1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff you should know Frondhouse stuff Works dot com. Hey, 2 00:00:15,360 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: and welcome to the Christmas Podcast. I'm Josh Clark. There's 3 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:24,000 Speaker 1: Charles W. Schucker's Bryant and guest producer Noel is with 4 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: us today. Yeah, we got it's Jerry Stocking though, hanging 5 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: over by the fireplace, and I am glad you built 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: that fire, my friend. It's a little hot in here. 7 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:35,920 Speaker 1: Gets me in the mood though, you know, sure Christmas spirit, 8 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:40,080 Speaker 1: the Christmas mood. I said, oh yeah, you can talk 9 00:00:40,120 --> 00:00:44,120 Speaker 1: about the mood for that that too. Yeah, we have 10 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 1: like glad tidings and good cheer and warmth and Christmas 11 00:00:48,520 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: lights and color and sugar sprinkles and stuff like all 12 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: over the place. It's our Christmas. I have to say, 13 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: my friend, you really know how to set the mood 14 00:00:56,760 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 1: in here. You really go all out. Thank you, thank you, 15 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 1: well done. Glad you feel comfortable, Nold, do you feel comfortable? Also? Yes, 16 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,559 Speaker 1: he has a little um. He painted his beard white 17 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: is pretending to be sand and mine is going white naturally. Yeah, 18 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: I'm not going a beard because probably beats some great interest. 19 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: I've made my bed, I'm gonna lie in it. Does 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:25,280 Speaker 1: that make sense sure, So, Chuck, I think we want 21 00:01:25,319 --> 00:01:29,080 Speaker 1: to say welcomed everybody out there, and we hope that 22 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: you're having a wonderful holiday season so far. So kick 23 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: off your shoes, put on your slippers, make some We'll 24 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: make yourself comfortable. You put on your comfy pants. There 25 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: you go as we prepare for our two thousand fourteen 26 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:56,040 Speaker 1: Christmas extravagances. So, Chuck, uh, you have seen the great, 27 00:01:56,120 --> 00:01:59,840 Speaker 1: great movie A Christmas Story. Not just one of my 28 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: favorite Christmas movies, it's one of my favorite movies of 29 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: all time. Yeah, John Hodgman has never seen that. Weird 30 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: I thought so too, and disappointing. Yeah, he said he's 31 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:13,919 Speaker 1: not a fan of of Jean Shepherd. So I guess 32 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: if you're not a fan of Jean Shepherd, you wouldn't 33 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 1: like A Christmas Story. Yeah, that's this is tough to swallow. 34 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,120 Speaker 1: Like I'm having trouble swallowing right now, Hodgeman, stuck in 35 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: your throat for everyone else out there in the world 36 00:02:26,520 --> 00:02:31,359 Speaker 1: besides you, John, Um, A Christmas Story is a beloved 37 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: holiday movie, and um, it's actually got kind of a 38 00:02:35,400 --> 00:02:37,680 Speaker 1: cool little backstory to tell you the truth. That was 39 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 1: the movie that wouldn't go away, it would not be overcome. 40 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: That's right. It's the nineteen sixties. Bob Clark is a 41 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: writer and director and he's driving a date around and 42 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:53,560 Speaker 1: he's flipping the radio around because his date was dull. Sure, 43 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: and he comes across writer Jean Shepherd's recollections and stories. 44 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:03,399 Speaker 1: He's he's a audio storyteller, a humorist, a humorist exactly 45 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:06,639 Speaker 1: talking about growing up in Indiana in the thirties and forties. 46 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 1: And he was smitten with it. And apparently, uh was 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: so smitten that he just kept driving until the program 48 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,920 Speaker 1: was over and said, you just stay there and be quiet. 49 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 1: I'm listening to this story on the radio. Okay, So yes, 50 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: smitten is a good way to put it. Enthralled maybe, sure, 51 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:25,040 Speaker 1: But he decided right then and there, I'm going to 52 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: bring Jean shepherd stories to the silver screen. That's right. 53 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 1: It took him a little while though, because, as this 54 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: article says, and we got this from a Christmas story 55 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:41,240 Speaker 1: house dot com. Um g R. Yeah, was just he 56 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: was a journeyman director. He specialized in B movies. Yeah, 57 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: he not many people know this. He made a movie 58 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:52,880 Speaker 1: called Silent Night, Evil Night. He made another Christmas movie. Yeah, 59 00:03:52,920 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 1: and Silent Night, Deadly Night. Now this was called Black 60 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: Christmas is one of those was released under several titles. 61 00:03:58,960 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: Was it Verse Side Night, Deadly Night? It was Black 62 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: Christmas or Silent Night, Evil Night, and then there was 63 00:04:04,520 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: another title. And he also did a movie called moon 64 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: Runners about Moonshine that Dukes of Hazzard was based on. Wow, 65 00:04:11,760 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: this guy was all over the place. Yeah, he got 66 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: a big fat settlement when they released that Dukes of 67 00:04:15,680 --> 00:04:19,360 Speaker 1: Hazzard movie recently. Nice good for him, like eighteen million bucks. 68 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: That's great. Yeah, So Bob Clark in the sixties becomes 69 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: enthralled with Jean Shepherd and it wasn't until the early 70 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: eighties that he got to make a Christmas story. And 71 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: the whole reason he got to make a Christmas story 72 00:04:30,920 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: is because he finally made a blockbuster movie known as 73 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 1: Porky's Yep, a teen sex round comedy. Man. That movie 74 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 1: was the most mysterious, enticing thing when I was a kid, 75 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: because it was I was ten years old and it 76 00:04:50,200 --> 00:04:53,560 Speaker 1: was supposedly just the dirtiest thing that had ever been made. 77 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:56,039 Speaker 1: I wasn't allowed to see it. I wasn't stay have 78 00:04:56,120 --> 00:04:58,719 Speaker 1: not seen Porkies. You know, it's funny. Watch Porkies and 79 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: you'll be like, this is pretty team. Yeah, like it's 80 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: it's body. But it's really not like I thought. It 81 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: was borderline pornography. That's that's what I took from it too. 82 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: It's not at all so huge hit. Though it was 83 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:15,839 Speaker 1: an enormously yea at one time, for a brief time, 84 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: it was the best. It was a top twenty five 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:20,479 Speaker 1: all time grossing movie in the best selling comedy of 86 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: all time, Wow, but only for a brief window. I 87 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: think Ghostbusters quickly dwarfed it. And Yeah, so the studios 88 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:32,559 Speaker 1: came back to Bob Clark and said, man, do that again. 89 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:38,159 Speaker 1: Make a Porky's too, He said, despite John Hodgman's wishes, 90 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,760 Speaker 1: I'm going to make another movie. First. It's called a 91 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:43,920 Speaker 1: Christmas Story, That's what we're gonna call it. I'm gonna 92 00:05:43,960 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: base it on Jean Shepherd's stories, Um that we're collected 93 00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: into a book called and God we trust all others 94 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: must pay cash. And they said, fine, just go do 95 00:05:54,440 --> 00:05:56,640 Speaker 1: your movie or whatever. And he did. He made this movie. 96 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: He scouted out um twenty cities, I believe, and finally 97 00:06:01,920 --> 00:06:04,159 Speaker 1: settled on Cleveland, And one of the reasons he settled 98 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 1: on Cleveland was because Jean Shepard grew up in uh Indiana, 99 00:06:08,520 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: which is very near Cleveland, and Cleveland had a department 100 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:16,080 Speaker 1: store called Higbie's. And Higgbie's said, hey, man, we were 101 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: around in the forties. Why don't you just go ahead 102 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,280 Speaker 1: and film some of your stuff in here? And he said, 103 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: Cleveland it is. Yeah, it's still it's still had that 104 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: old I mean they had addressed it, of course, but 105 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: it's still had that old department store look, that classic look. Um. 106 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 1: By the way, if you're ever in New York again, 107 00:06:32,080 --> 00:06:37,039 Speaker 1: go to Macy's Herald Square and ride the wooden escalators, okay, 108 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: and be prepared to be delighted. Oh really, it's just 109 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 1: the coolest thing. Man. I didn't even know they existed, 110 00:06:42,800 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: but there would the rails, the steps, the whole thing, 111 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: the people on them, and they haven't redone them, you know, 112 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:52,920 Speaker 1: they're still like it's it's really pretty neat. It sound 113 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,919 Speaker 1: like the cutting edge new would elevators, No, but it 114 00:06:55,960 --> 00:06:59,840 Speaker 1: feels like a Higgbie's. Wait, escalators are elevators. Escalators? Yeah, 115 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: even cooler. It feels like you're at a Higbie's though 116 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:04,560 Speaker 1: when you're at macy Seral Square, because it's uh, it 117 00:07:04,680 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: just has that old school department score field when you're 118 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:10,400 Speaker 1: on those things. Um. They didn't give him much budget 119 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: for a Christmas story, No, and they didn't expect very 120 00:07:12,560 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: much from it either. No. They gave him just about 121 00:07:16,320 --> 00:07:20,760 Speaker 1: nine screens um the weekend before Thanksgiving, and it made 122 00:07:20,760 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: a little bit of money a couple of million, then 123 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,960 Speaker 1: about four million the next weekend, like six million in 124 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: its first two weekends. Yeah, and they but they didn't 125 00:07:27,440 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 1: have a big plan to roll it out because they 126 00:07:29,280 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: didn't count on it being much, so they didn't roll 127 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: it out. Grossed about nineteen mill, which of course made 128 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 1: the money back and then some. So it was a 129 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: moderate success as far as uh making the suits happy. 130 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:45,080 Speaker 1: But it wasn't some runaway hit until cable TV. Well 131 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:49,040 Speaker 1: yeah that's just cable but video as well. Yeah. So MGM, 132 00:07:49,160 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: like you said, didn't think too much of this movie, 133 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: and they actually they sold it to Warner Brothers. They 134 00:07:53,680 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: tossed it into a pot of fifty movies that Warner 135 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 1: Brothers bought. And after Warner Brothers audit, I guess they 136 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,240 Speaker 1: had to do with Turner because T n T and 137 00:08:04,880 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: had a stunt on Christmas Eve where they ran it 138 00:08:08,120 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: twelve times for twenty four hours. They played a Christmas 139 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: Story back to back and they just, I guess, did 140 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: it to fill some airtime, and it was just a 141 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 1: huge hit. People started clamoring for it, and every year, 142 00:08:21,960 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 1: I believe since, they've had a Christmas Story marathon now 143 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:29,600 Speaker 1: on TBS in at some point during the day, Uh 144 00:08:29,720 --> 00:08:32,400 Speaker 1: forty million people tune in to watch at least parts 145 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: of this movie. And for good reason. Do you want 146 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:37,599 Speaker 1: to know why? Because The Christmas Story is one of 147 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: the greatest movies ever made. It's really pretty great. So 148 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:44,559 Speaker 1: you want to hear some cool facts about a Christmas Story? Uh? Yeah? 149 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: How about the fact that the part of the Father 150 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:51,480 Speaker 1: that was ultimately played by Darren McGavin was originally offered 151 00:08:51,840 --> 00:08:54,840 Speaker 1: to Jack Nicholson And I shudder at the thought. Can 152 00:08:54,880 --> 00:08:58,679 Speaker 1: you imagine Nicholson in that movie? Actually I could, I can't. 153 00:08:58,720 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: I think you would have been pretty great. But Darren 154 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:04,280 Speaker 1: McGavin is the greatest. Um. I was actually lucky enough 155 00:09:04,320 --> 00:09:08,439 Speaker 1: to go to a screening the Alex Theater in Glendale, California, 156 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: over Christmas and Bob Clark did a Q and A 157 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: and Darren McGavin was there right before he died and 158 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: was old and frail and he got a standing ovation 159 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: and his wife like helped him stand up, and I 160 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:23,880 Speaker 1: think he just wasn't clear to him and she was like, 161 00:09:23,920 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: this is for you, this is for you. It was 162 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,400 Speaker 1: just the sweetest, sweetest moment. One of my best Christmas 163 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:31,720 Speaker 1: moments ever. That's a Christmas moment. It was great. Um 164 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:37,760 Speaker 1: Jean Shepard he did all the voiceover narration, yeah as Ralphie, right, yeah, 165 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:40,440 Speaker 1: it's grown up Ralphie. Yeah. But he also made a cameo. 166 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: So the old man who says, that's the back of 167 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: the line where the line starts there, that was Jean Shepard, 168 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:51,079 Speaker 1: that was. And Bob Clark also had a cameo as 169 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: Swede the h the neighbor with a Southern accent who 170 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,000 Speaker 1: stops spy to marvel at the infamous leg lamp. He goes, oh, 171 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,840 Speaker 1: you won an award age reward. That was the director. 172 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,040 Speaker 1: And the kid Grover Dill right, the little toady. Yeah, 173 00:10:06,280 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: he actually went on to become the two dollar paper 174 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: boy in Better Off Dead. I had no idea two dollars. 175 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: I didn't ask for a dime two dollars. Yeah, and 176 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: apparently those are the only couple of three movies that 177 00:10:21,800 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 1: he was ever in. Ya know, it's an odd name. Um. 178 00:10:28,520 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: Speaking of leg lamp, uh, it was based on a 179 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: real lamp. UM a knee high logo that was eliminated 180 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: and the style was of course um. Ruben Freed, the 181 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:43,840 Speaker 1: production designer, created the leg lamp. And I wonder if 182 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 1: he has any claim on that thing, because those things 183 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,320 Speaker 1: were sold like crazy now, little ones, big ones, like 184 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: key chains. I wonder who's making that dough. Hopefully it's 185 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 1: going to him. I doubt it. Um probably going to 186 00:10:56,760 --> 00:11:02,160 Speaker 1: MGM or Warner Brothers. Probably. Yeah, it's not very Christmas Eve. 187 00:11:03,080 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: You can pinpoint, even though it's never said, you can 188 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,480 Speaker 1: pinpoint the month and year when all this action takes 189 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:13,280 Speaker 1: place thanks to the little or Finani decoder pin that 190 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:17,520 Speaker 1: Ralphie gets. The one he gets is the speed Omatic model, 191 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,359 Speaker 1: which is the one that was released in nineteen forty. 192 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:25,959 Speaker 1: So a Christmas Story takes place in December of nineteen forty. Uh. 193 00:11:26,080 --> 00:11:30,280 Speaker 1: Many of the exteriors are filmed in Toronto, Toronto except 194 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:33,679 Speaker 1: the house the houses in Cleveland, and it's now a museum. 195 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 1: I've been there, so you you have. Oh yeah, okay, 196 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: do you recommend it. I've talked about it before. It's 197 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: the best thing ever. You go and there's the the 198 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,920 Speaker 1: original house and you can walk through that's still dressed 199 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: like the movie, and then down the street that someone 200 00:11:49,160 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: bought another house and has a museum um of artifacts 201 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: and things from the movie. And it's totally a great time. 202 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: If you're ever in the Cleveland area around Christmas, do it. Okay, 203 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: it's gonna be busy, but don't go in the summer. 204 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: You know, you really gotta get that Christmas feeling. But um, 205 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: a lot of the exteriors are filmed in Toronto because 206 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:11,680 Speaker 1: in one scene you can even see one of their 207 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:15,200 Speaker 1: red trolley cars in the background, which Cleveland does not have. 208 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:19,920 Speaker 1: Oh or Indiana as far as I know. So, Chuck, 209 00:12:20,000 --> 00:12:23,440 Speaker 1: that's a Christmas story. Huh yeah, I mean, I guess 210 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:26,760 Speaker 1: we should say that there were some deleted scenes that 211 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: never made it, you know, the black bart scene. He 212 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:32,480 Speaker 1: shot several of those, including one with Flash Gordon and 213 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: at the Christmas Story House. You can see clips of 214 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: those and some of the artifacts and uh, Ralphie, you know, 215 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 1: went on to be a big shot producer, Peter. Of 216 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:45,560 Speaker 1: all those a lot of those Vince Vaughn um favro 217 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:49,719 Speaker 1: movies he's attached to. And uh, I think Vince Vaughn 218 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: still calls him Ralphie sometimes just to get under his skin. 219 00:12:51,880 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: I could see that. Of course, Chuck. It wouldn't be 220 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,320 Speaker 1: one of our Christmas specials if we didn't talk about 221 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: booze offer an alcoholic recipe, right exactly. So this year 222 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:26,520 Speaker 1: we're doing mold wine. Mold wine is old. Actually. They 223 00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:32,040 Speaker 1: think that it was developed too keep old wine from spoiling, 224 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: or when it was about to spoil, to use it 225 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,960 Speaker 1: up really quick. Yeah, and it gained a lot of 226 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: notoriety when Charles Dickens put it in a Christmas story. 227 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,760 Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Christmas, Carol. I still got that on the brain. 228 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 1: And uh, that's a largely where it's association with the 229 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: holidays comes in. I think, sure, I don't like it, 230 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 1: do you? Yeah, I don't. I can't do it. They 231 00:13:54,240 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: sell it on the streets of Budapest and it is 232 00:13:57,840 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: wonderful stuff. Yeah, I tried it. I just I don't 233 00:14:00,679 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: like the hotness and I don't like those spices. Just 234 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,400 Speaker 1: not my thing. You would not like mold wine. But 235 00:14:07,440 --> 00:14:10,680 Speaker 1: I love wine, yeah, but not mold No. You know, 236 00:14:10,760 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: I read this article from like nineteen forty, I think 237 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 1: of the New Yorker. It was it's about this bar, 238 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:19,480 Speaker 1: the oldest bar in New York, and it was talking 239 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:21,920 Speaker 1: about how some of the old timers like would take 240 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: their mug's vele and put them next to the potbellied 241 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: stove and heat it up to like coffee temperature and 242 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: drink their beer like that. So I've never heard of 243 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,880 Speaker 1: I think back then they were like, I'm cold and 244 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: I want to be drunk. Yeah, so let's just do 245 00:14:35,400 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: those two things, yes, which is what mold wine was too. 246 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: So with mold wine, you typically want to use like 247 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,800 Speaker 1: a dry red like maybe a Sara or a z infandel, 248 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 1: which I didn't realize we're dry, yeah, okay. Um. You 249 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: want to add a little citrus, usually fort to fortify 250 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: it with something like brandy. Um. Other people use port 251 00:14:58,000 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: sometimes sport exactly. Uh. And then spices, despite Chuck's tastes, yeah, 252 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: clove and cinnamon, ginger, nutbag the traditional Christmas drink spices. 253 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:11,840 Speaker 1: Uh that I just cloth. I think it might be 254 00:15:11,880 --> 00:15:16,320 Speaker 1: what ruins it for me. Oh really maybe, and it's 255 00:15:16,360 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: just not my thing. So I don't like sancree either. Yeah, 256 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,560 Speaker 1: I could see that you wouldn't um some spices or 257 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: some recipes say you might want to sweeten this a 258 00:15:26,680 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: little bit, so that's some honey, add some sugar, do 259 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: something like that. And that's the beauty of muld wine. 260 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: It's like you can just kind of start with some 261 00:15:34,360 --> 00:15:36,760 Speaker 1: wine and add a little bit here there until you 262 00:15:36,840 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: come up with your own concoction. But we'll give you 263 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: like a basic muld wine recipe. I think we got 264 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,600 Speaker 1: it from grape dot com. It sounds like a good 265 00:15:44,600 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 1: place to get a muld wine recipe. Yeah, it sounds 266 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: like authoritative. So you want to take one bottle dry 267 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:55,160 Speaker 1: red wine. I'm guessing a seven fifty Yeah, probably, you 268 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: want six ounces of brandy. That's a lot of brandy. 269 00:15:58,440 --> 00:16:00,920 Speaker 1: That is a lot of brandy. Uh So it's getting 270 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,280 Speaker 1: just better and better by the second. This recipe is 271 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 1: one orange slice in the rounds, two lemons sliced into rounds, 272 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,960 Speaker 1: half a cup of honey. Yeah, three cinnamon sticks refer 273 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 1: to our cinnamon episode. Yeah, six whole cloves, one teaspoon 274 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: fresh ground nutmeg, that's delicious. Uh, and then maybe some 275 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,520 Speaker 1: ginger if you want. You combine everything in a large sauce. 276 00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: Pain And this is very important, Chuck. You heat it slowly. 277 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: You don't let it boil. You don't just crank that 278 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: heat up the high. No, And as it starts to 279 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:37,000 Speaker 1: steam a little bit, it's done. You serve in mugs 280 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: and enjoy. That's right. And I was reading this a 281 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 1: bit you sent about the Charles Dickens pub in Worth 282 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 1: in England, and they served mulled wine by the glass 283 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: and it sounded like a really neat thing until I 284 00:16:48,000 --> 00:16:50,360 Speaker 1: saw that they use a microwave to heat it up. Yeah, 285 00:16:50,720 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: it's like man. They take six ounces of Spanish red 286 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,120 Speaker 1: wine at one ounce of berry cordial, which I'm curious 287 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: what berry, Yeah, elderberry. I don't know, English berry, I 288 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,760 Speaker 1: guess um. And they pour it over an orange slice 289 00:17:07,760 --> 00:17:10,239 Speaker 1: with a cinnamon stick in two cloves. And then like 290 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: you said, they put the glass in the biker and 291 00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: they ruin the holy experience. The traditional dickensie and microwave, Oh, 292 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,240 Speaker 1: featured so prominently in Oliver Twist. But hey, at least 293 00:17:22,280 --> 00:17:25,040 Speaker 1: they're trying. Yeah, and you can try to less know 294 00:17:25,080 --> 00:17:27,359 Speaker 1: how your mould wine recipe. I think in Oliver Twists, 295 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:28,879 Speaker 1: you're right. They placed her may have some more, and 296 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: he says, well, when you get out of the microwave first, 297 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: then you can have some more. That was the original line, 298 00:17:33,800 --> 00:17:37,320 Speaker 1: and Dickens crossed it out, so it won't hurt our 299 00:17:37,359 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 1: feelings if you pause us to go make some mold 300 00:17:39,600 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: wine and come back and listen to the rest. So, Josh, 301 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:12,280 Speaker 1: let's say your little kid and you want to write 302 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,960 Speaker 1: a letter to Santa Claus. Are you allowed to do so, sir? 303 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:21,320 Speaker 1: And if so, when did that start? Well, it's pretty old. 304 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 1: Have you heard of this Twitter account tweets of old No, 305 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: they just take old like newspaper clippings and stuff and 306 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: tweet them. And so it's not supposed to be funny, No, 307 00:18:32,440 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: but it comes off as funny sometimes. Some of the 308 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,720 Speaker 1: stuff these people said, we're funny, bizarre, random. But around 309 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:42,280 Speaker 1: Christmas time they do kids letters to Santa like old 310 00:18:42,320 --> 00:18:44,720 Speaker 1: timey ones. There are a lot of kids who were 311 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:48,439 Speaker 1: not just asking for stuff, they were also asking that 312 00:18:48,520 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: like their siblings got nothing, which is hilarious. I was 313 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: never like that, but apparently no, I wasn't either always 314 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,760 Speaker 1: like my brother and sister. I was just I wanted 315 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:00,560 Speaker 1: us all to have what we wanted right at the 316 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:03,159 Speaker 1: very least. You realize that Santa wouldn't would frown on 317 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:06,200 Speaker 1: that kind of avarice. You know, I was a good sharer, 318 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:09,680 Speaker 1: I guess. Yeah. So. Um. Apparently though, as far as 319 00:19:09,720 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: the United Postal Services concerned, all of this started around ninetenwelve, 320 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,840 Speaker 1: long time ago, when the they that's when they say 321 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: they started really receiving a noteworthy amount of letters for 322 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,240 Speaker 1: Santa clause. And as we all know, Santa gets extraordinarily 323 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,640 Speaker 1: busy around this time of year, so he can't sit 324 00:19:29,680 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: down and answer all these letters. So the Postal Service said, 325 00:19:32,640 --> 00:19:36,200 Speaker 1: maybe there's another idea. Yeah, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock said, 326 00:19:36,240 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 1: you know what, why don't we write these kids back? 327 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 1: And I'm gonna authorize not just employees, but volunteers, regular citizens. 328 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: You and I could do this, Yeah, you can. You 329 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: just have to go to your local post office if 330 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: it's a participating post office, fill out a little personal info, 331 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: put your fingerprints down right, stand there for a mug shot, 332 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: and um, and you'll get some letters from children that 333 00:19:59,200 --> 00:20:03,400 Speaker 1: you can answer in Santa's behalf. Yes, it's called Operations Santa, 334 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:05,920 Speaker 1: and it's a pretty neat thing to participate in. I've 335 00:20:05,960 --> 00:20:07,560 Speaker 1: never done it, but I might try and do it 336 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:12,199 Speaker 1: this year. Um. They are now redacted obviously because they 337 00:20:12,200 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: want to protect the anonymity of these kids and their 338 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 1: families and the addresses, which is pretty smart move. I 339 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: think in two thousand six is when they started doing that. Um. 340 00:20:22,400 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: But yeah, you can write to kids from all over 341 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,560 Speaker 1: the world, I guess, or at least all over the country. Uh, 342 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,040 Speaker 1: it is voluntary. As a post office, you don't have 343 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:34,480 Speaker 1: to do it, but if you live in a major 344 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,000 Speaker 1: city there's bound to be a post office. It's participating. Yeah. 345 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 1: And um, the USPS says they'll take all charitable organizations, groups, families, friends, whoever. 346 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:49,520 Speaker 1: Just come along and fill out your info. Yeah we 347 00:20:49,560 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: should have. We should do that one year for house 348 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,800 Speaker 1: stuff works, okay, and get like the whole company to 349 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:57,879 Speaker 1: sort of take part. I'd be neat and um. Since 350 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,959 Speaker 1: it's territory reaches the new with Pole, the Canadian um 351 00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: Postal Service maintains a postal code specifically for Santa Nice. 352 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: They use letters in their postal code, so Santa's is 353 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: H zero H zero H zero, which spells ho ho 354 00:21:14,040 --> 00:21:46,280 Speaker 1: ho nice ho ho ho. Alright, buddy, I'm glad you 355 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: stumbled upon this because I had never heard of it, 356 00:21:49,480 --> 00:21:52,960 Speaker 1: and it is now my favorite thing ever. We have 357 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:56,600 Speaker 1: to thank Snopes for this one. Barbara Michelson is just 358 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,159 Speaker 1: hats off to her. She's almost singlehandedly written in the 359 00:22:00,240 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: Snopes website. You know that. Yeah, man, Well, this is 360 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: the story of the Christmas Pants and it is true, 361 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,920 Speaker 1: and um, basically it goes like this. Uh, there are 362 00:22:12,400 --> 00:22:15,120 Speaker 1: is a brother and a brother in law, Roy Collette, 363 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:20,199 Speaker 1: and uh Larry Kunkle, great minnesotaan name sounds like a 364 00:22:20,280 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: Christmas villain name house, so uh in when did it start? 365 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:30,240 Speaker 1: Nineteen sixty four, Larry Kunkle's mom gave him a pair 366 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:33,560 Speaker 1: of Moleskin pants and he said, these aren't so good 367 00:22:33,560 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 1: in Minnesota because they freeze and get kind of stiff, 368 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: and I can't walk. I can't walk. So as a joke, 369 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: he gave them, regifted them the following year to his 370 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: brother in law, Roy, and this started what I think 371 00:22:46,320 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: is one of the best back and forth practical jokes ever. Yeah. 372 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: For more than twenty years they they would send them 373 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:55,280 Speaker 1: back and forth and at first it was just kind 374 00:22:55,280 --> 00:23:00,160 Speaker 1: of like, ha, here they are again, here they are again. Well, eventually, 375 00:23:00,160 --> 00:23:04,119 Speaker 1: I think after the first couple of years, Um, it 376 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 1: was Larry Kunkle who took the pants, was it collect 377 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,160 Speaker 1: He took the pants and roll them up and stuck 378 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 1: him in a three ft long, one inch diameter pipe 379 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:18,200 Speaker 1: and then wrap that up and gave that to Larry 380 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:21,360 Speaker 1: Kunkle and said, good luck, here's the pants. Yeah, and 381 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:25,240 Speaker 1: so that obviously inspired Oh yeah, brother in law, Yeah, 382 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:27,760 Speaker 1: I'm gonna one up you. And it became a game 383 00:23:27,800 --> 00:23:32,119 Speaker 1: of one upsmanship each year, and eventually, uh, there were 384 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: some rules. Uh, most notably, the pants could not be destroyed. Yes, 385 00:23:37,119 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: they had to. The game was over if the pants 386 00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:41,639 Speaker 1: were destroyed, they had to remain intact. What were the 387 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: other rules? There were some that they had to be 388 00:23:44,960 --> 00:23:49,800 Speaker 1: legal and moral methods. Supposedly they wanted to use junk 389 00:23:49,880 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: parts as much as possible, But I don't think that 390 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: rule panned out all the time, because they clearly spent 391 00:23:54,800 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: a lot of money over the years in tuning these 392 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,520 Speaker 1: pants and various things. Let's let's talk about some of 393 00:24:01,560 --> 00:24:05,679 Speaker 1: these methods. Um. Like you said, it started out pretty 394 00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:08,919 Speaker 1: basic stuffing them in a pipe. Then I think the 395 00:24:08,920 --> 00:24:12,240 Speaker 1: following year wrapping them in wire and giving basically the 396 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 1: whole ideas make them super hard on the receiver to 397 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,640 Speaker 1: get to write, so so he can't give them back 398 00:24:19,960 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: exactly because you would win. I guess if you're like, 399 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,399 Speaker 1: I just can't get these pants exactly. Yeah, and that 400 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:28,919 Speaker 1: he would have to keep the pants forever. Um, how 401 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: about this one one of them had them. I think 402 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,760 Speaker 1: my favorite one was one of them had them put 403 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 1: in a Gremlin car and had the car compounded to 404 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: a you know when you compound a car to a 405 00:24:41,320 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: little time square. Yeah, the pants were inside it compacted Gremlin. Yeah, Gremlin. Um. 406 00:24:48,960 --> 00:24:52,480 Speaker 1: That was crushed into a three ft cube and it 407 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:55,280 Speaker 1: weighed two thousand pounds and it was in the in 408 00:24:55,400 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: the glove compartment of the Gremlin when it was crushed. Yeah. Yeah, 409 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: that was a pretty good one. Uh. It got like 410 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:06,640 Speaker 1: even bizarre. Uh. I guess Kunkle had the pants put 411 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:09,639 Speaker 1: into its seventeen and a half foot long red rocket 412 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: ship filled with concrete that weighed six tons. It was 413 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: five ft in diameter, and the pants were put in 414 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:22,080 Speaker 1: there somewhere inside in one of the fifteen concrete filled 415 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 1: canisters inside the rocket. Pretty good, not bad. One year, 416 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,199 Speaker 1: Kunkle had a hard time getting the pants out of 417 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: an eight foot high tire two ft wide filled with 418 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: six thousand pounds of concrete with the smarmie note on 419 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:43,520 Speaker 1: the outside have a good year, Yeah, terrible yeah um. 420 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:49,000 Speaker 1: Another year Collette had to get them had to get 421 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,520 Speaker 1: the pants out of a station wagon that was filled 422 00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,560 Speaker 1: with This is mind boggling to me, a hundred and 423 00:25:54,640 --> 00:25:58,280 Speaker 1: seventy generators that were all welded together with the pants 424 00:25:58,280 --> 00:26:01,359 Speaker 1: located somewhere in the middle, but you don't know where. No, 425 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: and Collette had to get in there, and I mean 426 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:06,919 Speaker 1: these things were welded together because you and you couldn't 427 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:10,320 Speaker 1: just like rip this apart, because if you wasted the pants, 428 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:16,120 Speaker 1: you lost. So he managed to get it out of there. Five. 429 00:26:16,280 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: What was what toy was popular in uh, let's say 430 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 1: Rubik's cube. Rubik's cube. So Collette had an idea and 431 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:28,359 Speaker 1: made a four ton Rubik's cube in five made of 432 00:26:28,400 --> 00:26:31,480 Speaker 1: concrete he had baked in a kiln and then covered 433 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: it with two thousand board feet of lumber. And the 434 00:26:35,920 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: pants were inside, and you had to solve the cube 435 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:43,120 Speaker 1: and he did so because that came before the generator, right. 436 00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:46,719 Speaker 1: I love these dudes. So the end of the pants 437 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 1: came along in ninety nine and Collette apparently had a 438 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:54,679 Speaker 1: buddy in Tennessee who ran a glass manufacturing company and said, hey, 439 00:26:54,760 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: you know that scrap class you have, while you melt 440 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: it down and let's encase the pants in it. Yeah, 441 00:27:00,440 --> 00:27:03,800 Speaker 1: And the friends said, okay, yeah, ten thousand pounds of 442 00:27:03,880 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 1: jagged glass, uh, and let's go drop it in his 443 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: front yard. The problem is the chunk of molten glass 444 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,919 Speaker 1: broke the canister that had the pants in it and 445 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:18,840 Speaker 1: just turned them, just disintegrated him. So the pants we're 446 00:27:18,840 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: putting to an urn. Instead, the ashes of the pants 447 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,480 Speaker 1: are put into an urn and given to Kunkle. That year, 448 00:27:25,560 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: Collecte conceded defeat yea, along with an epithet that said, sorry, 449 00:27:29,840 --> 00:27:32,960 Speaker 1: old man, here lies the pants. An attempt to cast 450 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: the pants in glass brought about the demise of the 451 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:40,000 Speaker 1: pants at last, And apparently Kunkle still has that urn. 452 00:27:40,680 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: And uh. These are two of my favorite dudes in 453 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,040 Speaker 1: the world. Now, I can't imagine carrying on a joke 454 00:27:46,119 --> 00:27:49,119 Speaker 1: like this for that long. They must have worked on 455 00:27:49,160 --> 00:27:50,560 Speaker 1: this for a couple of months out of the year 456 00:27:50,600 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: at least. You know, they probably started on January one, 457 00:27:54,440 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: devising the next year. You know, this is great and 458 00:27:58,960 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: all true. Somebody should make a movie about that Christmas movie. 459 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: It's a new holiday classic. Hey, Chuck, you know how 460 00:28:29,520 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: people are like, don't you dare write Christmas as x mess? 461 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,440 Speaker 1: People are very offended by that, They are very offended 462 00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,360 Speaker 1: by it. Well, it turns out it's not so offensive 463 00:28:39,400 --> 00:28:41,840 Speaker 1: to write Christmas as x mess. And if you do 464 00:28:42,200 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: write Christmas is x mess, you should pronounce it Xmas. 465 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,479 Speaker 1: You should pronounce it Christmas. And there's pretty good reason why. Yes, 466 00:28:49,560 --> 00:28:52,239 Speaker 1: there is a good reason, because it isn't an x 467 00:28:53,160 --> 00:28:55,520 Speaker 1: and it is not meant to take the Christ out 468 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:58,600 Speaker 1: of Christmas. Right, never was. And we have our friends 469 00:28:58,600 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 1: at the Straight Dope reaturing Cecil Adams to thank for 470 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,120 Speaker 1: this one. That's right. What is it, Josh? Well, that 471 00:29:04,400 --> 00:29:08,240 Speaker 1: X is the Greek letter kai. That's right, c h 472 00:29:08,360 --> 00:29:12,520 Speaker 1: I and kai. When you see it uh spelled out 473 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: in a word, you're supposed to pronounce it the sound 474 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:21,440 Speaker 1: like Christmas or christ that's christ. Yeah. So for a 475 00:29:21,520 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: very long time, I think, even before the Middle Ages, 476 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:29,960 Speaker 1: that term or that X was used to abbreviate Christ. 477 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:32,760 Speaker 1: That's right. It's not a new thing. No. So if 478 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,959 Speaker 1: you if you write X and then m A S, 479 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:38,920 Speaker 1: what you've just done is taken the abbreviation for Christ 480 00:29:39,520 --> 00:29:42,880 Speaker 1: and substituted it for the Christ and Christmas. So it's 481 00:29:42,880 --> 00:29:47,320 Speaker 1: still Christmas and there's still Christ in Christmas as far 482 00:29:47,360 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 1: as that X is concern. And that's the straight dope. 483 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:23,720 Speaker 1: It's a chuck. We're gonna finish with a Christmas story, 484 00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: that's right. I didn't realize this, but the guy who 485 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:32,760 Speaker 1: wrote UM, the gold standard classic Wizard of Oz directed Porkies, right, 486 00:30:33,480 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: Frank um l Frank Baum. He also wrote a long 487 00:30:37,720 --> 00:30:42,520 Speaker 1: Christmas epic story called UM The Life and Adventures of 488 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 1: Santa Claus. Yeah. It was long, wouldn't it. Yeah? Very 489 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: I mean there's a book link thing. Yeah, but it 490 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:52,160 Speaker 1: basically tells the story of Santa Claus. And we're going 491 00:30:52,200 --> 00:30:54,960 Speaker 1: to read When the World Grew Old. It was a 492 00:30:55,120 --> 00:30:58,960 Speaker 1: chapter from that, and basically Santa Claus has spent his 493 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: whole life. Is this a set up? Yeah, if you'l 494 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,000 Speaker 1: if feel indult, course, So Santa Claus has he was 495 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:08,880 Speaker 1: found in the woods as an orphan and raised by Ac, 496 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:13,440 Speaker 1: the god of the woods um and he proved himself 497 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,800 Speaker 1: to be Santa Claus, doing all the Santa claus E 498 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:18,440 Speaker 1: things he's famous for. But now he's become an old 499 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:22,280 Speaker 1: man with white hair and a white beard and huge 500 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:27,400 Speaker 1: cheeks that are still jolly. But he's he's at his deathbed. 501 00:31:27,640 --> 00:31:31,800 Speaker 1: Oh man. And um Ac goes to the other immortals, 502 00:31:31,920 --> 00:31:34,120 Speaker 1: gods of the woods and the rivers and all of 503 00:31:34,120 --> 00:31:37,560 Speaker 1: that stuff, Kings of the gnomes and all people like that, 504 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:41,160 Speaker 1: and gathers him and says, look, man, this guy. If 505 00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 1: there's ever been a human being who's earned immortality, the 506 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,840 Speaker 1: gift of immortality, it's this guy. He loves kids, he 507 00:31:48,920 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: makes toys for him every year. He's just a great humanitarian. 508 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,840 Speaker 1: He created like the Christmas as we understand it. Now, 509 00:31:57,200 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: let's give him the mantle of immortality. So they talk 510 00:32:00,160 --> 00:32:02,520 Speaker 1: about it and debate back and forth, and they finally agree, 511 00:32:02,720 --> 00:32:05,640 Speaker 1: and they go to Santa Claus's deathbed and they bestow 512 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: him with immortality. And this picks up the next morning 513 00:32:10,240 --> 00:32:14,160 Speaker 1: when Santa wakes up after thinking the night before that 514 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:33,640 Speaker 1: he's going to die when the world grew old. The 515 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,160 Speaker 1: next morning, When Santa Claus opened his eyes and gazed 516 00:32:36,200 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 1: around the familiar room which he had feared he might 517 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:41,600 Speaker 1: never see again, he was astonished to find his old 518 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:44,440 Speaker 1: strength renewed, and to feel the red blood of perfect 519 00:32:44,520 --> 00:32:47,640 Speaker 1: health coursing through his veins. He sprang from his bed 520 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: and stood where the bright sunshine came in through his 521 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: window and flooded him with its merry, dancing rays. He 522 00:32:54,200 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: did not then understand that what had happened to restore 523 00:32:57,000 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 1: him the vigor of youth. But in spite of the 524 00:32:59,680 --> 00:33:02,560 Speaker 1: fact that his beard remained the color of snow, and 525 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: that wrinkles still lingered in the corners of his bright eyes, 526 00:33:05,760 --> 00:33:08,640 Speaker 1: Old Santa Claus felt as brisk and merry as a 527 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:12,640 Speaker 1: boy of sixteen, and was soon whistling contentedly as he 528 00:33:12,720 --> 00:33:17,280 Speaker 1: busied himself fashioning new toys. Then at came to him 529 00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 1: and told of the mantle of immortality and how Claws 530 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:22,640 Speaker 1: had won it through his love for little children. It 531 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: made Old Santa look grave for a moment to think 532 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,760 Speaker 1: he had been so favored, but it also made him 533 00:33:27,800 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: glad to realize that now he need never fear being 534 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,640 Speaker 1: parted from his dear ones. At once he began making 535 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:38,000 Speaker 1: preparations for making a remarkable assortment of pretty and amusing playthings, 536 00:33:38,240 --> 00:33:41,480 Speaker 1: and in larger quantities than ever before, For now that 537 00:33:41,560 --> 00:33:44,440 Speaker 1: he might always devote himself to this work, he decided 538 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: that no child in the world, poor or rich, should 539 00:33:47,960 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: hereafter go without a Christmas gift, if he could manage 540 00:33:51,040 --> 00:33:54,320 Speaker 1: to supply it. The world was new in the days 541 00:33:54,320 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 1: when dear old Santa Claus first began toy making, and 542 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: one by his loving deeds, the mantle of him tortality, 543 00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:04,680 Speaker 1: and the task of supplying cheering words, sympathy, and pretty 544 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 1: playthings to all the young of his race did not 545 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,680 Speaker 1: seem a difficult undertaking at all. But every year more 546 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: and more children were born into the world, and these, 547 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: when they grew up, began spreading slowly all over the 548 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 1: face of the earth, seeking new homes, So that Santa 549 00:34:20,280 --> 00:34:23,480 Speaker 1: Claus found each year that his journeys must extend further 550 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: and further from the Laughing Valley, which, by the way, 551 00:34:26,080 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 1: is in the North Pole, and that packs of toys 552 00:34:28,920 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 1: must be made larger and ever larger. So at length 553 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:35,680 Speaker 1: he took counsel with his fellow immortals, Larry King and 554 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:38,400 Speaker 1: the others. How his work might keep pace with the 555 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 1: increasing number of children, that none might be neglected. And 556 00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,920 Speaker 1: the immortals were so greatly interested in his labors that 557 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:48,360 Speaker 1: they gladly rendered him their assistance. Ak gave him his 558 00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:52,360 Speaker 1: man Kilter, the silent and swift, and the nook Prints 559 00:34:52,360 --> 00:34:55,280 Speaker 1: gave him Peter, who was more crooked and less surly 560 00:34:55,320 --> 00:34:57,759 Speaker 1: than any of his brothers. And the Ryle Prince gave 561 00:34:57,840 --> 00:35:01,520 Speaker 1: him Nuter, the sweetest temper rile ever known, And the 562 00:35:01,520 --> 00:35:05,240 Speaker 1: Fairy Queen gave him Whisk, that tiny, mischievous but lovable 563 00:35:05,280 --> 00:35:08,240 Speaker 1: fairy who knows today almost as many children as Santa 564 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:11,879 Speaker 1: Claus himself. And Larry King gave him suspenders. With these 565 00:35:11,880 --> 00:35:13,880 Speaker 1: people to help make the toys and to keep his 566 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: house in order to look after the sledge and the harness, 567 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 1: Santa Claus found it much easier to prepare his yearly 568 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,480 Speaker 1: load of gifts, and his day began to follow one 569 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,360 Speaker 1: another smoothly and pleasantly. Yet after a few generations his 570 00:35:26,400 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: worries were renewed, for it was remarkable how the number 571 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: of people continue to grow, and how many more children 572 00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: there were every year to be served. When the people 573 00:35:34,719 --> 00:35:37,200 Speaker 1: filled all the cities and lands of one country, they 574 00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:39,640 Speaker 1: wandered into another part of the world, and the men 575 00:35:39,719 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 1: cut down the trees and many of the great forests 576 00:35:42,120 --> 00:35:44,280 Speaker 1: that had been ruled by act, And with the wood 577 00:35:44,280 --> 00:35:46,879 Speaker 1: they built new cities. And where the forest had been 578 00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:50,640 Speaker 1: were fields of grains and herds of browsing cattle. You 579 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:53,440 Speaker 1: might think the master woodsman would rebel at the loss 580 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,359 Speaker 1: of his force, but not so. The wisdom of ac 581 00:35:56,520 --> 00:36:00,319 Speaker 1: was mighty and far seeing. The world was made are men, 582 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:02,960 Speaker 1: said he to Santa Claus. And I have but guarded 583 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: the forests until men needed them for their use. I 584 00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 1: am glad my strong trees can furnish shelter for men's 585 00:36:09,440 --> 00:36:12,480 Speaker 1: weak bodies and warm them through the cold winters. But 586 00:36:12,560 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 1: I hope they will not cut down all the trees, 587 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:17,400 Speaker 1: For mankind needs the shelter of the woods in summer 588 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:20,160 Speaker 1: as much as the warmth of blazing logs in winter. 589 00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,480 Speaker 1: And however crowded the world may grow, I do not 590 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:26,359 Speaker 1: think men will ever come to Bersey, nor the great 591 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:30,160 Speaker 1: black forests, nor to the wooded wilderness of Brass, unless 592 00:36:30,200 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: they seek their shades for pleasure, and not to destroy 593 00:36:32,880 --> 00:36:35,719 Speaker 1: their giant trees. By and by people made ships from 594 00:36:35,760 --> 00:36:38,520 Speaker 1: the tree trunks and crossed over oceans and built cities 595 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,320 Speaker 1: and far lands. But the oceans made little difference to 596 00:36:41,360 --> 00:36:44,640 Speaker 1: the journeys of Santa Claus. His reindeer sped over the 597 00:36:44,640 --> 00:36:47,880 Speaker 1: waters as swiftly as over land, and his sledge headed 598 00:36:47,920 --> 00:36:50,120 Speaker 1: from east to west and followed in the wake of 599 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 1: the sun, so that as the earth rolled slowly over, 600 00:36:53,640 --> 00:36:56,560 Speaker 1: Santa Claus had all twenty four hours to encircle it 601 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: each Christmas Eve, and their speedy reindeer enjoy these wonderful 602 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,920 Speaker 1: journeys more and more so year after year, in generation 603 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:07,800 Speaker 1: after generation and century after century, the world grew older, 604 00:37:07,880 --> 00:37:10,520 Speaker 1: and the people became more numerous than the labors of 605 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:14,080 Speaker 1: Santa Claus steadily increased. The fame of his good deeds 606 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 1: spread to every household where children dwelt, and all the 607 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 1: little ones loved him dearly, and the fathers and mothers 608 00:37:20,400 --> 00:37:22,560 Speaker 1: honored him for the happiness he had given them when 609 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 1: they too were young, and the aged grandsires and grand 610 00:37:26,200 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: doms remembered him with tender gratitude and blessed his name. 611 00:37:36,480 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 1: The end, well, not the end, the end of that chapter. 612 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:45,600 Speaker 1: So that's it. That's our Christmas show. Chuck Christmas to you. 613 00:37:45,680 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: Merry Christmas, buddy. Happy Holidays to everyone out there. On Dasher, 614 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 1: on Dancer, on Donner, on Blitzen, we have comment and 615 00:37:53,760 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 1: Cupid and Cracking and the Cracking and Cathula that's right, 616 00:38:01,080 --> 00:38:05,600 Speaker 1: and Rudolph upfront. Happy holidays everybody. We'll see you next year. 617 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:17,680 Speaker 1: For more on this and thousands of other topics, is 618 00:38:17,719 --> 00:38:26,320 Speaker 1: it how stuff works dot com