And Today's Style Invitational had some fun winning entries:
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Report From Week 638
In which we asked for ideas for holiday movies or TV specials that would counter their usual sappy themes:
4 "A Cockroach Christmas": Ernest the bug tries desperately to find a morsel of food, but the house has been sterilized by the germ-obsessed lady of the house, and his family can't even celebrate Christmas because they're getting exterminated. (Sasha Lamb, Washington)
3 "Bill Nye's Physics Phun With Santa": The Science Guy disintegrates the Santa myth as he uses a blowtorch and a hot dog to demonstrate reindeer thermodynamics at the speeds needed for Kriss Kringle to stay on schedule. (Kevin Dopart, Washington)
2 "Holy Guacamole": When they decide they've seen a miraculously appearing Nativity scene in a bowl of mashed avocado, the Hernandez family learns how to make a little extra Christmas green. (Lawrence McGuire, Waldorf)
1 "Apocalypse Noel": Captain Benjamin Willard dog-sleds deep into Yukon Territory to assassinate deranged Colonel Nicholas Klaus, who has appointed himself Santa to a devoted Inuit tribe. (P.H. Stevenson, Scottsville, Va.)
-Although, I also liked some of the Honorable Mentions:
"Mr. Potter's Revenge": George Bailey watches as an interstate is built past Bedford Falls, the industries move out of town, the residents move to the suburbs, his savings and loan is accused of redlining, and finally a Wal-Mart is built on the outskirts of town and decimates what remains of the central business district. (Christopher P. Larsen, Portland, Ore.)
"The 87% Solution": Holiday classics improved with having the ending cut off. The box set includes the Grinch leaving with all the loot; Frosty melted; and George Bailey ready to jump off the bridge. (Kevin Dopart)
"Kathie Lee Gifford's Desert Island Christmas": Tom Shales gives this special his highest recommendation, as Kathie Lee is stranded with the "Survivor" cast and they kill her for meat. (John Johnston)
"The Bipolar Express": A young boy finds that the exhilaration of candy canes and sugar plums can come crashing down in disappointment and loneliness. (Peter Metrinko, Chantilly)
"The Love Yule Never Know": Originally made as a tender, open-minded love story, but when PBS rejected it the show went to Fox as a no-holds-barred expos of the relationship between Santa and the third elf from the left. (Bill Spencer, Exeter, N.H.)
"Two Eyes Made Out of Coal": A snowman waits, lonely, despondent, in an empty field, knowing that a warm front is on the way. (Michelle Stupak, Ellicott City)
"Elf-B.I.": Agents go undercover at the North Pole to hack into Santa's naughty/nice database as part of their stepped-up surveillance of the citizenry. They see you when you're sleeping, they know when you're awake . . . (Brendan Beary)
-And my personal favorite entry of the bunch:
"Gift of the Magnificent Seven": Yul Brynner sells his hair to buy a holster for Robert Vaughn's gun while Robert Vaughn sells his gun to buy a comb for Yul Brynner. (Chuck Smith, Woodbridge)
Washington Post Style InvitationalMerry Christmas!!!