The Grinch: Anti-capitalist Anti-hero

Plus, Christmas cookies, posting less, and my Weekly What

Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot...
But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT!
The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

Maybe the Grinch hated Christmas because he was excluded.

Maybe the Grinch hated Christmas because every year, while he was minding his own business in his cozy cave atop Mt. Crumpet he was forced to hear all the noise, noise, noise, NOISE, of Christmas celebrations to which he wasn’t invited.

Maybe, just maybe, the Grinch didn’t hate Christmas, he just hated the forced merriment and commercialization of a cozy holiday.

But we’ll never know the reason because no one bothered to ask.

We all know history belongs to the victors. Has anyone ever stopped to consider from whose perspective the Grinch’s story is being told in Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas?

No! No one considers, just like no one bothered to ask why the Grinch was so grouchy to begin with.

The Grinch is widely believed a monstrous curmudgeon, a Christmas cad in company with the OG, Ebenezer Scrooge. Scrooge, that dastardly, greedy, misanthrope, is of the capitalist class, someone who would hoard nations of wealth while saying things like homelessness is propaganda which does not exist (name that American oligarch!) Scrooge’s redemption comes after being scared straight by ghosts confronting him with the personal consequences of his choices; selfish to the last.

The Grinch, on the other hand, is bothered by noise (reasonable!) As someone who appreciates not just literal quiet, but figurative quiet, in the Grinch I see someone relatable who is fed up. Fed up with the Ebenezer Bezos Musks of the world telling us the best way to spread Christmas cheer is to max out our credit cards buying commercial goods to show those we care for we love them this many dollars worth. And also Jesus, or something.

The Grinch, tired of his peace being disturbed by a world dictating how he must celebrate, and fearing for the Whos down in Whoville who overextend themselves more every year spending on Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! Decides to take drastic measures, stealing Christmas and offering an even better gift: peace, community, a holiday free of consumer goods.

And you know what? Through his radical acts we are all reminded Christmas doesn’t come from a store, perhaps Christmas means a little bit more.

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Tell me:

• Grinch: villain or misunderstood hero?

• Do you have a favorite holiday character from books or film?

• Anything, let’s chat!

What I’m…

Reading

The Holiday Romance Binge is in full effect! I like to rate my holiday reads on a steam scale of 1-3 hot cocoas ☕, and holiday vibe scale of 1-3 trees 🎄

• The Merriest Misters by Timothy Janovsky. The Santa Clause but make it queer! A newlywed couple whose relationship is fraying work together to save Christmas and their marriage. Super cute! ☕/🎄🎄🎄 Bookshop | Libro.FM

• The Christmas You Found Me by Sarah Morgenthaler. If I had realized this was the same author who wrote the Moose Springs, Alaska series I likely would never have picked up this book as there is a 2020 pic of me in my IG feed holding Mistletoe and Mr. Right with a very miffed face because the internet lied to me about that book being good. This book was not a whole lot better, but I think the lack of an preconceived notions helped my experience. Marriage of convenience, Idaho ranch setting, it was deeply ok. This author is obviously not for me. ☕/🎄 Bookshop | Libro.FM

• Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews. I couldn’t resist the cute little Christmas camper cover! A woman ends up forming relationships (romantically and otherwise) with the people near her family’s Christmas tree stand in NYC. This was fine. ☕/🎄 Bookshop | Libro.FM

• A Home for the Holidays by Taylor Hahn. (Review copy provided by publisher) A woman unexpectedly loses her mother shortly before Christmas due to alcohol addiction related complications. Afterwards her mother’s estranged best friend reaches out offering not only a home for the holidays (*snaps*), but her mother’s previously unknown backstory. This is a family drama exploring, grief, complicated mother-daughter relationships with a found family element and Jewish representation. I actually quite enjoyed this one. Blurbed by Jennifer Close (Marrying the Ketchups) and Laura Hankin (One-Star Romance), I feel these writers offer a similar vibe. Bookshop | Libro.FM

• Snowed in for Christmas by Sarah Morgan. Three adult siblings return home from London to their Highland home for the holidays, one with a maybe-fiancé in tow, another with potential big life changed on the horizon, and the other with an unexpected visitor there to pitch advertising business who ends up snowed in for Christmas (*snaps*). I enjoyed this family and really appreciated the cozy Scottish setting; exactly the kind of book I want to read around the holidays. ☕/🎄🎄 Bookshop | Libro.FM

• Wreck My Plans by Jillian Meadows. Sparks fly with the brother’s best friend at Christmastime. Very steamy, reasonably Christmassy, overall ok. ☕☕☕/🎄🎄 Bookshop | Libro.FM

Listening

• All of the above books were hybrid reads so I listened to parts of each

• Best Books of the Year (Fiction Matters)

  Sara Hildreth
  and Liz Hein listing their top 10 reads is my favorite episode of the year and such a treat amidst a busy week! We have enough overlap in taste and reads that listening feels like having coffee with friends while they chat about books we’ve all read.

Watching

• Queer Eye, Season 10 (Netflix). I’m no Bobby fan, but I was worried how his exit would affect the overall dynamic. Unwarranted as I love Jeremiah! Bobby who?

• Four Christmases (Max). An underrated holiday classic.

• While You Were Sleeping (Disney+). An under the radar holiday classic.

• Shop Around the Corner (Max). A classic Christmasish classic, and the inspiration for You’ve Got Mail.

• Christmas Vacation (Max). The undisputed best Christmas movie.

Eating & Drinking

• Orange Chicken, thanks to Trader Joe’s, with rice and broccoli, after a very long Sunday filled with both a gymnastics competition and a holiday band concert, which began at 6am with competition approved hair before my eyes were fully awake

• Stuffed Shells, the red and green is ✨seasonal✨

• I love to throwing this Chicken Chili in the slowcooker and it’s Instant Pot friendly as well - we love a flexible meal!

• An early Hanukkah celebration! This Slowcooker Brisket turns out perfectly every time, these Brown Butter Honey Carrots are so easy and taste like a treat, and latkes from Trader Joe’s that are good enough to warrant forgoing freshly made in the name of ease.

• I closed the week with one of my favorite annual traditions, a low key cookie exchange with friends. I always bring these Molasses Cookies and Double Chocolate Mint Cookies. I bring these Cranberry Sauce Meatballs (I cut the sugar to 1/4 c.) as well. We will probably get to making, baking, and decorating cut outs as a family this weekend.

Links + Loves

• As someone forever grappling with the culture of the internet, its impact IRL, the balance of addition and extraction, and believes the heyday of the Information Highway is behind us, I appreciated Anne Helen Petersen’s post about Posting Less. (Culture Study)

• As someone who has done some apple influencing and has strong opinions on apples, this is niche content I appreciate: How Honeycrisp Apples Went from Marvel to Mediocre (Serious Eats) I just hope the same fate does not befall my beloved Cosmic Crisp.

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