Quite recently, our very own Mick Joest wrote about A Christmas Story and six things that are really weird about it, and Alexandra Ramos described why she thinks How The Grinch Stole Christmas is the best Christmas special to this day, and both of those picks are excellent choices for repeat viewings.
But, while I liked both of them, I don’t watch either of them annually. In fact, if I'm being completely honest, I actually dislike Christmas quite a bit (the season just goes on forever), and for that reason, my true annual tradition is watching The Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special.
Ah, Tim and Eric. Either you get them, or you don't. In fact, even I sometimes find their stuff to be insufferable, like Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie, or Check it Out! with Dr. Steve Brule. But, this is 100% pure comedy gold and the only holiday special that is a MUST watch for me every year, and here's why.
It Is The Most Anti-Christmas Special Ever Conceived
You know how I said earlier how I don't like Christmas? Well, that might just be why Tim and Eric's Chrimbus Special really strikes a chord with me, as it's the most anti-Christmas special ever conceived. A lot of people now like to say that Die Hard is a Christmas movie, and sure, I’ll bite. But, I'm pretty sure that Tim and Eric purposely went out of their way to make something as counter-Christmas as possible, and it looks like they had a great time doing it.
For example, Chrimbus is not the season of “giving,” but rather, the season of “receiving.” They say as much in their rousing opening number, where they wonder what they’re going to get. They also don’t have a Christmas tree, but rather, a Chrimbus bush (spoken of with the rather vulgar line of keeping it “trimmed and wet”). Not only that, but they have little interludes featuring Carol and Mr. Henderson called “A Chrimbus Carol,” where Mr. Henderson proudly says that Carol got him a guillotine for Chrimbus.
Add the fact that the entire special is really just marketing the DVD of the very thing you’re already watching, and you have a Chrimbus miracle for the ages!
That Said, It Still Always Gets Me In The Christmas Spirit
Even so, strange as it is to say, watching The Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special always gets me in the Christmas spirit. Now, I always watch things like Jingle All the Way (a top-tier Christmas movie) and Mickey’s Christmas Carol (required viewing in my household) toward the beginning of December, and with my children. It’s our tradition.
But, when December is wearing on and I’ve heard “All I Want For Christmas Is You” for about the millionth time and want to crash my car into a wall, I always watch the Chrimbus Special days before Christmas, and somehow, it lifts my spirits. I don’t know how it does it (perhaps it’s seeing the naked, blurred out Winterman giving sage advice), but whatever it is, it gets me through this time of the year, every time.
The Songs Are Beyond Catchy
Tim and Eric are really good musicians, and I sing plenty of their songs all the time, like “Petite Feet,” “Shrimp and White Wine,” and even “Totally Wizzed Out!” from their Tom Goes to the Mayor days.
But, I think the songs from the Chrimbus Special are the catchiest they’ve ever cooked up. Like the aforementioned opening number wondering what they’re going to get, and my personal favorite, “A Song For Dee Vee,” where Tim and Eric sing about how they wish Dee Vee was their son. I even occasionally find myself humming the “I Don’t Love Him Anymore” song Carol sings about Mr. Henderson. In every way, the songs are just perfect for the holidays in the Chrimbus Special. For me, anyway.
It Always Reminds Me Of Why I Love Tim And Eric So Much
The Chrimbus Special was actually the first time I ever heard of Tim and Eric. I’ll always remember it. I was at my now-wife, then-girlfriend’s house at the time, and I was channel surfing. For some reason, I turned to Cartoon Network, and there was a commercial of two grown men singing to a person in a yeti suit. Said yeti was spinning around on a pedestal with his arms upraised in glory. I swear, I laughed for about ten minutes straight until my girlfriend told me to please stop it since she couldn’t hear Friends.
And, I’ve been a huge fan of theirs ever since. I’ve seen them live, I’ve watched all of Tom Goes to the Mayor, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule, Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories, and Beef House. Hell, I even read their book, Tim and Eric’s Zone Theory: 7 Easy Steps to Achieve a Perfect Life. And, while I can’t say that I’ve loved everything they’ve done, I can say that I’ve liked a great deal of it. So, when I watch their Chrimbus Special, I always remember that it was my gateway into their bizarre, sometimes even scary, world.
Like Festivus, If You Encounter Somebody Who Has Watched It, You Can Share A Moment With Them
Lastly, we Tim and Eric fans are RARE out in the wild. While you could easily find anybody to argue with over what the best Christmas Carol adaptation is, you’ll be hard pressed to find anybody who has even watched The Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special.
However, when you do find somebody who's watched it...oh, man. There’s nothing else like it. For example, I remember one time when I went to CVS, and the person behind the register would tell every customer, “Happy Chrimbus,” when he gave them their receipts. And, bless those customers, they’d always just respond with a, “And a Merry Christmas to you, too!” Well, when I went up to the register and he said, “Happy Chrimbus,” I responded with a, “Gotta keep it trimmed and wet.” I’ll tell you, his eyes shot wide like I just unlocked a core memory to his childhood.
And, I probably did, since that magic of seeing the special for the first time and hearing those silly, ribald lyrics likely brought back some nice memories for him, just as it does for me. It’s kind of similar to the people who like to bring up Festivus this time of year, which is way more popular since it came from Seinfeld, but it still shows that nerdy connection where someone might say, “The feats of strength!” like Frank Constanza. That’s what mentioning Chrimbus is like to Tim and Eric fans. We’ve actually shared something, and isn’t that what the spirit of Christmas is all about?
But, what do you think? Have you ever watched The Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Chrimbus Special? For more holiday cheer, make sure to swing by here often.
