I know this is is off track for this story (which is great!) but my heart was in my mouth for a second when the email preview came through and all I saw was "should Charlie Brown have been allowed to" and I thought OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
Another wonderful essay (don’t tell Michael but your writing resonates with me more than his does, haha). The football theme is another variation on “One must imagine Sisyphus happy,” idea. . . Like Rocky and Bullwinkle, Charlie Brown was always written by an adult for adults. One can only hope that the messages settled into the hearts and souls of children as well. Lovely piece of writing. . .
Brent — this one hit me right in the travel bones.
I think I’m a Lucy sometimes — always daring life to prove me wrong, pulling the football away just to see what happens next. But maybe that’s the point of moving, of starting over in new places — we keep showing up for the kick anyway.
The world tilts a little differently when you realize belonging isn’t about success, it’s about the trying.
I had several Peanuts paperbacks as a kid and it was always the first strip I read in the Sunday paper as an adult. Excellent and thought-provoking. essay. Thanks, Brent.
Hi, Oh the existential lessons of comics. I really enjoyed your take on this realizing that we did, after all, laugh, every time he missed the football. It is human nature to laugh at comic defeat, ie. The Three Stooges, if you’re old enough to know those forms of physical comedy. Peanuts was perfect because the characters always had such introspection into their daily lives and dramas. Another cartoon that started the year my second son was born, is the Simpsons. To this day, he can quote from hundreds of episodes as we religiously watched this show as a family. For the kids whose parents wouldn’t let them watch (I was a teacher) I always referred to the Simpsons as bringing us the “antithetical” lesson of life; that we should always try to do the opposite of what Bart, Homer, and even Maggie did. Through that we learned how to be “good” people. However, we did have Lisa “doing the right thing” but she was never as funny, while Marge was always having an existential crisis of her own, deciding between good and naughty. Best show ever. I don’t watch it anymore. At 71, I guess I grew up. Cheers, Maggie Hess
Snoopy freak here, I have collectibles since high school in the 60’s (no need to get too specific which year) and to this day I wear a honking big Snoopy man’s watch, with day and date! I have all manner of stuffed Snoopys, greeting cards and an earring box full of cloisonné pierced earrings and pins from the 60s and 70s, but I’m not fanatic about it, much! Sorry Charlie Brown, they just didn’t make much for the rest of the gang, though Woodstock is with Snoopy a lot.
I agree and would happily if only time and tide hadn’t passed me by. I did get to Australia in 2006 and they had a nice Snoopy market there too, with wildly colored Snoopys in store windows, lavender, pink, pale yellow, not good old black and white.
I never read the comic strip. I only played with the stuffed animal Belle, who was a gift from my American aunt. But based on your essay, I’d say it’s very cool that he kept trying. Life is indeed about not giving up.
Brent, I appreciate this thoughtful musing on Charles Schulz, Peanuts, and its beloved characters. It has always been a favorite of mine, in particular its golden era as you mentioned. And how I've related to the many characters over various phases of my life, whether it be Linus, Charlie Brown, and more and more as I've gotten older, Snoopy. Especially as I've realized how much better I relate to dogs than people.
Awww, that’s so very cool that you had the opportunity to interview Charles Schultz!!
I always read the Peanuts strip in the Arizona Republic newspaper that my parents had a subscription to (in black and white but with the color strip on Sundays).
These days, my teenage son likes Pesnuts and I’ve been slowly buying volumes that contain 2 years worth of strips. I think he has 10 at this point (well, the last 4 are for his birthday in a week) so he will have 20 years worth of the comic strips.
And I never imagined that Lucy would ever change, so: nope, Charlie Brown will never kick that ball….
Having grown up with this, I was perpetually kicking the ball, until I married Lucy, we had numerous kite eating trees and I think Woodstock was in love with Snoopy. I had a fort called sopwith camal
Ooh, it's also an interesting layer in that, ultimately, it's a medium–so what do we, the readers, learn by Charlie Brown not kicking the football? What might we have learned, or missed out on learning, if he *had* kicked it?
I reread so many of these strips so often as a kid, and now my kids are reading them, and it's wonderful to have that same frame of reference for so many things. To have a new generation get it when you say "I bumped my head!" or "My cold cereal is getting soggy" or "But why did you have to drop it?!" or "I want to look at MY [stars]" or– I'll stop, I'll stop 🤣
I know this is is off track for this story (which is great!) but my heart was in my mouth for a second when the email preview came through and all I saw was "should Charlie Brown have been allowed to" and I thought OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE?!
OMG, I love it!
😂😂😂 That is HILARIOIS
Another wonderful essay (don’t tell Michael but your writing resonates with me more than his does, haha). The football theme is another variation on “One must imagine Sisyphus happy,” idea. . . Like Rocky and Bullwinkle, Charlie Brown was always written by an adult for adults. One can only hope that the messages settled into the hearts and souls of children as well. Lovely piece of writing. . .
Thank you. Yeah, it's not really for kids, is it? lol
Brent — this one hit me right in the travel bones.
I think I’m a Lucy sometimes — always daring life to prove me wrong, pulling the football away just to see what happens next. But maybe that’s the point of moving, of starting over in new places — we keep showing up for the kick anyway.
The world tilts a little differently when you realize belonging isn’t about success, it’s about the trying.
–Kelly
Thank you. And I like the travel comparison -- makes sense! Hard agree.
I grew up on Peanuts and this was so dang insightful. I can't believe you got to interview Charles! Loved it. And I'm with you on the comedy.
Thank you! 😍
Thank you. 🙂 To be clear, I REALLY sounded like an idiot -- I've always been to scared to re-listen to the tape. But he was too kind to notice.
I'm sure you were much more articulate than you were in your head!
Well... maybe LOL
I had several Peanuts paperbacks as a kid and it was always the first strip I read in the Sunday paper as an adult. Excellent and thought-provoking. essay. Thanks, Brent.
Thank you! Appreciate hearing that.
I just ever read it for Snoopy.
That's fair! I def gravitated to the darker stuff.
This is beautiful. But as a wanky ex Philosophy student I need to ask if the football was ever there to kick.
LOL
Hi, Oh the existential lessons of comics. I really enjoyed your take on this realizing that we did, after all, laugh, every time he missed the football. It is human nature to laugh at comic defeat, ie. The Three Stooges, if you’re old enough to know those forms of physical comedy. Peanuts was perfect because the characters always had such introspection into their daily lives and dramas. Another cartoon that started the year my second son was born, is the Simpsons. To this day, he can quote from hundreds of episodes as we religiously watched this show as a family. For the kids whose parents wouldn’t let them watch (I was a teacher) I always referred to the Simpsons as bringing us the “antithetical” lesson of life; that we should always try to do the opposite of what Bart, Homer, and even Maggie did. Through that we learned how to be “good” people. However, we did have Lisa “doing the right thing” but she was never as funny, while Marge was always having an existential crisis of her own, deciding between good and naughty. Best show ever. I don’t watch it anymore. At 71, I guess I grew up. Cheers, Maggie Hess
Yeah, I agree that the Simpsons was just brilliant, so fresh and different, at least for the first fifteen years or so. Thanks for the reminder!
Snoopy freak here, I have collectibles since high school in the 60’s (no need to get too specific which year) and to this day I wear a honking big Snoopy man’s watch, with day and date! I have all manner of stuffed Snoopys, greeting cards and an earring box full of cloisonné pierced earrings and pins from the 60s and 70s, but I’m not fanatic about it, much! Sorry Charlie Brown, they just didn’t make much for the rest of the gang, though Woodstock is with Snoopy a lot.
Haha a noble pursuit! You need to come to Asia -- Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. They LOVE Snoopy here!
I agree and would happily if only time and tide hadn’t passed me by. I did get to Australia in 2006 and they had a nice Snoopy market there too, with wildly colored Snoopys in store windows, lavender, pink, pale yellow, not good old black and white.
That sounds lovely!
I never read the comic strip. I only played with the stuffed animal Belle, who was a gift from my American aunt. But based on your essay, I’d say it’s very cool that he kept trying. Life is indeed about not giving up.
Yup. Attitude matters!
Brent, I appreciate this thoughtful musing on Charles Schulz, Peanuts, and its beloved characters. It has always been a favorite of mine, in particular its golden era as you mentioned. And how I've related to the many characters over various phases of my life, whether it be Linus, Charlie Brown, and more and more as I've gotten older, Snoopy. Especially as I've realized how much better I relate to dogs than people.
Thank you! haha, I've always related to Linus (clueless dork but incredibly loyal friend), but Snoopy works too...
There was always a lesson from Schultz.
He's just incredible, isn't he?
Awww, that’s so very cool that you had the opportunity to interview Charles Schultz!!
I always read the Peanuts strip in the Arizona Republic newspaper that my parents had a subscription to (in black and white but with the color strip on Sundays).
These days, my teenage son likes Pesnuts and I’ve been slowly buying volumes that contain 2 years worth of strips. I think he has 10 at this point (well, the last 4 are for his birthday in a week) so he will have 20 years worth of the comic strips.
And I never imagined that Lucy would ever change, so: nope, Charlie Brown will never kick that ball….
Yeah, it was a thrill even if I sounded like a dork.
That's fantastic that your son still loves them! I've always thought they were very timeless.
Having grown up with this, I was perpetually kicking the ball, until I married Lucy, we had numerous kite eating trees and I think Woodstock was in love with Snoopy. I had a fort called sopwith camal
(Did you use your fort as a plane like Snoopy did with his doghouse?)
haha, you may be right about Woodstock.
Ooh, it's also an interesting layer in that, ultimately, it's a medium–so what do we, the readers, learn by Charlie Brown not kicking the football? What might we have learned, or missed out on learning, if he *had* kicked it?
I reread so many of these strips so often as a kid, and now my kids are reading them, and it's wonderful to have that same frame of reference for so many things. To have a new generation get it when you say "I bumped my head!" or "My cold cereal is getting soggy" or "But why did you have to drop it?!" or "I want to look at MY [stars]" or– I'll stop, I'll stop 🤣
I know! There are soooooo many great lines and sequences. it was just an EXPLOSION of creativity.