It’s the holiday season, and if you haven’t done it by now, it’s time you re-watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. After all, the animated special is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year (they even had a celebratory special about it!) But that’s not the only reason to watch it, nor is the fact that it’s seriously one of the best holiday TV specials of all time (with literally the BEST holiday soundtrack hands down). The real reason to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas is to commiserate with our favorite blockhead, Mr. Charlie Brown.
Everyone loves old Chuck because he seriously gets you. He gets the struggle of the holidays, of dealing with the hype, of not knowing how to act. He gets the challenge of not always getting what you want (even when you try hard), and he knows what it’s like to get the ball taken from you just as you’re about to kick it. Dude knows all about picking something out that you think is awesome, just to have a bunch of haters come out and tell you how much they think it sucks. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is kind of like watching ourselves, but in animated form, and with tiny feet. Don’t think so? Here’s what I mean:
He Knows What A Struggle It Is To Stay Happy Around The Holidays
The pressure to be happy is never greater than it is during the holidays. Birthdays are a close second, but the period between Thanksgiving and New Years can be especially hard on many of us. Family gatherings often bring about unwanted questions regarding your career, your relationships, your life goals, your novel you haven’t finished writing, your ex who they saw at the grocery store with someone better looking than you, your failed attempts at becoming a home-owner, the list goes on. It’s a little known fact that suicide rates climb during this time of year. All that damn pressure, and Charlie definitely gets that.
He Knows What It's Like To Be Forgotten
Nothing sucks more than checking the mail and finding you haven’t gotten a single thing, not even junk mail. It’s especially lousy during the holidays when you’re hoping someone out there might have remembered to send you a Christmas card. It’s even worse when you sent out a bunch to others and still never get one in return. Oh, Chuck. You really do get it.
He's Got Pantophobia, Or At Least Really Bad Anxiety
Because some of us live with the daily fear of everything as it if were just a normal, everyday occurrence.
He Get's Overly Excited When He's Finally Picked For Something
When Lucy asks Charlie to be the director of the Christmas play, Charlie is beyond ecstatic. Sure, it’s part of her advice as a therapist for him to get involved in a Christmas project. And sure, she’s really only doing it because they don’t have a director yet, but that doesn’t spoil it for him and it sure as hell wouldn’t spoil it for me, either, if I were picked.
He's Sick Of The Commercialization Of The Holidays
Charlie spots Snoopy decorating his dog house with all sorts of twinkle lights and is then handed a flyer for a holiday lights contest in which the winner gets a whole lot of money. Charlie groans at the idea of his dog “going commercial.” Many of us feel this way about the holidays as well, and how they’ve become more centered around buying lots of gifts and spending lots of money and winning competitions and less about spending time with family and friends and enjoying the season.
He Knows What It's Like When People Don't Have Faith In You
When some of the girls find out from Lucy that Charlie Brown is directing their play, they all groan and talk about how terrible the play is going to be. Poor kid doesn’t even get a chance to prove them wrong before they all decide he’s the worst choice. Who hasn’t been there at some point, facing a group of people who simply don’t believe in them? That hurts, and Charlie totally gets that.
He Takes Pride In His Work Even When No One Else Will
Poor Chuck is busy laying out his directions to the cast members of the play, seemingly proud at taking the reigns and being in a position of power, when he looks over and sees everyone ignoring him and dancing and goofing off instead. Frustrating much? Oh, you bet. Charlie knows the struggle of being the only person trying to get the job done.
He's All About Fighting The Status Quo
Sure, the little green tree that Charlie Brown picks for the play doesn’t fit with the “modern spirit” Lucy was going for, but who cares? Charlie is all about giving the status quo the finger.
He Keeps The Faith No Matter What
Although Charlie's pretty bummed when everything in the play is going wrong, he realizes that he's actually made some pretty good choices and eventually learns (with a little help from Linus and the gang) what Christmas is all about. That moment when you realize you've sort of got this — that's a good one, Charlie Brown.
Images: YouTube (10)
