Cultural gatekeeps and Charlie brown Christmas

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” has been seen countless times on three continents by Polish grandparents and Japanese schoolchildren. It remains evergreen and universal — just like the Saviour Linus describes in his simple recitation of the Nativity as it appears in Luke’s Gospel. 

However, that citing of Scripture did not easily pass the cynicism and cowardly cultural gatekeepers of American network television when Charles Schulz and his production team offered the first of what became many Peanuts specials to CBS executives in December of 1965. 

In fact, even before those suits tried to remove mentioning Christ from this Christmas show, Schulz’s two partners in the venture, Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, advised him to take the Gospel passage out of Linus’ mouth. 

As one of those executives said, “The Bible thing scares us.” The Peanuts creator’s response spoke volumes: “If we don’t do it, who will?” 

The fact that any mention of Jesus over the public airwaves was controversial or ill-advised in the 1960s may shock us today. Somehow, I had imagined the 1960s as being more tolerant, less paranoid of potential offence, or — in a word — timid. But this is simply not the case.  

In an interesting aside, only a year later, Brian Wilson, upon penning the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows,” was told his song was “too religious, too square.” 

And this is precisely what Lucy tells Charlie after he dares to buy a “wooden” Christmas tree for their play: “We all know,” the psychologist of the group informs the naïve blockhead, “Christmas is a big commercial racket.” What room is there for the Light of the World among the aluminium trees and Christmas queens (as Lucy refers to herself)?  

Fortunately, we have Linus to put Charlie, the whole gang, and us right. Despite the scepticism of the cultural tastemakers at CBS, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” was a gigantic hit when first broadcasted on December 9, 1965. 

“All heaven broke loose,” one New York adman described it, with critics and the viewing audience all hailing “the special that really is special.” The show went on to win a Peabody Award and has emerged as a Christmas icon. It is a perennial favourite of the season because it recognizes and trumpets its reason. It should be required viewing at least once every Advent.