we not be coming to town that year - or Rudolph either. We were careful, and were able to see the shows most every year, but I remember missing Charlie Brown on some years because they showed it at some ridiculous time - like 6:30pm - and we would turn on the TV and catch the closing credits. Drat!
Sure, there were plenty of other Christmas shows - Andy Williams and every other singer of the day who was still breathing seemed to have his/her own Christmas special, but my parents always seemed to know when those shows would be on. Perhaps they had a secret TV Guide that they kept in their room.
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I learned Luke 2 from Linus - and to this day I still hear his voice in my head when I read it. It is remarkable to me how ingrained these shows from my childhood are, when you consider the fact that we only could watch them once a year. Unlike the movie Elf, which was on a loop for several years at out house. For better or worse. Mostly worse.
It wasn't only the Christmas shows that were "one shot" deals. Most of the important movies were the same way. If you wanted to see The Wizard of Oz, you had one crack at it. The Ten Commandments? Once a year. The Sound of Music? Same thing. It was so different than today's culture of instant gratification.
I am glad that my kids could watch Olive, the Other Reindeer whenever the mood struck, but I wax a bit nostalgic about the old way. When a movie or program was broadcast only once a year, it was not just a movie - it was an event. We would usually watch these thing together, as a family.
In theory, having a DVD of How the Grinch Stole Christmas in the drawer should make it easier to gather the family together and share the experience. Right? But in MY reality it doesn't seem to work that way. The very fact that it is available all of the time, makes it a little less special - certainly not something important enough to schedule. Also, knowing that my kids have seen it a billion times makes it less of a special event as well.
A few years back, you couldn't pick up your remote without running into It's a Wonderful Life on cable. (A movie that I love and wrote about here.) It was on constantly, to the point of over-exposure. Thankfully, Turner Classic Movies realized what was happening to this gem and pulled it out of syndication to protect this classic, and how we feel about it.
Perhaps as a father I should try this. Maybe I should put away some of the favorite Christmas DVDs, and only bring them out for a planned family activity once a year. I know that I would be more interested. Simple economics: Supply and demand. When supply goes down - demand goes up.
But once a year? I don't think that will happen again in our home - at least not without a fight.
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