How the Grinch Stole Our Hearts BEHIND THE TIMELESS CHRISTMAS TALE
written. “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” is a hilariously clever song and a highlight of the program. The filmmakers also secured a big win in the voice talents of horror movie legend Boris Karloff, who provided an alternatingly sneering and tender tone to the production. Thanks to its full animation technique featuring 25,000 drawings, Variety says “The Grinch” may have been the most expensive television special made until that time. Later, Hollywood upped the ante with a live-action adaptation in 2000 and an animated full-length film in 2018. Both movies were box office successes, but neither has overtaken the 26-minute TV special as our favorite way to enjoy the Grinch. Why does the Grinch endure? Dr. Seuss based the character on himself, so it may be that there’s a little bit of the Grinch in all of us. Unlike that other well-known holiday-hater Ebenezer Scrooge, he gives those who aren’t full of Christmas cheer a favorable mascot. The Grinch’s wild schemes and comical complaints are more fun than menacing, and his story produces a reliably happy ending. As its greatest gift, an annual viewing can leave even the most hardened Grinch feeling as if their own heart has grown a size or two.
As regularly as Rudolph does, the Grinch appears on our television screens every December. Despite his negative attitude and nefarious intentions, the protagonist of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” remains a family favorite more than 60 years after the animated TV special first aired. The Grinch’s transformation into a cultural icon began with a 1957 children’s book. Author Dr. Seuss had recently experienced great success with “The Cat in the Hat” and was a hot commodity. He published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” later that same year, and the black-and-white book was an instant smash. The story might have ended there if Dr. Seuss had his way. Dr. Seuss was protective of his creations and didn’t trust them in anyone else’s hands, but his filmmaker friend, Chuck Jones, eventually persuaded him to reconsider. Still, the story required some changes. Jones assigned the Grinch his signature green color, and the Grinch’s dog, Max, was given a more prominent role to increase the special’s runtime. But the songs were the most important of all.
The TV special contains nine total musical numbers, the most famous featuring lyrics only Dr. Seuss could have
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anyone who has ever received such a present knows it’s no fun to open. Others spend money to buy small, beautiful gift boxes.
But a more straightforward and less expensive route involves a used toilet paper roll. Remove any residue, place the gift inside, then fold the ends of the roll in. Ta-da — you have an instant gift box. You can also wrap small presents like a piece of hard candy. Instead of struggling to fold and tape, fold the paper around the present horizontally, then twist the edges shut. Keep it simple. There’s nothing more frustrating than realizing you cut your wrapping paper too short. Do you throw it out and recut it? Place a strip of paper over the bare spot? Before you go to any desperate measures, turn the gift diagonally and see if the paper is now long enough to cover the entire present. Whether this hack works depends on your gift’s size and shape, but it’s worth a shot before wasting more time and materials.
items? The internet has you covered with plenty of detailed tutorials, but we offer a different solution: Go with your gut and do your best.
Most people don’t expect your gifts to look picture-perfect. And research by SciTechDaily found that intricately wrapped presents create unrealistic expectations. Those who receive an averagely wrapped gift are more likely to be impressed by the contents than those who get one that looks like Martha Stewart herself wrapped it. So, rest assured there’s nothing wrong with a utilitarian job. What’s underneath the wrapping paper matters most.
Oddly shaped gifts seem to cause the most strife of all, though. What do you do with wine bottles, stuffed animals, and other non-rectangular
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