Peanuts

Three or four days ago (can't remember exactly when), I saw a pretty good movie that I had kinda avoided for a long time. The Peanuts movie. When I saw the posters for it, I couldn't believe how it was greenlit. The characters looked so... wrong. I can't describe it, but it was just something about its style that irked me. It seemed like something you'd do for a fanart; 3D but still trying to maintain the look of Charles M Schulz's style. My fears were greatly eased when I saw the reviews - it was supposedly really good. Who knows? Had it not been for Inside out, it might had been an oscar contestant.

Let's talk about the movie and then about Peanuts in general.

I didn't expect much of it, honestly. Hopefully that it'd be good, but that's it. Surprisingly, I've warmed up to the style and look of it, possibly because the movie was good. It's about as sweet and innocent as you can get. Just a look into a few kids' life, nothing else. No villain or grand plot, just a few slices of lives. Like how it should be. Honestly, there's not much to say, it's a simple a movie as you can get. I really liked it. Sparky (Charles M Schulz) would have approved, even the ending.

Anyway, I think most people alive have SOME relation to Peanuts. I watched it it in my youth and I've read the comic strips my whole life. Calvin and Hobbes might be the best comic strip there is, but Peanuts is darn close. Not laugh-out-loud funny, but it's not supposed to be. Simple slice of life with some funny punchlines and philosophy. I always preferred the human characters, cuz I've always believe their relationships and interactions are what makes Peanuts so enjoyable and kind of timeless in a way. Most people remember their looks and core personalities, no matter where you're fun. It might not be perfect, but it still stand the test of time. That's saying something, seeing how it's been around for 66 years and counting.

Yet even when the movie came out, there's not much hype about it. Whatever fanbase it has has never exactly been vocal or huge. Just the way I prefer it, honestly, otherwise you get stuff like Undertale or fnaf. Ugh. My point is, it seems to be something you might take for granted.

Myself included.

Y'see, I rewatched a LOT of specials and reread some strips (a word the internet has forever ruined for me) and I realized how much I really like Peanuts and always has. Not to mention the impact it has on culture and creators all over the world. Hey Arnold owes a lot to it, for example, and that's not a bad thing. It's like what a lot of people seem to think about MST3K or even Simpsons; the style and jokes are so deep rooted in their personalities that you don't even think about it. So when people ask you to list your greatest influences, you just might forget the ones that shaped you so much you take it for granted. To me, Peanuts is one of those. It might be the reason why I like humor where the jokes are just how two or more people just work off each other, something I only understood once I saw Hey Arnold or Tales of symphonia. Before that, it was Simpson, and even before that, Peanuts.

It's not for everyone. For one thing, if you don't like dark stuff and somewhat meanspirited characters, Peanuts might be too much. Even I as a kid never left too many Peanuts specials with a huge grin on my face, they don't always have the happiest of endings. Though I really liked the journeys there, so to say, as there were good chuckles spread out across it. That and I saw WAY too much of myself in Charlie Brown. Still do. Honestly, some parts of the Peanuts movie were kinda hard to watch because of it. Truly, I wish I became an extrovert.

Who's my favorite character? Easy, PEPPERMINT PATTY!! Remember how I said I forgot how much I liked Peanuts and its influences on me? She's a prime example, and possibly the biggest reason why I like Peanuts so much. No, I never thought she was a boy, plenty of Peanuts characters were voiced by boys regardless of characters. I don't think there's any chock when I say the Peanuts movie changed a few minor things, two of which were that Peppermint Patty attended Charlie's school, and my personal favorite, she's a LOT more physical in her flirting. Case in point, she spins Charlie around with a hockey stick and reels him in REAL close! So approved!

But yeah, I've always liked her for some reason. She's peppy, which I always enjoy in females. Of course, she has an unrequited love for Charlie Brown who only have eyes for the little red-haired girl, but sometimes, she COMPLETELY ignore her feelings for him. It makes her less predictable. It's something she has in common with Helga G Pataki, who might have been influenced by her. She's 8, but she openly flirts with poor Charlie. Who can forget classics like "You touched my hand, Chuck!" or "You're holding my hand, Chuck! You sly dog."? She even calls him on occation, probably every day. My favorite special is There's no time for love, Charlie Brown. Because MAXIMUM PEPPERMINT PATTY!! Her jealousy for the red-haired girl is immortalized with a simple "I CAN'T STAND YOU, CHUCK!!". Also, Patty's best friend Marcie also has a crush on Charlie, and has kissed him in both the comics and specials. She might represent the daring side Peppermint Patty wish she had. Some might find her annoying, but to me, PEPPERMINT PATTY IS AWESOME!! The source of a lot of laughter, past, present, and future.

If you want recommendations of specials and what to watch, just read the comic. If not, try the Peanuts movie, A Charlie Brown christmas and any special or episode that has Peppermint Patty in it, such as the thanksgiving one. I still stand by that the comic past 1960 (my favorites were in the 70s) is the best version of Peanuts, but the movie comes in a not too distant second.

There's no meaning in me rambling on about this. You already know about Peanuts and your relationship to it is more sacred to you than mine. I hope I reawoke your interest in it, and that you'll take some time to watch the movie or your favorite special. Or better up, read the comic strip, all of them can be read online for free.

It's a shame that Schulz is not with us, it would have been fascinating to have a conversation with him. May he rest in peace.

Peanuts will live on for a long time.