Prompt Cast
The Christmas Special: Die Hard, Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Christmas in Space, and Holiday Crazes
TLDR In this Christmas special episode, the hosts discuss the debate over whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie, the history and traditions of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, astronauts celebrating Christmas in space, and the crazes surrounding Cabbage Patch Kids and Tickle Me Elmo. They also explore the old tradition of Wassal, a boozy warm punch.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The hosts introduce themselves and their special guest for the Christmas special episode.
05:34
The hosts discuss the ongoing debate over whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie and argue that the setting of a movie and the feelings it evokes for individuals are more important than whether or not it takes place during Christmas.
10:07
Die Hard is argued to be a carefully sculpted Christmas allegory with various symbolic elements, such as the names of the characters and references to Christmas miracles.
15:14
Die Hard is considered a Christmas movie because it incorporates the holiday themes, such as family and appreciation, and includes Christmas elements in the characters and dialogue.
19:47
The origins of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree date back to 1931 when construction workers decided to decorate the site with a 20-foot tree during the Great Depression, and it has since become a beloved New York holiday tradition.
24:59
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is carefully selected and erected, using guy wires and a steel spike, and has been decorated with LED lights since 2007, saving a significant amount of energy, and after being taken down, the tree is donated to Habitat for Humanity to be turned into lumber for building homes.
30:25
Christmas in Space first happened in 1968 when the Apollo 8 crew transmitted a holiday message from space, and since then, there have been sporadic instances of astronauts spending Christmas in space, including fixing the Hubble telescope and celebrating Christmas on the Russian mirror.
35:10
Christmas in space has become routine since the launch of the International Space Station, with astronauts experiencing 15 Christmas mornings throughout the day due to their 92-minute orbits around the Earth.
40:30
The Cabbage Patch Kid craze in the 1980s was so significant that people were shoving and punching each other to buy the dolls, and the company made billions of dollars from 1983 to 1988.
45:41
Tickle Me Elmo became a huge craze in 1996 after being featured on the Rosie O'Donnell show, causing a shortage of the doll and leading to stampedes and even mob involvement in acquiring them.
50:28
Wassal is an old tradition of going to people's houses on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, bringing them a present or food, and drinking a strong, boozy, warm punch called wassal.
Categories:
Society & Culture
