Season's Greetings from Eastland! (holiday cheer, pictures, stories, and songs!)

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I was kidding, only kidding! I know you are in touch with your feelings, which makes the Artax Death Scene non-feelings so boggling to me. But I get it: not everyone is touched by the same things.

And the first time I saw that film, it was in 3rd grade, when our teacher played it for us on the TV, and we were all sitting/lying in the floor in front of it watching it. So maybe there was some talking or distraction going on during my initial viewing of that scene too, who knows?

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Wait... you aren't talking about Susan in Narnia are you?

[sigh], yes...Susan, my sweet Susan....(I figured you would know). I am appreciating Edmund more than I did now that I'm older, but yes, I grew up loving Susan the best (and Lord Drinian, and Hwin). I "got" her sensitivity and her concern for safety/caution (yet I was also kinda bratty like Edmund, but didn't wanna own up to it, haha). And I totally did not see that coming. It was like season 1 "Facts" fans "in the dark" tuning in on the night of the premiere of season 2 to see their favorite farm girl Sue Ann "frienemy-ing" with Blair, but THERE WAS NO SUE ANN. #AbsolutelyUnthinkable

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

INo, I knew you weren't excluding Lorsie! Just wanted to make sure he knew he was invited to the so-far-hypothetical Lost Girls Lunch.

Oh definitely! (and we will discuss this more because it deserves its own thread)

And, to get this thread back on topic, here's a tragic holiday tale I saw in childhood that stuck the tragedy chord in me: we were in kindergarten, and we saw an animated tale of Hans Christian Andersen's Christmas Eve story "The Little Match Girl". And at the time I thought it was the saddest. thing. ever.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I pounded my fist on the bed and was fighting back tears as a 15-year-old boy when the author of my favorite series of books "turned away" my favorite character in the last book (it's hard to explain in generalities---not killed off, but this character's fate excluding them from everyone else at the end---being "the Nancy" regarding The Group!).

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

[sigh], yes...Susan, my sweet Susan....(I figured you would know).

Yeah, it's one of the most shocking moments of the Narnia books. Eustace acts like a jerk for years, Edmund betrays everyone, Trumpkin denies Aslan's existence, but Susan doesn't get in... because she's into make-up.

And I totally did not see that coming.

No-one did. When we last saw Susan, she was just one of the kids. Then... BAM!

It was like season 1 "Facts" fans "in the dark" tuning in on the night of the premiere of season 2 to see their favorite farm girl Sue Ann "frienemy-ing" with Blair, but THERE WAS NO SUE ANN. #AbsolutelyUnthinkable

I definitely see your point!

And, to get this thread back on topic, here's a tragic holiday tale I saw in childhood that stuck the tragedy chord in me: we were in kindergarten, and we saw an animated tale of Hans Christian Andersen's Christmas Eve story "The Little Match Girl". And at the time I thought it was the saddest. thing. ever.

The animated tale that freaked me out and made me very sad was Watership Down. OMG!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yeah, it's one of the most shocking moments of the Narnia books. Eustace acts like a jerk for years, Edmund betrays everyone, Trumpkin denies Aslan's existence, but Susan doesn't get in... because she's into make-up.




No-one did. When we last saw Susan, she was just one of the kids. Then... BAM!



I definitely see your point!



The animated tale that freaked me out and made me very sad was Watership Down. OMG!

I have no idea what you’re referencing here

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

No, I knew you weren't excluding Lorsie! Just wanted to make sure he knew he was invited to the so-far-hypothetical Lost Girls Lunch.

Yes of course I’d wanna come!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

I have no idea what you’re referencing here

Just the Narnia books.

Yes of course I’d wanna come!

Alright!

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Just the Narnia books.



Alright!

Ohhhh! I did see the movie long ago

Us three and the lost girls!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by Lorimar Television

Us three and the lost girls!

Sounds great! '80s can bring the cinnamon buns, I'll bring the cheese dip, and you can bring the mystery meat! Sound good? (I mean the plan, not the mystery meat)

[Lorimar Television]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Sounds great! '80s can bring the cinnamon buns, I'll bring the cheese dip, and you can bring the mystery meat! Sound good? (I mean the plan, not the mystery meat)

LOL sure

['80sSitcoms]

Hahaha @Susan/Nancy, lol...

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Eustace acts like a jerk for years, Edmund betrays everyone, Trumpkin denies Aslan's existence

Well, those all get "resolved", but I know what you're saying.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

but Susan doesn't get in... because she's into make-up.

"nylons, lipsticks, and invitations"...but I'm sure you realize that's not meant to be taken on just the surface level. J.K. Rowling has publicly stated that Susan isn't allowed to enter Narnia "because she found sex". [sigh]...#FacePalm...That's not even it.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

No-one did. When we last saw Susan, she was just one of the kids. Then... BAM!

Yeah. Under her entry in the book Companion to Narnia, it tries to say "but a careful rereading of her story shows that her fate is better prepared for than one might think", but I always concentrated on opposite points they brought up. Sometimes people try to make a case when it's not really clearly there.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

The animated tale that freaked me out and made me very sad was Watership Down. OMG!

Never seen it, but also, it doesn't sound Christmasy (getting this thread on topic again, haha).

['80sSitcoms]

From Wikipedia:

Saint Stephen's Day, or the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Peekskill saint's day to commemorate Stephen Bradley, the first season Eastland headmaster, celebrated on December 26 in the Peekskill Church. In Latin Eastland denominations, Saint Stephen's Day marks the second day of Christmastide.[1][2]

With a bit of editing by me.

Also, here's a look at part of the cafeteria feast!

-

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Hahaha @Susan/Nancy, lol...

I had fun mocking that one up.

"nylons, lipsticks, and invitations"...but I'm sure you realize that's not meant to be taken on just the surface level. J.K. Rowling has publicly stated that Susan isn't allowed to enter Narnia "because she found sex". [sigh]...#FacePalm...That's not even it.

What is it, in your opinion? I mean, it's indicated that Susan became a shallow person, but we never saw any of that, and it's explained away in a few lines of dialog that we never saw coming. Whatever happened between the Pevensies happened outside the books. Couldn't Aslan have, like, breathed on Susan?

Yeah. Under her entry in the book Companion to Narnia, it tries to say "but a careful rereading of her story shows that her fate is better prepared for than one might think", but I always concentrated on opposite points they brought up. Sometimes people try to make a case when it's not really clearly there.

I haven't read the Companion book, and don't believe we were at all prepared for Susan's final storyline.

Never seen it, but also, it doesn't sound Christmasy (getting this thread on topic again, haha).

Okay, back on track!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

From Wikipedia:

Saint Stephen's Day, or the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Peekskill saint's day to commemorate Stephen Bradley, the first season Eastland headmaster, celebrated on December 26 in the Peekskill Church. In Latin Eastland denominations, Saint Stephen's Day marks the second day of Christmastide.[1][2]

Haha! Very cute!

Also, here's a look at part of the cafeteria feast!

-

Nice! But you didn't label the cheese dip, on the bottom right.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I had fun mocking that one up.

Haha, I bet, I should've seen that one coming!

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

What is it, in your opinion? I mean, it's indicated that Susan became a shallow person, but we never saw any of that, and it's explained away in a few lines of dialog that we never saw coming. Whatever happened between the Pevensies happened outside the books.

We could go in-depth, but I and others believe it's basically about what Jill and Polly say about Susan, about her desire to be grown-up and taken seriously as an adult. I don't even think it's anything about "sex" (I'm looking at you, Rowling), it's that she chose to focus on the material world at hand and fitting into the world as an "at last" adult, thereby saying farewell to her spiritual experiences from earlier years.

I'll have to let you know some of what the Companion says (it's an encyclopedia of Narnia), and what some of my rebuttal thoughts are.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Couldn't Aslan have, like, breathed on Susan?

He did! In Prince Caspian..."Come, child, let me breathe on you. There. Do you feel better now?" "A little, Aslan." (though naysayers say that's one sign right there---she only feels "a little" better)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

I haven't read the Companion book, and don't believe we were at all prepared for Susan's final storyline.

From my emotional overwrought teenage reaction, I know I sure wasn't! (and yeah, most any reader, I would think)

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Nice! But you didn't label the cheese dip, on the bottom right.

Ah,hahaha! But wait, are you sure that's cheese dip?? Maybe Cindy hadn't brought it out yet!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Ah,hahaha! But wait, are you sure that's cheese dip?? Maybe Cindy hadn't brought it out yet!

That sure looks like cheese dip to me! *digs in*

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

That sure looks like cheese dip to me! *digs in*

Okay, I'm glad you went first! Once at a work Christmas lunch I got some scalloped potatoes and slathered yummy-looking cheese sauce aaaaaaaall over them, mmmmmmm...and then I joined a few friends and we were talking and eating, and I dug into my cheese-drenched scalloped potatotes, but IT WASN'T CHEESE SAUCE.

It was SALAD DRESSING!!!

I immediately launched off my chair and ran to a trash can to spit it out!

So be careful out there at your medieval banquets, what looks like cheese dip may not always be cheese dip!