Charlie Brown Christmas and Mother-Son Bonding
The night we put up the Christmas tree my kids wanted to be done by seven so we could watch the Charlie Brown Christmas special. I was impressed they wanted to watch it because it’s so simple and sweet compared to the quick, stylized stuff they’re used to. I loved watching them watch the Peanuts choose the ‘Charlie Brown Christmas tree’, hearing them laugh each time all the needles fell off, and knowing they’d forever be in on the joke.
My favorite part was bonding with my son over Charlie Brown’s wit.
“This is from when I was a kid, you know,” I told him.
“Yeah, I can tell.”
“How can you tell?” I thought he’d say something about the animation, or the corny music and ridiculous cartoon dancing. I was wrong.
“You can tell this is old school,” he said, “by the sarcasm.”
“The sarcasm?”
“Yeah. You just don’t get this old style sarcasm anymore.” I didn’t know. “Yeah, like ‘man’s best friend’, that’s classic. You don’t get that these days.”
“What do you get? What would they say in the shows you watch?”
“They’d just say ‘you stupid dog.’”
How did I get so lucky to have a kid so damn smart? He gets it, and me.
by Lela Davidson on December 15, 2009
in motherhood, Rugrats, Tweens, & Other Offspring
I adore that movie. And it really IS from my day (silly Lela, I know you weren’t even a twinkle in anyone’s eye when that movie was made!)
He’s right, too. Culturally, we’ve slid right past witty repartee and are chin-deep in mean. Why zing someone with a clever remark when you can shred them with pure viciousness?
Ah, me. I’m showing my age again…
I wish my generation had this kind of wit. I speak sarcasm better than English, and sadly it often flies right over the head of my friends, or elicits alf-confused, half-annoyed looks in my direction. Sigh.
your son is a freakin genius. I love this boy. I hope Phoebe is as hip to humor as he is