Analyzing Grinch's Ultimatum

In spirit of the season I thought I might give my thoughts on an old classic—what it means and why it’s struck such a chord with the 120k who get it. Grinch’s Ultimatum is a resonant caricature of someone struggling with their own human relations. It illustrates the internal dealings of a mind estranged from others, doing so in bitter detail. Right off the get-go we can see that this is someone who’s brain is frying from activity—even the way the video immediately opens to its sharp music, and how he grips his remote in frustration, hovering a stiff hand indecisively, as if he’s lost even the will to choose which way he wants to distract himself. All the while a storm outside interrupts his signal. While fiddling for reception, his face desperately twinges back and forth between frames. Something lonesome people tend to do is invest money in gadgets and expensive tech, or the latest thing. The device he fiddles with even has the words “Ultra high frequency box” scrawled across its top. At the end of the day, it is just a higher frequency, a more advanced serving of the same problem, hollow consumerism. It cannot provide connection, figurative nor literal, and those frequencies become grating as stimulation to a hypersensitive. After this realisation, the advanced tool is rendered a hissing beacon of irritants, as the Pre-Grinch comes to find. With nothing more to distract himself, he must now face his problems. One of those subtle details in Grinch’s Ultimatum is the fact that despite obviously not being disposed to social warmth, the Pre-Grinch’s house is propped with festive decorations, perhaps in the same vein as owning the television. If he is in fact living on his own, this might suggest some sort of effort to maintain sociable customs. Perhaps he was living with someone else, maybe a significant other who left, sending him into the rage we find him in. The trophy on the wall should indicate a prior display of social demonstration. To its left we can see what looks like a bowl titled “heir”—the Pre-Grinch’s college funds maybe, potentially signifying a historical expectation to succeed, further exemplified by trophy, hence furthermore an expectation upon himself to progress socially. Whatever it is, it all falls apart ensue of a mental breakdown. 

It is in the midst of this incelular rage which Clause finds him, baseball bat in hand besides a smoking TV. In place of childish wonderment, all the Pre-Grinch can do is react presumably as he would anyone else. In response all Santa can do is stare knowingly, with an aura of omnipotence. The character of Clause is treated with this reverence, his entrance followed before a fanfare's ushering integrated within the song itself. He knows exactly where the Pre-Grinch is in life. I believe his presence to be a personification of the Pre-Grinch’s conscience. In terms of western culture, Santa Clause, not unlike Christ and Christmas in general is a motif of childhood and family. In a more traditional sense this aesthetic is closer to its religious origins. Christmas, which finds itself in winter at the end of the year is a time of sentimental human connection. This is an emotional potential distant to such antisocial behaviour, even if out protagonist knows it with a sense of shame and regret. The Pre-Grinch is looking at himself in judgement through Clause as a seasonal tupla and an agent representative of wholesome sociability. The fact that the apparition is able to bypass the jpeg of fire at the bottom of the chimney before fading out of existence further suggests this. Instead of presents, he delivers to the Pre-Grinch the gift of closure. This ultimatum will settle any internal conflict he may have had. Clause asked him to make a decision. There are no alternatives: you can be respectable and liked, or you can be yourself; anything other than the former is the negative of two exclusive options. Even in the midst of his Grinch out, the conscience persists. “Have I truly become a monster?”  The guilt is there. Perhaps someone will read his note and understand that despite any wrath, he knew regret. Nevertheless It wasn’t his call as to his own being. He cannot decide, for it proceeds the action to decide, hence we see an immediate transformation. His decision isn’t a transition, it’s a return, otherwise it would have been called Saint’s Ultimatum, but it was his, the Grinch’s. This is what he discovers. There’s no point trying to force something which isn’t happening and deny the emotions which make up who you are. Other people might not think he’s a good person, they might even hate him, but he is there. All that’s left is to wear it. 

He creeps initially with sheepish movement across the Park Plaza, having chosen a location of social publicity. That feathery Grinch hair is now well fashioned; he slicks it back to get in the zone. He thrashes his body, but ultimately to return a cool demeanour, hands on his jacket; he is comfortable with who he is, what he is. Passers by turn their heads to see before turning back and forth again. They may try to feign indifference by returning, but ultimately thrash back for another glance. Maybe they care, for a second, maybe they don’t. He is, however they take him. That final shot standing, it reads, this is me. Whatever you think, whatever happens, I am me.

Purple text reads “Femto wishes you an innovative 2016” In Berserk, the character of Griffith sacrifices his friends to achieve his dream, becoming the 5th member of the God Hand, Femto. For people with things like dreams and higher aspirations, to truly be yourself, you do need to sacrifice your reputation. The trick is learning and practicing how to put on a show while maintaining who you are on the inside. Keep it separate, give them something else, save your true self for later. Reveal it only for your wife and your god. The Grinch is the Christmas cretin because he couldn’t maintain a social show while keeping his true feelings private, but who can blame him, it isn’t easy. I've put all the time I could've used to become a saint into writing these.