Random Deatials about 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' Was About Seasonal Depression (11 items)

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  (#1) The Special Presents The Bleakness Of A Holiday We're Expected To Love

  Anyone who experiences seasonal depression, or doesn't enjoy Christmas, can probably understand how Charlie Brown feels in this special. All the food, family, shopping, pageantry, partying, gift-giving, and other holiday activities that fill some people with joy fill others with dread. Societal pressure to feel holiday cheer is intense and reminders of it are everywhere, from radio stations that play Christmas music nonstop to obligatory holiday parties throughout December.

  Charlie Brown feels awful because he doesn't enjoy things the way other people do, and he feels alone and despondent. Viewers who revel in the holidays might wish he would cheer up more in the special. But Charlie Brown does the best he can during one of the hardest times of the year for people who are down.
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  (#2) Charlie Brown Thinks The Holidays Prove No One Likes Him

  In the opening moments of the special, Charlie Brown tells Linus, "I'm not happy. I don't feel the way I'm supposed to feel." He's despondent because he's the only person he knows who hasn't received a Christmas card, but his malaise goes deeper than that. Throughout the special, Charlie Brown sees how happy Christmas makes his friends feel, but he doesn't feel the same way.

  At the time, there was no name for the feeling he described, but he's talking about holiday blues or just sadness in general. The sentiment stays with Charlie Brown throughout the special, manifesting in new ways (anger, sadness, self-hate) until he - sort of, kind of - has fun with his friends during the finale.
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  (#3) Lucy Tries To Make Christmas About Her So She Can Feel Special 

  Charlie Brown is distraught at the state of Christmas, Linus is stressed out making sure everyone has a good time during the play, and Lucy desires attention beyond her usual attempts to be the center of the universe. Lucy never explicitly says what's bothering her, but she acts out constantly, which could be asign of depression.

  Even after making Charlie Brown the director of the Christmas play, Lucy takes it upon herself to bark out orders and try to run the show. It's not the most effective way to make friends, and she turns into a bossy nightmare because of her need to be noticed.
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  (#4) Charlie Brown Dislikes The Commercialization Of Christmas

  A theme throughout the special is Charlie Brown's deep resentment over the commercialization of Christmas. Everywhere he looks, he sees someone reveling in the more profit-focused aspects of Christmas rather than what makes the holiday truly meaningful. His sister, Sally, for example, hopes Santa will bring her money for Christmas, and his dog, Snoopy, takes part in a decorating contest in the hopes of winning cash.

  By the end of the special, though, Charlie Brown's pals rally around him and his minuscule tree. And while they don't exactly turn their backs on the crass aspects of Christmas, they at least come together to celebrate their friendship.
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  (#5) Everything Charlie Brown Touches Gets Ruined

  Charlie Brown can't do anything right at Christmas - or at least, that's how he feels. He upsets his sister when he talks about the commercial aspects of the holiday she loves, angers his peers when he tries to make the Christmas play more meaningful, messes up Snoopy's Christmas lights, and terminates the tree he sees as a symbol of the holiday.

  When he stacks the tree with ornaments, it collapses under the weight of its festive cheer. Charlie Brown laments, "I've [ruined] it. Augh! Everything I touch gets ruined." His comments are a spot-on distillation of how it feels to be down.
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  (#6) Even The Tree Is Sad

  Even inanimate objects are sad in A Charlie Brown Christmas, including the droopy, dejected Christmas tree. While planning for the Christmas pageant, Lucy gets pushy and tells director Charlie Brown the play needs a giant, pink, shiny, aluminum Christmas tree. Charlie Brown instead buys the puniest real tree on the lot because he feels sorry for the wispy, unloved little thing - and of course, everyone shuns it.

  It's not just that the other children dislike the Christmas tree; they think it directly ties into Charlie Brown's lack of character, which he takes personally. Not only does the anemic tree make him feel like he failed everyone, but he appears to believe he doesn't deserve love.
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  (#7) The Kids Save A Lost Cause

  Many people who are alone on Christmas feel like they've done something wrong. Why would friends and family leave them if they weren't a lost cause? Charlie Brown also feels lonely when all his friends reject him and his Christmas tree. But after he loads down the tiny tree with ornaments, knocking it over, his pals prop the tree up and decorate it. They take something Charlie Brown thought was a waste of time and make it beautiful.

  Before belting out "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," Linus says about the tree, "It's not bad at all. Maybe it just needs a little love." Don't we all?
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  (#8) The Special Is About Perseverance In The Face Of Adversity

  A Charlie Brown Christmas producer Lee Mendelson said the holiday special encourages audiences to stay positive, even if their lives seem bleak. Charlie Brown is in a deep malaise throughout the special, but he never stops moving forward. This sentiment also works for the Peanuts cartoons in general. Charlie Brown consistently believes Lucy will hold the football for him, even though she pulls it away every time.

  By the end of the Christmas special, Charlie Brown pushes through his holiday blues to make Christmas good for everyone else, which in turn makes him feel a little better.
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  (#9) The Pace Makes The Audience Think About How They Feel

  Mendelson said executives at CBS thought the pace of the show was glacial. They didn't understand why the episode didn't bounce through the narrative in the same way as other children's programming. But that pacing forces the audience to think about how the show makes them feel.

  Charlie Brown could simply say, "I'm sad because Christmas is a drag. Take it away, Snoopy!" Instead, the special shows Charlie Brown plainly stating his feelings before walking silently through the snow (backed by a light jazz soundtrack). The slowed-down scene lets the audience think about why Charlie Brown is discouraged - and why they may be sad, too.
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  (#10) The Special Offers Good Advice For Dealing With Sadness

  The characters in A Charlie Brown Christmas don't spend all their time moping around with no hope in sight. An amateur psychiatrist offers some sage advice for dealing with the holiday blues. Despite being a raging control freak during rehearsals for the Christmas play, even Lucy manages to provide wise guidance.

  When Charlie Brown visits her 5-cent "Psychiatric Help" booth, Lucy recommends spending time with other people, which can decrease symptoms of depression. She also mentions it's good that Charlie Brown recognizes he's down because that means he can get help.
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  (#11) The Producer Wanted The Special To Comfort People

  Mendelson told New York magazine that if the special does nothing else, he hopes it brings comfort to people going through a difficult time during the holidays or feeling sad in general: "Hopefully, this positive program will be soothing at a time of uncertainty."

  There is something reassuring about the way Charlie Brown works through his issues with the help of his friends. And even if you don't want to dwell on the show's more melancholy moments, there's enough comedy in A Charlie Brown Christmas to put a smile on your face.

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