Ugh! Fandom! Why are you so angst-ridden?

[lirazel]

I wants happiness! *stomps foot* So I'm gonna make some right here.

Earlier today I realized that I didn't watch Arsenic and Old Lace around Halloween like I meant to. And that made me realize that I have lots of holiday tradition movies/shows.

So let's talk Thanksgiving, 'cause that's the one that's almost here. We can talk about the others when they arrive.

What episodes (or movies!) will you be watching, those of you who are Americans or who love American TV and just want a reason to watch some great episodes?

I'm gonna be watching "Pangs," obviously, from whence comes my favorite Thanksgiving quote: "To commemorate a past event, you kill and eat an animal. It's a ritual sacrifice. With pie."

And also various West Wing episodes because nothing is more fun than listening to Sam Seaborn pitch his TV show about the Pilgrims: "By day they churn butter and worship according to their own beliefs. By night they solves crimes." ALSO TURKEYS IN CJ'S OFFICE, OKAY???

Am I missing something? What other shows have awesome Thanksgiving episodes? What do I need to be watching this week?

Comments

[snickfic]

I don't really have Thanksgiving traditions, especially not viewing traditions. But! Flatmate and I are apparently putting up the tree this weekend (yay!) which in flatmate's world involves hot chocolate and stringing popcorn and watching It's a Wonderful Life. And also I bought a Mannheim Steamroller Christmas album this morning because what says "Holiday season!" like harpsichords and recorders? I ask you. And also there will be a rewatch of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Generally, though, my reading/listening/viewing tastes are very seasonal. November is the time for spooky things (yeah, yeah, Halloween - whatever). So American Gods and The Haunting of Hill House. Christmastime and winter thereafter is for Shakespeare, the Lord of the Rings movies, nonfiction, my old pseudo-rap dc Talk album, and Silly Wizard (70's Celtic group). Spring is poetry (and a reread of Possession). Etc.

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Oh, dc Talk. The late 90's will always have you playing as a soundtrack in the youth group van.

[snickfic]

Ohhhh, yeah. I've been feeling nostalgic lately. I pulled out my Supertones CD the other day to wash dishes by...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_jems_/]

I can't remember ever seeing you talk about HIMYM, but if you do watch it, Slapsgiving should be a given. Otherwise, there is quite a dearth of good Thanksgiving episodes. The only other ones I can think of are those horrible family comedies like According to Jim and its ilk. Blech!

[silverusagi]

I don't have anything I watch. But turkeys in CJ's office FTW!

[diebirchen.livejournal.com]

Well, who wouldn't be made happy watching Teddy Roosevelt charge up San Juan Hill?

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

Well, there's the Northern Exposure Thanksgiving episode and, of course, WKRP in Cincinnati aka "'As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly".

But let's face it, nothing is better than Pangs.

Spike: A bear! You made a bear!
Buffy: I didn't mean to.
Spike: Undo it! Undo it!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Is the Northern Exposure the one where she broke the outrageously expensive bottle of wine that Maurice had planned to use, so she got Eve to help her 'fake' a new expensive bottle with Eve dumping things like moss and stuff to achieve the correct flavor? That always amused the heck out of me.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

The Indians in Cicely celebrate Thanksgiving by throwing tomatoes at white people. Joel is Ed's first victim and he is angered because in his words he is "definitely not white." The town gets decorated with skulls and pumpkins as they also celebrate "The Day of the Dead." Joel also gets bad news in a letter telling him that he must serve another year on his contract. Mike's latest reactions to the environment are caused by something he can't trace so he thinks about moving to Greenland. Chris waxes nostalgic and decides that the something missing from his life is "the joint" when he finds a can of beans that he remembers from Thanksgiving.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

No, that was The Big Feast .

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

OH THAT WKRP EPISODE!!!!!!!! YES!!!!!

[dampersnspoons.livejournal.com]

My family has a strange movie tradition, but it's tradition so that means love!

We always watch "The Jerk", "Raising Arizona", and "Young Frankenstein" every Thanksgiving. There is absolutely no Turkey-day theme for any of these, so I wonder where this started?

But my favorite holiday-themed movie is "Home for the Holidays" with Holly Hunter and Robert Downey, Jr. If you have a dysfunctional family or just like watching train wrecks, that's a hilarious film to watch every year. I think I might add that to our traditions!

AND BOO ON THE ANGST! I'm happy as a clam over here, doing a Buffy marathon with my husband, and loving fandom as if it were my first born. NAY to the NAYSAYERS! Happiness abounds!

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

Home for the Holidays is so wonderful. RDJ is fantastic. But, good grief--the dad. So funny. I try to recreate his prayer every time I have to say grace for big holiday meals.

[dampersnspoons.livejournal.com]

hahaha! That whole dinner table scene is pretty much awesome. I relate a little too well to the characters. It's sad, though, because I'm RDJ in this scenario... does that mean I'm a gay man? ;)

[blackfrancine.livejournal.com]

Ha! I'm pretty sure that means you're awesome.

[next_to_normal]

This afternoon, my mother emailed me this (my mother is emailing me YouTube videos - what has the world come to?).

I have to bring home the DVDs so we can watch the Thanksgiving episodes. :)

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Friends usually put an effort in their Thanksgiving episodes. I remember the one with Joey ending up with a turkey on his head and the one where Rachel decided to make a 'traditional English meat trifle" (no there's no such thing).

[eilowyn.livejournal.com]

Thanksgiving only includes Pangs, but I'm sure someday Shirley will invite the Greendale gang for Thanksgiving hijinks and television metaphors, creating an episode to rival that of the immortal Jane Espenson's American holiday opus.

Umm . . . Charlie Brown?

[magisterequitum.livejournal.com]

Sam & the Pilgrims. He totally tells his future children that as bedtime stories.

And the turkeys in the office!!!

(Am so currently writing Thanksgiving fic where Sam meets Ainsley's family. One big torture fest.)

[ladyofthelog.livejournal.com]

PANGS IS REQUIRED FOR ALL THANKSGIVINGS, FOREVER, THE END. <3

I don't watch much TV, so that's it for me. ;)

[unbridled-b.livejournal.com]

I always watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and The Garfield Thanksgiving Special, both of which we have on DVD. Also, if hubby will consent to it, Miracle on 34th Street, It's a Wonderful Life, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Don't ask me my reasoning behind the last one; it just feels right. :P

[prophecygirrl.livejournal.com]

Bless you for this!

I love all the eps you mentioned, and if I can find the West Wing episode on Netflix, I am SO THERE.

Plus....A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. THERE I SAID IT, OK???

Also, the Laurel and Hardy version of the movie "March of the Wooden Soldiers" -- it was on every Thanksgiving morning as a child growing up, and like Pavlov's dog, my mouth waters just thinking if it! I swear I can smell roast turkey right now!

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Tonight's Thanksgiving episode of "Raising Hope" was pretty cute.

[ever-neutral.livejournal.com]

PANGS. HAHAHA. YESSS.

And Slapsgiving. Amen.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

I found a list of Thanksgiving classics.