RJ Writing Ink

The First Spongebob Christmas Special

This special has been on long enough that I don’t think I need to explain much about the plot. So let’s just go over the basics.

After Sandy teaches Spongebob about the concept of Christmas, he shares the holiday with the rest of Bikini Bottom, and soon everyone is in on it. Everyone except for Squidward, who thinks everyone is being stupid.

So Christmas Eve comes, and Squidward is being the Scrooge who refuses to celebrate the holiday. So while everyone is waiting for Santa to come, he goes to sleep. Santa doesn’t show up, and everyone becomes disillusioned with the holiday. Even Spongebob tearfully admits that Squidward was right. Feeling guilty, Squidward decides to dress up as Santa to make Spongebob happy, and then ends up giving away all his stuff as gifts. Then the real Santa shows up and thanks him.

Good Times With Spongebob

As a kid who was making the transition from Nick Jr. to Nickelodeon proper, this was one of the first Christmas specials that I saw growing up, and I loved it. I was a huge Spongebob fan throughout my childhood and tried to emulate him as much as possible. I enjoyed watching his Christmas special every year. That being said, there was one thing about the special that always bugged me: why did everyone stay up to wait for Santa?

As a kid growing up, I was always taught that if you wanted Santa Claus to show up, then you needed to go to sleep so that he wouldn’t be seen. Granted, I know that that was so that parents could put out the presents. Why wouldn’t Sandy tell him that? Most kids will know that idea.

Furthermore, I get why Squidward wanted to rub the fact that he was right in Spongebob’s face. I would be probably be annoyed by Spongebob’s attempts to get him into the holiday spirit. But being right doesn’t give him the right to be a total jackass. Even so, I think Squidward’s decision to dress up as Santa was one of the nicest things I’ve ever seen him do. Too bad I don’t see him do that any more.

In all, though, this remains one of my all-time favorite Christmas Specials, and I hope that you guys have a Merry Christmas.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts!

Yes, people, I am a Brony, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I never cared for My Little Pony at first, thought it was not for me. But then I saw Rainbow Dash beat the circuits out of Starscream in an episode of Death Battle:

And then Pinkie Pie fighting Deadpool:

And then Twilight Sparkle fought Raven.

The point being, the ponies from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic are pretty cool. Unlike previous versions, the characters in this version are not overly “girly” and go on funny and exciting adventures. But I’m not here to talk about the show outright. Today, I want to talk about their new holiday special, The Best Gift Ever.

My Little Pony: The Best Gift Ever

It’s the day before Hearth’s Warming Eve, the Equestrian equivalent to Christmas, and the Mane Six is busy trying to get each other gifts. And Twilight is… having her holiday meltdown from the stress of getting gifts for everyone. And preparing for her family to visit.

So Applejack suggests that they do a Hearth’s Warming helper (AKA a Secret Santa). So the gang goes their separate ways to find the perfect gifts for each other:

• Rarity heads to recover the gift she got for Applejack after it got sent to the wrong address
• Discord tags along with Rainbow Dash to get Fluttershy a new pet
• Fluttershy and Applejack head to a craft fair for gifts for Spike and Rainbow Dash
• Spike wants to get Rarity the best gift ever (because he loves her).
• Pinkie Pie heads to a trio of Reindeer to get a gift for Twilight.
• And Twilight’s gift for Pinkie Pie?

It wouldn’t be an adventure, though, if they didn’t run into hijinks. So things end up getting crazy, and no one ends up getting the gifts they wanted to give.

That’s alright, though, because, like any episode of My Little Pony, there’s a moral behind everything. The moral in this case is that you shouldn’t stress so much about what to get your friends and family for the holiday season. Getting gifts is always fun, but the best gift can be just spending time with loved ones and enjoying yourself. That’s what the holidays are for!

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s mention the touches that I liked about this special- in photo form!

So, yeah, the message of the story is one that has been told a thousand times, but I don’t think that that is a bad thing as long as it’s told in a fun way. And considering how much care Hasbro, the cast, and writers of the show put into it, I’d say that it was plenty of fun. I know I enjoyed it, at least.

Don’t go anywhere yet! I’ve got a bevy of more blogs that I want to do today! Then, check back tomorrow as I go over a bonus movie, recap the year, and what I look forward to in 2019.

Click here to see my other animation stuff. Or here to see all holiday related posts!

When it comes to Christmas Specials, I’ve seen plenty of them over the years. I’ve watched A Charlie Brown Christmas countless times, and some of the other Peanuts specials. I’m familiar with Frosty the Snowman, seen it a couple of times. And I hold the Spongebob Squarepants Christmas Special as one of my favorite specials. Christmas movies, though, I don’t know that many.

I’ve seen several adaptations of A Christmas Carol, including one I wish I never saw. Nightmare Before Christmas was terrific, and every year my family loves watching A Christmas Story on repeat. My favorite Christmas movie, though, has to be 2003’s Elf.

Elf

I never saw Elf in theaters, but I love watching it every year. I don’t know why, but I just love it.

Let’s start off from the beginning: the movie’s about a human named Buddy. Buddy is a normal human who came to the North Pole as a baby and ended up being raised by Santa and the elves. But then the day comes when he realizes that he is actually human, and the elves tell him the truth. His mom and dad fell in love, his mom gave him up for adoption (and passed away), and his dad doesn’t know he exists. He’s living in a “magical place” called New York City.

I couldn’t help but laugh at that joke. So, Buddy, wanting to meet the dad he never knew he had, heads to New York.

The thing I like most about Elf is the fact that Buddy is clearly a fish out of the water, in a good way. Buddy is childlike and sees the good in everyone that he meets, greeting each day with a skip and a smile. In contrast, this is… well this is New York. It’s the city that never sleeps, and it’s an ocean of cynics. Almost everyone that Buddy meets either doesn’t believe him about being from the North Pole or is convinced he has an ulterior motive. Buddy just takes it in stride, though. And his optimism ends up rubbing off on everyone he meets. Plus there’s this.

Thank heavens for gifs. Everyone he meets ends up regaining their holiday spirit, and what it means to be nice in general. Everyone except for his dad. Dear old dad ended up on the naughty list for being the Scrooge of New York. And in spite of Buddy endearing himself to the rest of his family, Walter wants nothing to do with him. At the lowest point of the film, Walter snaps at him and tells him to get out of his life.

Things Get Better

This was a sad sight, but even sadder was how it almost broke Buddy. But at that moment, Santa (played by Ed Asner. This is where I got my love of him as Santa) comes crashing into Central Park. The sheer lack of Christmas Spirit sucked his sleigh dry. So, like any good Christmas movie with Santa, Buddy has to save Christmas.

The way he ends up doing this is in one of the most heart-warming ways I have ever seen. Buddy ends up reconciling with his dad, who finally accepts him as his son no matter who he is, and they all team up to save Christmas through the power of song.

I loved the caroling the most. I’ve heard Christmas Carols sung better, but what gets me is how many people sing it. Everyone that Buddy has met since he came to New York ends up joining in to sing “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town”. This moment goes beyond the plot of the movie for me, though. I think it shows just how much of a positive impact the kindness of one person can have on people. That’s something that a lot of the world desperately needs. And it works: Santa’s sleigh gets back up to full power on its own, and Ed Asner gives such a hearty “Ho Ho Ho! Merry Christmas!”

I could keep rambling on about why this movie is great, but I don’t want to take away from your sugarplum dreams. I loved this movie, it’s my favorite Christmas film, and plenty of other people agree with me on Elf

Don’t think for a second that my 25 Days will be done tomorrow because it’s Christmas! I’m going to be doing a double-header tomorrow as I talk about two more Christmas Specials I watched. And on December 26th, I’ve got a bonus story about one of the best Christmas Gifts that I ever got. MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Click here to see my reviews for various films. Or here to see all holiday related posts!