Jack's Favorite Christmas Things

I love Christmas.  No... I fucking love Christmas.  I have my own Santa suit, for fucks sake.  For Hallowen, I've been Santa and a Christmas tree.  Good will and kindness and hope and buying shit that you can't afford for people who don't really need it... Love it all.  I love that Christmas brings out the decent in bad people, the great in good people and the best out of wonderful people. 

And nothing puts me in the holiday spirit more than the onslaught of music, movies and special tv episodes for Christmas.  This post is about my personal favorite Christmas-related media.  And yes, coupled with all that good will and humanity is that wonderfully dark side that Christmas can offer.

Songs

This one can still bring a tear to my eye.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - Christmas Don't Be Late

My all time favorite.  It just rocks.  

Slade - Merry X-Mas Everybody

Also made popular as the sad, walking song from Arrested Development.

"Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas

Can't really explain it... I love how remarkably sad this one is.

Lisa Hannigan - Silent Night

Movies

The Muppet Christmas Carol has ALWAYS been my favorite Christmas movie, and it is probably the most wholesomely, good Christmas item on my list.  The humor, like all muppet movies, is just... good.  Fun.  Silly with heart.   Michael Caine became a god to me after watching this.

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

Bad Santa (2003)

Part my love of Christmas is that it's such an innocent holiday, so when it is corrupted... when the naughty bits come out, there is nothing funnier.  Love Bad Santa.  Love it.  It's terrible and wrong and there's really nothing redeeming about the characters (in spite of what's shoved down our throats in the third act), but it's still hilarious to see an asshole dressed as Santa act terrible.  They're cheap laughs, but they're mighty effective.

TV

South Park

"Woodland Critter Chrtistmas" is my favorite Christmas thing in the entire world.  It has become tradition to watch this episode.  It's dark and twisted and bloody hilarious.  It introduced me to the idea of telling a disturbing story in the most comforting way possible... adorable rhyme.  There's cute and cuddly creatures hailing Satan, sacrifice and a blood orgy... and then Kyle gets AIDS.  And it's just wholly original.  

Woodland Critter Christmas
Get More: SOUTH
PARKmore...

Check out the full episode here.

Community

Community has had two legendary Christmas episodes.  The fairly dark claymation episode, "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas," and the Glee parody episode, "Regional Holiday Music."  Both share original music, but I found the latter more hilarious.  

"Teach Me to Understand Christmas"

and 

"Happy Birthday Jesus"

SNL- TV Funhouse

"The Narrarator That Ruined Christmas" 

 (Just a bonus.  Love the message at the end.)

I'm gonna close this with a blog entry by someone that my sister calls my soul mate:  The Year Kenny Loggins Ruined Christmas.  I remember reading this at Starbucks... and I couldn't stop laughing.  Shaking... convulsing.  Read this.  And if you like it, read her blog.  She's beyond brilliant.  Allie Brosh is who I want to be when I grow up.

In closing, I hope that there's something on here that you aren't familiar with but are willing to check out...or are familiar with, and and I got to remind you of it.  In any event... 
Have yourselves a badass, wonderful and very merry Christmas.