Over my childhood years, I watched several memorable Christmas cartoon specials. Back in those days, cartoons meant something and often carried a worthwhile message (something derided as ‘trite’ nowadays).
When I look back upon them with my world-wise adult eyes, I realize that many of them have quite shocking plots by the standards of modern-day tolerate-all-beliefs-except-Christianity norms.
So here I present to you the Christmas cartoons from the days of old, when Christmas was still permitted to be a religious celebration for of the birth of Jesus Christ, instead of Commercialmas or Secularmas where all traces Christianity are erased and replaced by Santa, Frosty or Generic Holiday Season Mascot.
Enjoy, and in your face you hypocritical multicultists!
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It’s Christmas time, and two young squirrels gather at the fireplace to ask their grandpa what the ‘men’ are in the lyric “Peace on Earth, good will to men.”
Grandpa tells them the story of how the last of mankind killed each other off in wars and how the animals rebuilt society using a book full of wisdom as their guide.
Rather realistically grim and serious by today’s children’s animation standards.
Amazing Thing by Modern Standards of Intolerance: The animal’s versions of Christian Christmas carols (Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Silent Night), and the fact that the inspiration for the post-human animal civilization of complete peace is none other than the Holy Bible.
Along with Thou shalt not sin, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet, and Thou shalt have no other Gods before Me on the next few pages.
This one from Isaiah 61:4.
Youtube or Youtube search, with Christian message at 5 mins 30 sec.
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Tom & Jerry – The Night Before Christmas (1941)
It’s the usual Tom & Jerry mischief, mishaps and jokes with a Christmas theme – candy canes, lights, presents, mistletoe and all. Great fun like all the original 1940 – 1958 era cartoons.
But the true Christmas message comes out towards the end, after Tom manages to lock Jerry out in the freezing cold, and his conscience is strongly pricked to refrains of a Christmas carol.
Amazing Thing by Modern Standards of Intolerance: The Christmas carol in question is a medley of Silent Night and It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, apart from a snippet from The First Noel at the start, with inclusion of the overtly religious lyrics.
Watch the whole episode at Youtube or Youtube search, with Christian message at 5 mins 12 sec.
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One of my childhood favourites, a touching story about a young boy in an ancient Middle Eastern town, whose beloved donkey Small One is too old and too small to carry heavy loads.
His father tells him that Small One cannot keep eating if he can’t carry a load. Thus the boy bravely searches for someone who is willing to buy Small One and give him a good home, calling out his refrain: “Small One, Small One, Small One for sale. One piece of silver, Small One for sale…”
Fun, songs, some suspense and heart-wrenching all culminate in the finale… When all hope seems lost, but someone finally accepts the boy’s offer of one piece of silver, and Small One puts his meagre strength to carrying a pregnant wife on their journey.
Amazing Thing by Modern Standards of Intolerance: See where the young couple are headed, and guess their identities…
The ending message waters up my eyes now, somehow.
Youtube part 1, Youtube part 2, and Youtube part 3 with Christian message at 5 mins 21 sec or Youtube search
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The Little Troll Prince (1985)
Bu, the prince of the mean and nasty Trolls is unfortunately soft and gentle. Things get worse as his suitability to inherit the throne is called into question when he cannot recite passages from the Troll Bible, which teach basic evils such as ‘Do unto others before they do unto you’.
His ‘friends’ convince him to follow them on a scouting mission to the human lands, but it’s merely a ploy to get rid of him.
But things go awry when it is revealed that that humans bake Trolls as snacks (actually gingerbread men), and their lands are full of horrifically huge monsters such as rabbits – because the Trolls are only a few inches tall! They end up running away, but not before tying Bu to a small pine tree.
The Little Troll Prince is rescued by two human girls, who teach him the true meaning of Christmas – For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11).
For the first time, his frozen Troll heart begins to thaw and beat. The girls give him a parting gift of a tiny Holy Bible that was hanging on the Christmas tree.
When he is ‘rescued’ back to the Troll Kingdom, he is accused of betraying his friends to the humans and has to stand trial. Once again, he is called upon to recite the Troll Bible and is stumped – but then begins to read from the Holy Bible unbelievable things like ‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.’
As he reads aloud more goodness, his Troll features disappear – pointy ears, big nose and tail. The entire court jumps him, but he escapes in the chaos. Finally, he finds a home with two elderly and childness Gnomes – which he himself has transformed into.
Amazing Thing by Modern Standards of Intolerance: The entire plot and everything about it! Also amazingly, I watched it just a few years back on Cartoon Network in Malaysia.
Youtube part 3 with Christian Christmas message at 8 min 20 sec
Youtube part 4 with the main theme song from start, and Christian message at Bu’s trial at 7 mins 12 sec.
Lyrics of main theme song, God Loves All He Made, Even Evil Trolls:
Girls: God loves all He made, even evil trolls
Isn’t it a joyous thing, a miracle we’d say
God knows all the things we do and loves us anyway
Boo: But you don’t understand, a troll will grab your hand
And throw you down an empty well and wait until you land
Then he will jump in too, and pounce on top of you
And grab your hand and pull and tear and shriek to beat the band!
Girls: Still, God loves all He made, even evil trolls
Isn’t it a joyous thing, a miracle we’d say
God knows all the things we do and loves us anyway
Boo: But you don’t get my gist, a troll will bind your wrists
And tie you to a thorny bush to see you squirm and twist
And then when he is done, he’ll kick you just for fun
And both his heads will laugh out loud at all the things he’s done!
Girls: Anyway… God loves all He made, even evil trolls
That’s why He sent His only Son to bless the world anew
Just so we would know it’s really, really true
God loves me and you
Snippet:
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A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
Perhaps best summed up by these excerpts from National Review Online: The Gospel According to Peanuts:
As far back as 1965 — just a few years before Time magazine asked “Is God Dead?” — CBS executives thought a Bible reading might turn off a nation populated with Christians. And during a Christmas special, no less! Ah, the perils of living on an island in the northeast called Manhattan.
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Last but not least, the executives did not want to have Linus reciting the story of the birth of Christ from the Gospel of Luke. The network orthodoxy of the time assumed that viewers would not want to sit through passages of the King James Bible.
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“They were freaking out about something so overtly religious in a Christmas special,” explained Melendez.
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Which is why Charles Schulz was Charles Schulz. He knew that the Luke reading by Linus was the heart and soul of the story.
As Charlie Brown sinks into a state of despair trying to find the true meaning of Christmas, Linus quietly saves the day. He walks to the center of the stage where the Peanuts characters have gathered, and under a narrow spotlight, quotes the second chapter of the Gospel According to Luke, verses 8 through 14:
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and goodwill towards men.
“ . . . And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown,” Linus concluded.
The scene lasted 51 seconds. When Linus finished up, Charlie Brown realized he did not have to let commercialism ruin his Christmas. With a sense of inspiration and purpose, he picked up his fragile tree and walked out of the auditorium, intending to take it home to decorate and show all who cared to see how it would work in the school play.
When CBS executives saw the final product, they were horrified. They believed the special would be a complete flop. CBS programmers were equally pessimistic, informing the production team, “We will, of course, air it next week, but I’m afraid we won’t be ordering any more.”
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To the surprise of the executives, 50 percent of the televisions in the United States tuned in to the first broadcast. The cartoon was a critical and commercial hit; it won an Emmy and a Peabody award.
