Showbiz Commentary: Heidi Oringer

ByABC News
December 27, 2000, 5:29 PM

Dec. 14 -- As Christmas approaches, the networks, as usual, bombard us with special holiday programming. This isnt necessarily a bad thing, except we dont all celebrate Christmas.

Im not saying the networks dont have some holiday programming for various minorities. To some extent, they do. But why isnt there one special for folks of all faiths to nourish their souls?

Its my duty to say, Hey, what about the rest of us? Dont people of all denominations deserve clever animated programming that cutely explains the our shared values?

Ill answer for you. Yes, we do.

Lets take a look at what we do have. Then Ill make my suggestion of what classic we might recognize as our best hope for a unifying holiday special.

Saving Santas Oversized Butt

At the top of the list of classics is A Charlie Brown Christmas. Although there are lessons here for everyone, the cartoon is chock-full of religious references that dont apply to all. There are really only two nonreligious things to derive from this timeless cartoon. The first is that Linus, a formidable orator, should consider a job as a White House spokesman, and the second, that Peanuts gang sure can cut a rug.

Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is another phenomenon. After all, Christmas is Rudolph. Isnt Santas oversized bottom virtually saved by this little antlered buck with the Ted Kennedyesque nose? If we were to remove any reference to Christmas, we could still effectively walk away with this life lesson: Its OK to be different. (I, on the other hand, walked away with a much stronger message: Young, talking reindeer on the playground can be reaaaalllly mean if they dont like you.)

Frosty the Snowman has always been another staid favorite. This cartoon, to me, has the least religious angle. Although it takes place AT Christmastime, I dont feel that Frosty is as much a religious icon as he is a magical product of the weather. And its really about BELIEVING in magic. (Id like to see David Blaine make a snowman come to life in Times Square.) The networks always broadcast Frosty during the holiday season, but theres no reason for that.