Thursday, November 2, 2017

'Toon Reviews 8: Peanuts 1970s Specials Part 2


You’re Not Elected Charlie Brown








Considering how politics seems to be a major discussion topic in most people’s lives and how presidential elections seem to get people’s attention in years one comes around, I’d bet a lot of people would appreciate that there’s a Peanuts special related to that topic.  I myself am not a very political person and have little knowledge and interest on the subject, but what makes me appreciate the political angle in this special is the light-hearted childlike approach to it all.  It features an election for student body president at school, and the gang is looking for a good candidate.  Since Charlie Brown is shown to not be someone the school would vote for, they instead go for the next best possibility, and that is Linus.  Honestly, Linus running for president makes sense since he’s known for being wise beyond his years as well as philosophical.  Him being a runner is practically obvious.  So, with the chosen candidate in place, the special shifts its focus to every element of Linus’s presidential campaign.  We have Linus making over-dramatic speeches promising student-friendly changes during his reign, comedic moments with callers during a radio show, and character dynamics from the members of Linus’ campaign team.  The aspects of the election are never drawn out with too many details and are shown with a special charm you can only find in Peanuts.  The bulk of the charm comes from Linus acting as an actual presidential candidate in making his student-friendly claims such as longer recesses, no homework, letting stray dogs onto the school grounds, and more.  They’re the mannerisms common in most people running for president but being applied to simple aspects of childhood.  It’s a scenario anyone of any age can enjoy and a reason why Peanuts is as loved as it is.  The point where the election really gets interesting comes in during Linus’ last campaign speech.  Just when things are really going well for him, he lowers the odds of getting elected by talking about, of all things, the Great Pumpkin.  This moment is fitting of Linus’ character which all Peanuts fans, big or casual, would know. Also, considering how Donald Trump earned a lot of negativity based on his claims made for the most recent presidential election, I’d say it’s believable for most elections to have candidates make stupid claims in their speeches that would hurt their chances of winning which makes Linus’ boneheaded moment here relatable.  However, like Trump who became president despite his controversial claims, Linus, who already has the makings of a better president, wins the student body president position despite the setback.  While this is a happy moment, knowing Peanuts’ nature to show the strong and weak points of life, it turns into a bittersweet one with the hard fact of life that student body president is basically useless when the special ends with Linus learning he can’t make his promises without consulting the school principal first.  The ending may not accomplish much and is a bit of a slap in the face to Linus and all who voted for him (particularly Sally who gets a funny long-winded spurt of anger) but it really is true to real life.  Plus it’s a good analogy to our government system with Linus representing the president and the school principal representing the branches of government.  This special brings the childlike charm of this franchise to the political field and it turns out to be a great watch with unique analogies, strong comedy, and memorable character moments. 
Highly Recommended
The Ranking
  1. You’re Not Elected Charlie Brown
  2. Play it Again Charlie Brown
Be sure to stay tuned for the review of the next Peanuts special where the characters go through the relatable challenges of school and romance in "There's No Time for Love Charlie Brown" featuring the animated debut of Marcie.
If you would like to check out other Peanuts special reviews on this blog, click here for the guide made especially for them.


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