Episode 132: You're a Mean One | Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas! & the History of Christmas

Every Who down in Whoville liked Christmas a lot, but the Grinch, who lived just North of Whoville… did NOT. Welcome, friends, to another Midnight Myth Christmas Special! This is our favorite time of year, in part due to the Winter holidays’ rich historical and folkloric tradition. Each year, we turn our eye to a beloved classic holiday story to identify its connections to universal themes. This year, we’re unpacking Dr. Seuss’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ We’ll discuss the inspiration for the story, its roots in earlier Christmas classics like A Christmas Carol and A Visit from Saint Nicholas (’Twas the Night Before Christmas), and how the history of Christmas permeates its meaning. We’ll get in the time machine and explore Christmas in the Roman Empire, then learn more about real-world Grinches, the Puritans. We’ll even carve the roast beast.

Whatever you celebrate this Solstice Season, we wish you a warm, safe, and happy occasion, and a blessed new year.

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Boomerangerang: Christmas Edition

It’s the Eve of Christmas, and the Midnight Myth is here to bring you joy and cheer. With a Holiday Edition of our classic Boomerangerang, we’re swapping your favorite Christmas-y characters with non-holiday franchises to see who’d fare well in the “real world.” Who’d make a better Don Draper: Frosty the Snowman or George Bailey? All that and more. Watch our Twitter to vote for the winners, and of course, happy new year.

Episode 86: You Wonderful Old Building & Loan

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy New Year to all. It’s another Midnight Myth Christmas Special, and this time we’re breaking down one of the most beloved Christmas stories of all time: Frank Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life. Derek and Laurel revisit flashbacks of the life of George Bailey, the caretaker of Bedford Falls, using his story to understand the greater themes of the season, and of American exceptionalism. From Enlightenment economics to creative nursing and A Christmas Carol, this episode truly celebrates the little things.

Episode 44: A Very Midnight Myth Christmas

As Laurel and Derek settle in for a long winters nap, we bring you our last episode of 2017 discussing the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas. In this episode, we ask what makes a good Christmas story, as we delve into Charles Dickens perennial holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol.” Just like the holiday itself, Dickens’ story strikes a chord with its roots deep in history, myth, and the human condition. We hope everyone had a great year, and thank you all for coming on this adventure with us. Pod bless us, everyone.