“Help me! I’m…feeling!”
Growing up my favorite Christmas movie was Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas. I loved the original animated film as well as the Jim Carrey adaptation. I began a tradition in which I watch the movie several times throughout the season, but especially on December 1. After watching it recently, I came to a realization about the film: the Grinch isn’t the villain, society is. Before Dr. Seuss began writing whimsical children’s rhymes, he created political cartoons. It is not surprise that his stories such as The Grinch and The Lorax have underlying political agendas.
Now before you get out pitchforks, let me explain. Throughout the Jim Carrey adaption, there are several references made to Capitalism and corporate greed. The Grinch and his dog Max live on Mount Krumpit, which is where the Who’s take their trash to dump it. After spending time in several underdeveloped, third-world countries, I began to see parallels to how the Grinch and Max live to how Americans and other first-world countries treat third-world countries. The Who’s have a lovely, quaint village while the Grinch, who doesn’t like Christmas, which is depicted as a time of capitalist greed, is exiled to a wasteland. After first-world countries have used products and wasted food, third-world countries receive the left overs. The Grinch calls attention to this, and the Who’s run away to avoid hearing the truth.
The epitome of the corporate, capitalist greed throughout The Grinch is none other than the Mayor. Apart from his terrible hairstyle and repulsive personality, he convinces the Who’s of Whoville that greed is good and that Christmas MUST come from a store. Once the Grinch has stolen all the material representations of Christmas, the Mayor shouts, “Invite the Grinch, destroy Christmas!” His outburst represents the consistent corporate greed that becomes disguised as Black Friday sales and endearing Christmas commercials. The Grinch does destroy Christmas, the commercialized event in which people become greedy and spend money on products they will be tired of in a few weeks.
This movie is still my favorite film, but this year I find myself in Cindy Lou Who’s place. While I am just as guilty as the Who’s when buying gifts and presents, I have begun to realize that Christmas does not need to come from a store. This year, my family and I are challenging ourselves and one another to have a minimalist Christmas and focus on the family and memories that surround us. “Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more.”
