Friday Night Think Tank: Naughty List Edition

It’s the Friday before Christmas, Modern Philosophers.

We had a rough week in Maine as far as the weather goes.  Tonight, I had to drive home during an ice storm, which really put my stress levels to the test.  I stopped to do my grocery shopping, and when I got back in the car to drive to The House on the Hill, Stephen King’s radio station (WKIT) was playing Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s cover of the Snow Miser Song.  How fitting.

Right now, I’m watching “It’s A Wonderful Life”, and George is being reunited with his family after telling God he wanted his life back.  The end of this flick gets to me every time.  I’m sure I’ll be crying before I finish this post.

So don’t be alarmed when you see me in the Think Tank wiping tears on my Deep Thinking Toga.  Let’s head out now and have our weekly chat.  Make sure you wear your boots, though, because it’s icy out there.

Here come the tears as they sing “Hark the Herald Angles Sing”…

This week’s topic: George Bailey is one of the all-time greatest heroes of Christmas Specials.  Who tops your Naughty List as the worst villain?

I’ve been giving this one a lot of Deep Thought all night, especially since I rattled off a list of Christmas baddies in my previous post about President Obama’s Santa Tax.

Scrooge was a horrible man with a Bah Humbug so terrifying it could make a snowman cry, but he eventually saw the light.  The Grinch stole Christmas from an entire town, but even he came around and helped carved the Christmas beast.  Burgermeister Meisterburger banned toys, but the guy was German so that at least explains his behavior somewhat.

The bad guy that I hated most, however, was the one who never returned from the Dark Side.  He kept trying to destroy our hero right up to the very end.

I’m talking about Mr. Potter, the heartless tight wad who only cared about money and crushing George Bailey’s dreams.

That crotchety curmudgeon never came around and wished George a Merry Christmas.  I’m sure he was plotting to steal all the money that George’s friends dumped on the table in the film’s final scene.

Mr. Potter was Scrooge, The Grinch, Burgermeister Meisterburger and Snow Miser all wrapped up into one horrible human.  There was no room inside a soul that dark for any kind of redemption.  He was evil to the core, and deserved every lump of coal Santa Claus brought him over the years.

What about you, Modern Philosophers?  Who’s your all-time worst Christmas villain?  Where does Mr. Potter rate on your evil scale?  Can you believe that Harry Potter’s great grandfather could be such a horrible Muggle?

Remember, there are no wrong answers in The Think Tank, so post whatever comes to mind.  I look forward to reading all of your responses, but first I have to run down the block, jump off the bridge, and rescue Clarence from the frigid waters of the Penobscot River.  Don’t forget…every time you like a blog post, a Modern Philosopher gets a Christmas Toga…