The light jazz really adds to the sense of melancholy and introspection that @RichardKaufman discusses.
If I recall correctly, Schulz suffered from severe depression and anxiety during his life. If so, I’m sure that informed the work as well.
Also, I remember even as a small child naming that low brick wall where the characters did their philosophising “the thinking wall”. It seemed to me to be something every kid should have available to them.
NASA also created an award named after Snoopy for space programme employees and contractors:
I seem to remember a Thanksgiving Special as well that I did not see listed on the DVD. The story line features Peppermint Patty inviting herself over to Charlie Brown’s house for Thanksgiving. He panics because his family goes to his grandmothers house, so he decides to stage a fake dinner of popcorn and potatoes chips or something like that.
That started LONG before Schultz’s death. We’re not exactly talking about Bill Watterson here. My generation probably owned as much Peanuts-branded merch as Star Wars-branded merch.
I never thought that was the case…I thought Charlie Brown was just really, really unlucky, and always got the rock that some houses randomly gave out (for reasons unknown, but remember that back then we thought some people were putting razor blades in candy so a rock isn’t so terrible). Charlie Brown was so used to his lot in life that he never even accused anyone of collusion–it’s just the bad luck of the draw he always had.
And the movies had long psychedelic bridges, usually with snoopy and woodstock swimming (or skating) through hippy dreams. When I saw the DVDs later, those parts were missing.
The melancholy mood was captured nicely by Colbert’s “White House Christmas Message” from a couple days ago; at about the 3:30 mark an excellent parody of Charlie Brown Christmas appears. ( as much as I enjoyed that parody of Slovenian Christmas, I must admit the most “Christmas positive” person I know lives in that region )
Peter Robbins may be the only person in the history of the California State Judicial system to have the judge tell him, when sentencing, “Don’t be a blockhead”
Peter has had his issues with drugs and being an enormous blockhead, but he’s never hurt anyone. He’s in jail for running his mouth…ironically the same thing that made him famous. Unfortunately in the last few years it’s been cursing out judges, sherriffs, guards, neo-nazi’s and all the wrong people !
The popularity of Peanuts and Charlie Brown’s existential dread during the 50s and early 60s put the lie to the idea that those were some kind of golden age of childhood happiness.
Even if you have the DVDs, it’s worth getting the blu-rays of the Halloween and Christmas specials. Apparently they rescanned the films. The watercolor backgrounds in the Halloween show are beautiful.
Snoopy’s WW1 fantasy, with the moody Vince Guaraldi music and gorgeous watercolor backgrounds, is likely my favorite moment from any of the Peanuts specials. I wish that the soundtrack to that special was available.
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