The Grinch v. Charlie Brown

The
Grinch or Charlie Brown? Snoopy or Max? All the Who’s in Who-ville or the whole Peanuts
gang?

These are questions that inflame passions this time of year, leading to
raised voices, bulging neck veins and fingers jabbed into chests.

As a member of the generation that spent a childhood squatting small and
squinty in front of a flickering box, I say it’s time to make the call. End the
debate that has raged for three decades. Which is the greatest Christmas
cartoon of all: the Grinch or Charlie Brown?

They are the only legitimate contenders to the crown, although a slice of
honorable mention goes to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. And mostly
that’s because of the outlandish Yukon Cornelius character who is a cross
between Yosemite Sam and Brian Dennehy.

But between the two Yuletide superstars, let’s talk specifics and settle the
issue once and for all.

Music: This is a crucial element in any Christmas special. Vince Guaraldi’s
jazzy score transcended the borders of Peanutsburg (or wherever Charlie Brown
lives) and is imprinted on our Christmas consciousness. While we scrounge for
bargains in the stores, those piano riffs float out of the P.A. system,
conjuring up images of catching snowflakes, skating on a frozen pond and kids
dancing with reckless abandon.

The Grinch score written by Albert Hague is a perfect fit for the show. From
the delight of the Who’s singing “Welcome Christmas” to the deep-throated
menace of the Grinch’s theme, there’s never a wasted note.

But the music doesn’t live outside the show. No doubt that’s partially due to
some of the dark lyrics. Imagine sitting in the food court of a mall and
hearing: “You’re a crooked jerky jockey/and you drive a crooked hoss, Mr.
Grinch!/your soul is an appalling dump heap/overflowing with the most
disgraceful assortment of rubbish imaginable/mangled up in tangled up knots!”

It’s not a big favorite with carolers either.

Edge: Charlie Brown.

Dog: Snoopy, while always the consummate performer, plays a minor role in
Charlie Brown’s Christmas, mostly for comic relief. His skating antics to open
the show are vintage Snoop. As are his animal impersonations during play
rehearsal. Archenemy Lucy concedes, “Yes, he even makes a good penguin.”

But with quiet grace, Max makes an excellent foil for the Grinch, undercutting
his master’s evil nature with big gooey eyes and an expressive tail. Max is
forced to don a reindeer disguise to haul an overloaded getaway sleigh — even
aids the Grinch in the looting of Who-ville — but he never surrenders his
dignity or gentle spirit. And in the end he is rewarded with a thick slab of
roast beast.

Edge: Grinch.

Supporting cast: The Grinch shares little screen time with anyone besides
Max. The only person with a speaking role is Cindy Lou Who. She catches the
Grinch in the commission of a crime but chooses not to contact the authorities.
Child-like innocence or something more sinister? Only the conspiracy buffs can
say for sure.

Charlie Brown is much more generous at sharing `face time.’ He is content to
let the plot develop around him. Even the cartoon’s pivotal scene is given to
Linus, who explains the true meaning of Christmas while standing on stage
bathed in a single spotlight, quoting from the book of Luke. A sweet moment.

Edge: Charlie Brown.

Redemption: The entire Peanuts gang is redeemed by Charlie Brown’s rescue of a
forlorn tree and Linus’ spiritual guidance. But in their shining moment, Lucy
admits, “Charlie Brown is a blockhead, but he did get a nice tree.”

So they think more kindly of Christmas but their attitude toward Charlie Brown
remains unchanged.

The Grinch had personal demons to overcome. His head wasn’t screwed on just
right, his shoes were too tight and his heart was two sizes too small. Yet he
found enlightenment on his own and pulled back from the abyss. In his moment of
clarity, when he discovers the true meaning of Christmas, he is redeemed. His
heart grows three sizes and he is granted “the strength of 10 Grinches plus
two.”

Edge: Grinch.

It is a close call but when all is said and done, How the Grinch Stole
Christmas remains the ultimate holiday cartoon. Boris Karloff, who narrates
and provides the voice of the Grinch, makes the difference. He propels the
story with the power of his pipes, wringing every ounce of emotion from the
script, but never chews the scenery. Karloff settles into the Grinch’s skin,
creating a character horrifying yet oddly moving. The Grinch is too urbane to
be an ogre, but too insolent to ever be cuddly. He is a villain for whom we
cheer.

Both cartoons are startlingly good, and the true winners are people like me,
who have them in their video collection, able to watch them repeatedly
throughout the holiday season.

This article appears in December 27 • 1996 and December 27 • 1996 (Cover).