What's So Good About Grief Anyway?

Another holiday season is ramping up, and if the premature Christmas tunes and bell-ringing strangers requesting donations were not enough of an indicator, last night I saw that Christmas specials had started showing on television. Now I don't mind Christmas specials for the most part, but there is one that I must admit bothers me. In fact, it's not just the Christmas special - it's the entire series of holiday specials that bother me.

Honestly, I &%#$ing hate Peanuts specials.

Sure, I enjoyed them as a kid, and when I first showed the Charlie Brown Christmas special to my daughter, there was a certain nostalgia to it. Then I started really paying attention, and I realized that at the heart of each of these is the same thing: a bunch of kids being mean to Charlie Brown for no real reason. He never does anything wrong. He's nice to people. He doesn't kick Snoopy. So what the Hell? Why is everyone a dick to Charlie Brown all the time? Do they hate bald people? Is he an ex-Nazi? What is their %#$@ing problem?

As I watched more, it started eating at me. What kind of sociopath would put a rock in someone's Halloween bag? Why would Chuck be excluded from parties and such? The only one with any real motivation for their behavior is Lucy, who is at least making money from his suffering with her psychiatrist racket. As for the rest though, what lesson is it that my kids are supposed to be picking up from this?



You know what kids, some people are just losers, and no matter how hard they try, no one will ever like them or be nice to them. Ever. Merry %$#@ing Christmas.