Agree, this is the opposite of pretty much of Charlie Brown's Christmas which I like many other children before and many after me learned the true meaning of Christmas from.
This is a way to project their own apathy. They are trying to justify their own sociopathic behavior and hiding it in an evangelical message. "God made us this way" etc etc
"...it is harder for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle than for a rich man..." is the rest of the full quote. Just to be clear on that message. Now, I've heard modern charlatans claim "the eye of a needle" refers to one of the gates of Jerusalem, so it's actually really easy to bring riches into heaven. We're wrong because we didn't put on our thinking caps when reading the bible 🙄
@@0bleach0 The excuse I've heard for that passage is more credible: apparently, in the original language it was written in, the words for "camel" and "rope" are very similar. But even if it's a mistranslation that just proves that the Bible is imperfect and fallible, hence not a valid excuse for the various bigotries people have used it to deflect criticism from. Either way, no honest interpretation can challenge each and every one of the many, many Bible passages saying the ancient equivalent of "eat the rich," so whether this one passage is stronger or weaker isn't a huge deal.
An actual Christian: I just don't see how a celebration of global consumerist capitalism reflects the teachings of Jesus? Kirk: WAIT! DiD i eXpLAin hoW YoU cAn USe RelIGIon 2 gET sTuFF?
That's why I think to really believe you have to ignore most of the old testament, it's outdated, and mostly wrong and mistranslated to fit certain agendas.@@alim.9801
Yeah, same. I noticed the fireplaces was cardboard but somehow didn't question the fire, until I hit about 15mins in and was like "oh wait, it's just a recording of a fire. I feel truly stupid. In my defence I was watching Maggie very intently for most of it.
Spam i was the other way around, instantly recognized the fire was after effects dropped in but didn’t notice the rest was cardboard until the very end.
"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus Christ (Mathew 19: 23)
So, very early in christianity's history a story was created that one of the gates into Jerusalem was called the "Eye of the Needle" and it was so small that you could only just squeeze a fully laden camel through it. See? Rich people can get into Heaven. Yay! That there was no such gate is irrelevant.
@@charlesthebald3671 I think the idea was that the rich man had to be unburdened. Jesus said this in response to a rich man who followed every law of his faith but when called upon by Jesus to unburden himself from his wealth, he faltered.
@@paulorocky Nop, the actual word Jesus used is "Kamilos" (rope), but they used the traduction for "Kamelos", camel. He is talking about a literal sowing needle.
@@danielfonseca4849 There is also the story of Jesus expelling the money changers from the Temple. I think that’s one of the most relevant because it was about how Judaism of Jesus’s time had become corrupted by essentially the kind of greedy opportunists like Cameron, who used religion as a scam to make money.
Hey Maggie. My grandma died a few weeks ago too. Actually it was two months, but it still feels like just the other day. I loved her, and I miss her a lot. I admired her strong will, her thoughtfulness, her attention to detail. I can really empathize with how you feel. My grandmother was so disappointed in contemporary Christianity as portrayed in this film. I was raised in the church too, and the teachings of Christ have been deeply engrained in me (ie, be excellent to one another, and party on, dudes!), but I have no desire to attend a church ever again. Every evangelical church I've ever attended has hosted the same toxic stew of Kirk Camerons--self-aggrandizing, cruel people with closed minds and no desire to explore the deeper meaning of their faith. I dunno why I'm typing this, I just really appreciate this video. Made me think of Nana. Made me cognizant of the parts of her that live on through me--I can feel a reflection of her existence in the things she taught me. When I get angry about an injustice, Nana's fire is alive again in me. When I laugh too long, and lean my head back, and close my eyes, she is there. I would surely have turned out to be someone else entirely if I hadn't had her in my life. Really needed to hear this sentiment from exactly your perspective. It didn't feel condescending or glib, it felt like criticism born of genuine concern, which is so powerful and in such low supply. I don't know you, but I hope your holiday season is spent basking in the warm glow of everyone you love, and with the sweetest memories of loved ones past. Thanks for this. God bless.
Hey I’m no Christian, but there are definitely churches out there you could attend that align with your own beliefs! The Unitarian Universalists are great for example
@@marafolse8347 you cannot pick a church that " aligns with your beliefs " it doesn't work that way. You get what you get. - to call yourself a Christian you absolutely MUST worship a jealous slavery endorsing woman hating genocidal mass- slaughtering lunatic or you cannot get into heaven. That's in the book. It's like the main tenet of the books.
@@thomasmills339 I appreciate the effort, but you're about a year too late to hurt my feelings or even prompt more of a reaction than this. Hope you enjoy the steaming plate of my shit you feast on daily. I've been eating a lot of chickpeas for you, boo. I know they're your favorite.
@@thomasmills339 Ok so, obviously that’s all true, but I think you’re intentionally missing the point of what I was saying. The thing about religion is, and this is on full display in Christianity, the values of the religion shine through much more in every individual sect than the actual text of the scripture. Like almost no Christian today is living by the exact instructions of the Bible because they are written by people of a kingdom that no longer really exists 2000 years years ago. Religions change and evolve, and plenty of churches follow Christianity in a measured, intellectually sound, non-bigoted way. Not the majority, but they’re out there and within driving distance for most Americans. Anyway, all I’m saying is that you’re massively oversimplifying things in order to bash an entire religion for aspects of its scripture that most adherents no longer actually believe in.
I hate that “preserving the family” is now code for “making sure everyone feels like they absolutely have to marry the opposite sex and have lots of babies”
Hahaha... no it's not. That'd be silly. It's code for "by keeping non-whites and other minorities down we can stay in power forever". It's southern strategy by other memes.
d3nza it can be both, people who can’t understand that all races and social classes are equal also tend not to understand that all sexualities and genders are at least worth respect
@Drinker_Of_ Milk Not necessarily. Some people don't want to have children or get married, and there's no moral imperative to compel people to do either who don't already want to.
I actually watched this whole thing earlier this week, and one of the "stingers" (I guess) consists of him proclaiming, "I like fat geese." I think for Kirk, Christmas is all about the size and/or mass of livestock.
Wait... I just heard Kirk Cameron say the line “Even Uncle Scrooge has a story...” Did no one working on the film realize that UNCLE Scrooge is a Scottish duck??!
Also the entire story of "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" is about how he keeps trying to make it through hard work only to get screwed over by the rich and powerful which turns him into a cynic sociopath when he finally makes it big but in doing so he alienates all of his friends and family and becomes a depressed old man. Only for Donald Duck to insist on visiting him on Christmas Eve, which breaks him out of his depression and makes him realize that actually what he really cared about all along was going on adventures with his family and that he had only tried to become rich in the first place to support his family back in Scotland. So ironically even the story they wrongly cited has the exact opposite message about Christmas, that it's not about material things but family.
And I'm sure she's laughing her ethereal ass off at her Granddaughter trashing that hilariously tacky cardboard "fireplace" with the non-traveling matte of a fire. That's the REAL meaning of Christmas! Ugly sweaters, fake fireplaces, and cheap optical effects! And here I thought just about everybody had access to a green screen effect these days, thanks to Zoom....
Maggie: my grandma didn't care about material objects and I don't either Some edgy internet troll: I'll insult the material objects in her video, I bet that will really upset her
As funny as that would be, Scrooge does have a nephew who invites him to a Christmas party in the original book, so Duck Tales doesn’t have a sole claim on that title.
The character of Scrooge McDuck was actually invented for the Disney version of A Christmas carol. That's right-Donald Duck plays Fred, Scrooge's nephew. The relationship carried on into spinoff material.
scrooge mcduck was created for the donald duck comic strip in the 40s as donald’s bitter old uncle. still very much inspired by a christmas carol, and his first story was a holiday themed one! but he wasn’t invented specifically for that later xmas carol special. :)
Uh, did Jeremy go and support some sort of evil Organization? Because Kirk and Carl are upper echelons of perpetuating evil, and Cinema Sins kinda shittily makes fun of movie logic, often misunderstanding the whole thing. Not exactly on par with the Joe Rogans, Ben Shapiros, and Dave Rubins of the world.
I am an Anglican Priest and I have just hit "Like" on this video because there wasn't a stronger button (Something more like "YES!!!!!!" or "Wa-hoooooo!!!""). Maggie Mae Fish hits on so many problems with the selling of Christiantiy/Christmas, the idealogical swamp that can be when one who is disconnected from a community or relationships can forward and pass off as Christianity. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Christianity has happened for 2,000 years mainly because it could not/would not be rendered as a commodity, as a mere thing to be contained but as a way to love, serve, help, and care for the world. This was a very subtle and funny exploration of materialism, idealogy, and the false teachings tacked onto something a bit more respectful to the world.
She's right in a sense. Dining on pork is a privilege afforded to Christians alone among the Abrahamic religions. It's a show of arrogance. Being above the rules. (Historically, it's more about the Roman empire, the availability of land in the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands, and the ease of raising swine in tight spaces that the Christianity adopting empire did away with the rule. But I would assume arrogance over history for Kirk Cameron's reasoning.)
@@christinediminuco2688 Going by the Bible, it's mainly that during one of the early Christian councils Peter decided that converts to following Jesus didn't have to convert to the Jewish faith to be followers of Christ. This had been a major road block to spreading the faith as it was picking up mainly among the non-Jewish communities, but things like circumcision were kind of a deal breaker for many. This included the dietary restrictions.
@@SapphWolf The awkward shift from a small, harassed group fiercely defending its culture from infiltrators, to a imperialist ideology designed to spread quickly.
I feel like if I were Kirk, and I was really trying to sell my devout christian bro on the artifice of christmas, I'd start with "hey bro, your whole family inside, all your friends, we love you so much and we want you to be happy, sharing this feast with us. God wouldn't want you to feel guilty for all the joy and cheer he's afforded you in your life. God wouldn't want you to have less. But here, listen, if all of this is making you uncomfortable, maybe we can pack up some of these leftovers, and you can bring 'em to some of your less fortunate friends, or co-workers, or hell, even someone on the street! Trust me, we're gonna have plenty. Maybe we can even gather some of the kids around later and tell 'em some bible stories. Remind 'em why we're here celebrating." but that's coming from me, not even an actual christian, but someone who does thier best to practice secular compassion in life.
He is totally wrong! So all that food is God saying He loves you! What if you *don't* have food? God hates you? That's why I despise the "prosperity gospel". It's a slap in the face to those who are poor and hurting - not to mention Jesus. It's despicable! Kirk Cameron needs to rethink what He believes.
There is an exchange in the movie "Chinatown" that I keep thinking about when it comes to certain politicians these days. Those that are impossibly wealthy but still corrupt as hell for the sake of making even more money. Gittes: How much are you worth? Cross: I've no idea. How much do you want? Gittes: I just want to know what you're worth. Over ten million? Cross: Oh my, yes! Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford? Cross: The future, Mr. Gits - the future!
I do feel like there's some ideological basis to making more money than you can ever spend and/or perpetuating evil that you will not live to see the full repercussions of. It has to go beyond justifying their actions to themselves in the present or preserving the world order as it is for the children that most of them don't seem to care much about. Maybe it's as simple as misery loving company.
IOW, "My enjoyment of my excessive riches isn't complete unless I know that I'm causing untold suffering." Capitalism - the system designed for and by sociopaths.
Rest in peace to your grandmother, and condolences. I’m sure you gave her a lot of joy. And those home-made presents? The gift there was you. Just you. Which I’m very sure is what she wanted.
When you have a kid that loves you, it doesnt matter what they give you, its special. My favorite presents the past year was a painting my niece made of me (we are holding hands outside a house) and a fridge magnet my nephew gave me that says "My Uncle Rocks".
@Ringcoirewen I've always thought the focus on ham was a sort of slap in the face of "Haha, we're not Jewish!". (I know xmas turkey is also a thing, but why would someone have two giant turkey dinners one month apart?)
@@ToastyJunebugs I think you're overthinking it - it's just a season in North America and Europe when it was a good time to market certain meats rather than try to keep the animals over winter (before factory farming). And it's delicious. I doubt the tradition is very old; without wanting to dive down a wiki hole or god forbid do serious research, I suspect it's late Victorian at earliest.
@Ringcoirewen That's a modern apologist read. The "new covenant" that erases the Jewish dietary laws was not something that "the first Christians" would have understood the way modern apologists do, as "the first Christians" were followers of an apocalyptic Jewish preacher and were, well, Jews. This idea that one did not have to become Jewish to be Christian was a Pauline invention which only became normative once Paul's Christians (which is to say, those who were never Jewish to begin with) outnumbered the Christians that the actual followers of Jesus converted among the Jews. Remember, not only did Paul never claim to have met Jesus in person, he steadfastly maintained to have met him only in spirit, which is to say, he didn't meet him at all. So Paul's Christianity was mostly what Paul said about Christ, not what Jesus said about anything. And Jesus is very clear about not being put here to overturn the law, which Christian apologists have been very busy ignoring every since. I mean, all of this posits a literal Jesus in the first place, but it matters more that Christians believe it than whether I do.
I love how your cardboard fireplace celebrates the physicality of the messiah, while the edited in flames celebrate the eternal intangibility of faith, and your arm going behind the fire celebrates how Kirk Cameron wasn't actually holding hot chocolate in the opening scene of the movie. VERY profound.
No. You're . . . all wrong ! It's obviously about amassing material goods and devouring expensive food for our selfish desires - didn't you watch Kirk Cameron's teachings.
As a non-believer living in the “good ol’ Bible belt” who has been harassed and bullied and preached at by family and, well, countless others who really, really, really want me to “get saved” so we can all keep hanging out after we’re dead...Thank you for such an intelligent and thought-provoking review. I look forward to sharing this with so many that I hope will “get saved” as well. Only the other way around. Er, un-saved? I guess? At the least, maybe some will cancel their PureFlix subscriptions. In all seriousness, as with your other videos that seem to effortlessly say what I try to get across but never seem able to coherently (Case in point: This rambling comment,) you continue to be spot-on with every point you make. I absolutely love your channel and alway adore your approach to this, and all other topics (film related and otherwise) that you cover with such clarity, wit, and insightfulness. I don’t consider myself to be above or smarter than anyone who follows any religion. My heart does go out to any one who was/is forced into, or struggles with being a member of one however. I look back at the damage and the havoc religion continues to cause throughout my life and how it brings about such hatred, distrust, and ugliness in so many and I just don’t get what the appeal is. It really is an ingenious trap of the mind. I love hearing propaganda like “Saving...” get ripped apart, layer by layer; cracks me up every time. At the end of the day though, it’s so damn depressing. Not just because of how poorly it’s made or how twisted and empty its messages are. I mean hell, plenty of other movies are just as guilty of being garbage. Go see any horror movie released in January or February. On second thought, don’t do that. Terrible suggestion. It’s the beliefs and behaviors that are falsely justified and reinforced that places cinematic excrement like “Saving Christmas” on a whole different level of being a disservice to humanity. I say that having seen almost two Transformers movies in their entirety. Didn’t mean to write a novel in the comments section. I’m gonna go now.
A late comment for the algorithm. I hope your grandmother’s memory continues to be an inspiration. My father died after a long life and decades after retiring (which he spent volunteering with various organizations). He said he wished he had spent less time working and more time with his family.
I sincerely hate Kirk Cameron. He evokes everything absolutely wrong in the world. His hypocrisy and morality is sick and evangelist Christians need psychiatric help.
Really? I refuse any denomination besides that, because I believe those are mostly moral bankrupt while Jesus - his love for all and teachings - is not. Happy holidays internet stranger, I hope you're having a nice time!
I've never heard that either. I've heard of people preferring to be called spiritual over religious, but never heard a Christian decline to identify as such. Super weird. If someone tried talking religion to me, and then said "christian but we don't really like to call it that" and used air quotes, I'd substitute the term "quasi-Christian cult" in my head.
I also grew up christian and I was thinking the exact same thing. Now I watch some atheist call-in shows and not once did I ever hear a christian caller not want to be identified as such. I guess the people who made that Ja rule movie are incredibly out of touch with reality.
It's not mainstream, but it's not uncommon, either. It's related to people who think that by saying they're "spiritual but not religious" that they're actually saying something positive or meaningful about what they believe, or people who say that it's a "relationship, not a religion". It's a religion whether you go to church or not, whether you're a mainstream denomination or not. A religion is a system of beliefs based on faith in the supernatural. This "we don't like to call it that" is, like those other two examples, something you hear more in apologetic circles than normal religious people living their own lives and not making a living selling a particular sort of evangelical belief. It's usually this Prosperity Gospel, but rarely you see it in "I'm-OK you're-OK" liberal Christianity which is so meaningless it might as well be Unitarian Universalism, where they want to believe in Jesus and heaven but they reject most of the actual hard Biblical theology. So, reject most of the stuff you need to get to a literal Jesus, but still believe in a literal Jesus. Madness. Kirk Cameron came up lucky, privileged and wealthy, and this is how he reconciles that Jesus loves him despite so much of the Gospels and Acts blathering on about this apocalyptic preacher talking about how irrelevant and actually harmful wealth was for a world where wealthy men would no longer be calling the shots. "I'm good, I'm rich, therefore, god wants me to be rich." Kirk is on his own spiritual acrobatic journey with a Jesus and a god that don't actually ask that much of him other than words.
I have actually heard the swaddling cloth/shroud parallel before but it's not about the "prop", but the parallel of Mary wrapping him in white at his birth and at his death/rebirth. It's part of a larger parallel which also frames the gifts of the Magi as reminiscent of funeral gifts. But... that still makes it incredibly nonsensical in the context of "the Meaning of Christmas" and strips a scholarly/theological parallel to "here is thing, thing important? Things important!".
Aren't Jesus and Mary both aware of his life will end at some point early in his life? Or was this well after the act of swaddling? I also thought this was a well know parallel along with the role of frankincense and myrrh in preparing bodies for burial.
I'm so sorry to hear of your grandma's passing. My husband's grandma is in hospice care. I love her dearly, and I feel your pain. Much love. I hope the memories you have always stay clear, bright and comforting.
In the imortal words of Jonny Brovo: "In real life only televangelists can afford hot tub limousine.", that, that right there is how even a chilleds cartoon from the 00's dunking on Kirk's dumb movie, before it was ever made.
Ham is pork. Human flesh, in a culinary sense, is referred to as "long pork". Jesus said "This is my flesh. Eat me!" to his dudesciples. Thus we conclude that Jesus was actually a sentient pig. Which makes Miss Piggy a symbolic representation of the mother of god.
I think the character Christian brings it up that our modern Christmas rituals are heavily inspired by pagan rituals, but obviously, the movie doesn't want you to think about this fact critically in any way.
Christian mentions it that Christmas tree is just a celebration of solstice inherited from the druids. Kirk goes on a weird ramble about the tree representing the tree of life from the Garden of eden. And christmas ornaments representing the apple. He even totally forgets that eating the apple by Adam and Eve was a bad thing, they were not supposed to do. Oh, and the winter solstice? God created these by creating the universe and therefore celebrating winter solstice is celebration of God. He then goes on to tell that the cross was made of wood and since wood comes from trees, the trees represent the cross. His logic is truly baffling Then he says that the cross Chri
"Excuse me, what does God need with a Starship?" Did not see a Star Trek reference coming...or that part about your Grandma, "no more shared memories with her"... heartbreak. Best analysis of this wretched movie that I have watched so far, thank you Maggie Mae.
I choose to believe that "smiting" is the weird palm punching technique that all the characters use in Star Trek. There is zero historical basis for this but it livens up the scenes when I imagine them this way.
Well, the punch did lead to a big brawl that resulted in all of the Arians being removed from the council by force so that the remaining members could vote to make nontrinitarianism heretical.
I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma Maggie, I wish we could all thank her for making you the sweet, smart, wonderful person you are, as a Christian I loved this video and I’m so glad I can enjoy it with all your fans no matter what we believe, something I hope Kirk Cameron leans at some point
Kirk Hameron I know this is 2 years later and not even Christmas, what am I doing (it's all about those extra layers in these videos!) but it was genuinely nice to hear you be so open and sincere about your grandma, and show vulnerability like that. And contrasted with the sheer cynicism of the movie and all the people involved in it, oof. You're good people Maggie!
I watched this movie with my best friend and we’re both Christian and we both were so lost and confused. I literally screamed when he said the whole city of Jerusalem outline with the presents 😂 this movie is a mess and dumb
"Celebration of an Eternal God taking on a MATERIAL body" Yes and no! The point of the Incarnation is to demonstrate the material world as something that is worthy of honor and love and not to be discarded in favor of just the spiritual (i.e. Gnosticism), so much that the God of all creation would willingly inhabit it AS a material body, warts and frailties and all. Not as an excuse to commit all 7 deadly sins! (In this particular example, greed and gluttony)
My sympathies, Maggie. I lost my grandmother last month too. I was intending to give her a new jewelry box I made myself with a laser cutter. I wanted to cut images into it from her youth, so that she could literally feel the pictures because her sight had gone some years ago. Now I don't get too.
Hey dude. I know im very late with this comment but it touched my heart (not to sound cheesy or something) and i just hope you and your family are doing ok, that sounded like the most beautiful gift I've ever heard of 💜 hope you're taking care and still making amazing things like that
@@alim.9801 We're doing okay. We lost my grandfather (her husband and widower) this summer. They both had good long lives, and we saw these coming. We'll miss them.
Actually Jesus being a socialist is one of the few parts of the bible that I can relate to. I wish modern Christians would flip over the tables of money lenders and chase them off with whips.
Okay... but God came to Simon The Magus with extra information! Are we not going to listen to what Sorcerer Simon has to say? We have to hear all sides, including the Bad Samaritan.
@@ToastyJunebugs Everyone knows Christmas is really about the virtues of cannibalism and how you have to cook Jesus Christ properly, lest the ham gets too tangy, duh.
I went from actually crying to hysterically laughing just in the last 3-4 minutes of this. This is a masterpiece. I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope you still have an amazing Christmas with the rest of your family.
The story that Scrooge "had his reasons" INVENTED modern Christmas. Not only is Kirk distorting the bible but the origin of Christmas itself to suit his greed. Special boy indeed
I loved this review because this came from a different perspective. Most other reviews of Saving Christmas have made fun of the dance sequence, Kirk Cameron pretending to drink hot chocolate from an empty cup, the dub-step beating, and the bad ADR involving the 'War on Christmas' conspiracy theory. Funny and entertaining but I think this one is the best one because it is informative and I loved the personal touch at the end.
Oh no, I think Kirk truly believes this nonsense. Watch the video of him prattling on about the banana being designed for man to eat it. He is just really stupid. I mean he is really, really stupid.
wait... 7:22 "even Uncle Scrooge has a story to tell." yes Kirk, yes he does have a story to tell, in fact some would even call it a....Duck TALE. I understand his mistake in confusing the Disney character and the Christmas Carole character, but someone should have caught that in the editing department.
movies like Saving Christmas are a good window into the mindset of the evangelicals who say they follow what Jesus taught and Donald Trump at the same time without seeing the utter hypocrisy and shamelessness.
I think this is the third time I watch this and only now have I realized that Maggie noticed the double mention to ham earlier on and threw it back at the end! Brilliant!
17:18 "discosing"! Anywho, I thought I was going to be laughing at an incompetently made Christian film, instead I'm depressed about corruption, indoctrination, immorality, and rampant misogyny. Well done, great video as always. Sorry for your loss.
The Christmas Thrash at the end reminded me a little of The Jerk. "I don't need any of this! I don't need anything except for this snowman. All I need is this snowman, and this wreath"
If there is one 'philosophy' that pisses me off more than 'manifest destiny', it's 'prosperity gospel'. (And, my condolences for the death of your beloved Grandma.)
"It represents the tree of life". You mean the tree of life humanity explicitly did not eat from? The tree we did eat from is "The knowledge of good and evil."
And the ones that can't be bothered to read a book for long enough to know that the 'X' in 'Xmas' represents the first letter of the greek spelling of 'Christ' (Χριστός), and that it has been in use for centuries.
@@funstuff2006 In fact people specifically started using the Xmas spelling to distance the Christian holiday from the growing commercialization of Christmas in the US in the 1920s.
Movie should have been called _Saving Capitalism_ lol. Also, I love how janky that fireplace is 😂 Complete sidenote: I was sorely tempted to buy a big sleigh bell on clearance at a craft store, but I controlled myself (because I don't actually need a giant bell lol). Now, seeing Kurt sitting next to one just like it, I'm glad I didn't buy that bell.
0:58 I wasn't aware that the stable in Bethlehem had been the victim of a drive-by shooting, but judging by the bullet holes the light is coming through Mary and Joseph stayed in a rough neighbourhood...
I know Maggie couldn't have known it at the time, but listening to her saying "...I can't wait to show what we have in store for 2020" at the end of the video... It just sounds omnious now. But hopefully everything will work out in the end and we get to hear Maggie's thoughts on other terrible Xmas movies come December.
I genuinely could have seen childhood me enjoying and getting the intended message from the last films you've covered. But damn, this one goes counter to everything that I understood about Christmas as a Christian.
I'm so sorry you lost your Grandma, she sounds like she was a wonderful person. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New year to you and your family ❤️
I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad that you were able to make this video. Memories, love and just being there is so much more powerful than giving things. I think we all forget that.
And thank you for being so diligent with your citations! 🖤 I forgot that _History of the World Part 1_ (1981) was a thing, going to watch that after this 😊
These movies are philosophically empty *bells jingle sadly*
Agree, this is the opposite of pretty much of Charlie Brown's Christmas which I like many other children before and many after me learned the true meaning of Christmas from.
Well, it's not about the "true meaning of Christmas" it's about excusing and justifying their behavior.
@@lemiel14n3 I get that but do they really need to drag Jesus into it
You're doing the Lord's work.
This is a way to project their own apathy. They are trying to justify their own sociopathic behavior and hiding it in an evangelical message. "God made us this way" etc etc
Kirk's version of Christianity is honestly just. Capitalism as a religion
So what you're telling me is that Kirk was a Ferengi the whole time
@@legendswarble2845
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Ferengi's aren't all bad 🤪
I believe that's called the *prosperity gospel.*
Eat the rich
Welcome to Calvinism and the way it fucked up the mentality of the American people from day one.
God: *_"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven"_*
Kirk Cameron: No...you're all wrong.
😂😂😂😂
God: WHAT WAS THAT???
Kirk Cameron: Uh, er, nothing sir - I mean, boss, er Lord, I mean - (whimpers) Don'thurtme...!
God:"one of the big sins is greed a key component of becoming rich"
Kirk:"lalala I can't hear you
"...it is harder for a camel to pass thru the eye of a needle than for a rich man..." is the rest of the full quote. Just to be clear on that message.
Now, I've heard modern charlatans claim "the eye of a needle" refers to one of the gates of Jerusalem, so it's actually really easy to bring riches into heaven. We're wrong because we didn't put on our thinking caps when reading the bible 🙄
@@0bleach0 The excuse I've heard for that passage is more credible: apparently, in the original language it was written in, the words for "camel" and "rope" are very similar. But even if it's a mistranslation that just proves that the Bible is imperfect and fallible, hence not a valid excuse for the various bigotries people have used it to deflect criticism from. Either way, no honest interpretation can challenge each and every one of the many, many Bible passages saying the ancient equivalent of "eat the rich," so whether this one passage is stronger or weaker isn't a huge deal.
@@blarg2429 well said!
An actual Christian: I just don't see how a celebration of global consumerist capitalism reflects the teachings of Jesus?
Kirk: WAIT! DiD i eXpLAin hoW YoU cAn USe RelIGIon 2 gET sTuFF?
Jesus literally went around giving people free healthcare.
G I A N T H A M S
@@diegorincon4673 he was paid with exposition
Sounds like a commie... lol
@@diegorincon4673 i never thought about like that but omg you're right!! 😂
Her comment at the end about “what’s in store for 2020” sounds so ominous now in hindsight.
The Prosperity Gospel wing of Evangelical Christianity is so transparently morally bankrupt.😑 It makes my brain hurt..
It BAFFLES me how utterly hypocritical and shameless they can be. There’s no bottom to that barrel.
how they all manage to spin the teachings of jesus into capitalism worship is beyond me
Morally bankrupt, yet not financially bankrupt, sadly
They literally serve Mammon
It makes my heart hurt.
The message “don’t murder” also becomes obscured when the book demands multiple genocides.
Look god has a pretty active trigger finger
No fr, there are some major murder moments for God at least in the old testament 😭
That's why I think to really believe you have to ignore most of the old testament, it's outdated, and mostly wrong and mistranslated to fit certain agendas.@@alim.9801
Took me the whole video to realize that the fireplace was a video over some cardboard boxes.
we spent 300 million dollars on vfx
Yeah, same. I noticed the fireplaces was cardboard but somehow didn't question the fire, until I hit about 15mins in and was like "oh wait, it's just a recording of a fire. I feel truly stupid. In my defence I was watching Maggie very intently for most of it.
Spam i was the other way around, instantly recognized the fire was after effects dropped in but didn’t notice the rest was cardboard until the very end.
I noticed it right away, because her arm kept moving behind it. But I feel like, somehow, the cheapness of it worked to the benefit of the video.
I didn't even notice.
WHY aren't more people talking about Liberty University being a real estate hedge fund
it used to be bleeding
now it's just... healed up? i don't know. but it used to BLEED, dammit
"I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus Christ (Mathew 19: 23)
"Giant hams." (Cameron 5: 12)
So, very early in christianity's history a story was created that one of the gates into Jerusalem was called the "Eye of the Needle" and it was so small that you could only just squeeze a fully laden camel through it. See? Rich people can get into Heaven. Yay! That there was no such gate is irrelevant.
@@charlesthebald3671 I think the idea was that the rich man had to be unburdened. Jesus said this in response to a rich man who followed every law of his faith but when called upon by Jesus to unburden himself from his wealth, he faltered.
@@paulorocky Nop, the actual word Jesus used is "Kamilos" (rope), but they used the traduction for "Kamelos", camel. He is talking about a literal sowing needle.
@@danielfonseca4849 There is also the story of Jesus expelling the money changers from the Temple. I think that’s one of the most relevant because it was about how Judaism of Jesus’s time had become corrupted by essentially the kind of greedy opportunists like Cameron, who used religion as a scam to make money.
When you're a Christian but also a devout capitalist.
_G I A N T H A M S_
This is why I rejected Christianity. It conflicted with my deeply capitalistic and individualistic ideals
As a Christian I find it really disgusting how the majority of believers are pretty uncritical of capitalism...
literally my parents though
@@sydneemikumuren9812 What is un-Christian about capitalism?
Hey Maggie. My grandma died a few weeks ago too. Actually it was two months, but it still feels like just the other day. I loved her, and I miss her a lot. I admired her strong will, her thoughtfulness, her attention to detail. I can really empathize with how you feel. My grandmother was so disappointed in contemporary Christianity as portrayed in this film. I was raised in the church too, and the teachings of Christ have been deeply engrained in me (ie, be excellent to one another, and party on, dudes!), but I have no desire to attend a church ever again. Every evangelical church I've ever attended has hosted the same toxic stew of Kirk Camerons--self-aggrandizing, cruel people with closed minds and no desire to explore the deeper meaning of their faith. I dunno why I'm typing this, I just really appreciate this video. Made me think of Nana. Made me cognizant of the parts of her that live on through me--I can feel a reflection of her existence in the things she taught me. When I get angry about an injustice, Nana's fire is alive again in me. When I laugh too long, and lean my head back, and close my eyes, she is there. I would surely have turned out to be someone else entirely if I hadn't had her in my life. Really needed to hear this sentiment from exactly your perspective. It didn't feel condescending or glib, it felt like criticism born of genuine concern, which is so powerful and in such low supply. I don't know you, but I hope your holiday season is spent basking in the warm glow of everyone you love, and with the sweetest memories of loved ones past. Thanks for this. God bless.
Hey I’m no Christian, but there are definitely churches out there you could attend that align with your own beliefs! The Unitarian Universalists are great for example
You had an unhealthy relationship with your grandmother my man
@@marafolse8347 you cannot pick a church that " aligns with your beliefs " it doesn't work that way. You get what you get. - to call yourself a Christian you absolutely MUST worship a jealous slavery endorsing woman hating genocidal mass- slaughtering lunatic or you cannot get into heaven. That's in the book. It's like the main tenet of the books.
@@thomasmills339 I appreciate the effort, but you're about a year too late to hurt my feelings or even prompt more of a reaction than this. Hope you enjoy the steaming plate of my shit you feast on daily. I've been eating a lot of chickpeas for you, boo. I know they're your favorite.
@@thomasmills339 Ok so, obviously that’s all true, but I think you’re intentionally missing the point of what I was saying. The thing about religion is, and this is on full display in Christianity, the values of the religion shine through much more in every individual sect than the actual text of the scripture. Like almost no Christian today is living by the exact instructions of the Bible because they are written by people of a kingdom that no longer really exists 2000 years years ago. Religions change and evolve, and plenty of churches follow Christianity in a measured, intellectually sound, non-bigoted way. Not the majority, but they’re out there and within driving distance for most Americans.
Anyway, all I’m saying is that you’re massively oversimplifying things in order to bash an entire religion for aspects of its scripture that most adherents no longer actually believe in.
I hate that “preserving the family” is now code for “making sure everyone feels like they absolutely have to marry the opposite sex and have lots of babies”
Hahaha... no it's not. That'd be silly.
It's code for "by keeping non-whites and other minorities down we can stay in power forever".
It's southern strategy by other memes.
d3nza it can be both, people who can’t understand that all races and social classes are equal also tend not to understand that all sexualities and genders are at least worth respect
It's also code for "making sure workers commit to replacing themselves once they've outlived their usefulness to capital".
Discount Chocolate woof, you got that right chief
@Drinker_Of_ Milk Not necessarily. Some people don't want to have children or get married, and there's no moral imperative to compel people to do either who don't already want to.
No one:
Absolutely nobody:
Not one single soul:
Kirk Cameron: G I A N T H A M S
Skinner: Steamed Hams
I actually watched this whole thing earlier this week, and one of the "stingers" (I guess) consists of him proclaiming, "I like fat geese." I think for Kirk, Christmas is all about the size and/or mass of livestock.
i'm interpreting it to mean a phat a$$
THE BIGGEST HAMS! GIANT HAMS! ALL HAIL THE HAMS!
R U M H A M ! ! !
He can make all these movies he wants, but he'll always be the guy who got famous playing someone whose best friend was named Boner.
To me, he will always be known as a young servant boy who was raised by a kind heard of wild cows.
@@sallybanner what?
@@Neku628 the actor that played him committed suicide years back.
@@karlmarx2451 oh
He should have done the coke at that party with those hot older women
Wait... I just heard Kirk Cameron say the line “Even Uncle Scrooge has a story...”
Did no one working on the film realize that UNCLE Scrooge is a Scottish duck??!
Yeah I thought that was a hilarious moment of true Americanism tbh. :D
Conversely, he is trying to compare himself to Fred, Scrooge’s nephew.
Also the entire story of "The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck" is about how he keeps trying to make it through hard work only to get screwed over by the rich and powerful which turns him into a cynic sociopath when he finally makes it big but in doing so he alienates all of his friends and family and becomes a depressed old man. Only for Donald Duck to insist on visiting him on Christmas Eve, which breaks him out of his depression and makes him realize that actually what he really cared about all along was going on adventures with his family and that he had only tried to become rich in the first place to support his family back in Scotland. So ironically even the story they wrongly cited has the exact opposite message about Christmas, that it's not about material things but family.
Great video, Maggie! So sorry for your loss, your grandma sounds wonderful.
And I'm sure she's laughing her ethereal ass off at her Granddaughter trashing that hilariously tacky cardboard "fireplace" with the non-traveling matte of a fire.
That's the REAL meaning of Christmas! Ugly sweaters, fake fireplaces, and cheap optical effects! And here I thought just about everybody had access to a green screen effect these days, thanks to Zoom....
@@drdarkeny Troll. Blocked and reported. 👹🚫
Maggie: my grandma didn't care about material objects and I don't either
Some edgy internet troll: I'll insult the material objects in her video, I bet that will really upset her
I just want to say I love your videos
Did he say “Uncle Scrooge”? Is he confusing Duck Tales with A Christmas Carol?
As funny as that would be, Scrooge does have a nephew who invites him to a Christmas party in the original book, so Duck Tales doesn’t have a sole claim on that title.
The character of Scrooge McDuck was actually invented for the Disney version of A Christmas carol. That's right-Donald Duck plays Fred, Scrooge's nephew. The relationship carried on into spinoff material.
scrooge mcduck was created for the donald duck comic strip in the 40s as donald’s bitter old uncle. still very much inspired by a christmas carol, and his first story was a holiday themed one! but he wasn’t invented specifically for that later xmas carol special. :)
@@fusetunes Ah, thank you. I'm not a comic historian
Tareltonlives no problem! in all honesty, i'm not either, i just happen to be a big fan of the duck ones. lol
"Capitalism makes everything hollow, so why not commodify your faith? You're not using it for anything *useful*, are you?" -Kirk Cameron, probably
Maggie saying "I actually like this snowman" has the same energy of Marie Kondo asking "Does this spark joy?"
"What Cinema Sins, Sargon, and Kirk Cameron do..."
Woah. Props to Maggie for discerning the True Unholy Trinity.
Uh, did Jeremy go and support some sort of evil Organization? Because Kirk and Carl are upper echelons of perpetuating evil, and Cinema Sins kinda shittily makes fun of movie logic, often misunderstanding the whole thing. Not exactly on par with the Joe Rogans, Ben Shapiros, and Dave Rubins of the world.
@@PanAndScanBuddy Fair point, but it's a hilarious juxtaposition anyway! Also I get a kick out of exaggerating CS's nefariousness XD
@@PanAndScanBuddy th-cam.com/video/ELEAsGoP-5I/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/vRSArNN6wJE/w-d-xo.html
Bolsheviki I love Shaun’s videos.
@@patrickmike2524 Skull Boi is the shit lol
I am an Anglican Priest and I have just hit "Like" on this video because there wasn't a stronger button (Something more like "YES!!!!!!" or "Wa-hoooooo!!!""). Maggie Mae Fish hits on so many problems with the selling of Christiantiy/Christmas, the idealogical swamp that can be when one who is disconnected from a community or relationships can forward and pass off as Christianity. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Christianity has happened for 2,000 years mainly because it could not/would not be rendered as a commodity, as a mere thing to be contained but as a way to love, serve, help, and care for the world. This was a very subtle and funny exploration of materialism, idealogy, and the false teachings tacked onto something a bit more respectful to the world.
I feel like the heavy focus on ham is a dig at Jewish people.
@Srithor Illuminate me.
She's right in a sense. Dining on pork is a privilege afforded to Christians alone among the Abrahamic religions. It's a show of arrogance. Being above the rules. (Historically, it's more about the Roman empire, the availability of land in the Italian peninsula and surrounding islands, and the ease of raising swine in tight spaces that the Christianity adopting empire did away with the rule. But I would assume arrogance over history for Kirk Cameron's reasoning.)
It's ok some of us really like bacon (even though it's trief "unclean"). Still tastes amazing. 🥓☺
@@christinediminuco2688 Going by the Bible, it's mainly that during one of the early Christian councils Peter decided that converts to following Jesus didn't have to convert to the Jewish faith to be followers of Christ.
This had been a major road block to spreading the faith as it was picking up mainly among the non-Jewish communities, but things like circumcision were kind of a deal breaker for many. This included the dietary restrictions.
@@SapphWolf The awkward shift from a small, harassed group fiercely defending its culture from infiltrators, to a imperialist ideology designed to spread quickly.
The way Kirk Cameron describes Christianity, it might as well be Scientology.
Both are bullshit cults.
I feel like if I were Kirk, and I was really trying to sell my devout christian bro on the artifice of christmas, I'd start with "hey bro, your whole family inside, all your friends, we love you so much and we want you to be happy, sharing this feast with us. God wouldn't want you to feel guilty for all the joy and cheer he's afforded you in your life. God wouldn't want you to have less. But here, listen, if all of this is making you uncomfortable, maybe we can pack up some of these leftovers, and you can bring 'em to some of your less fortunate friends, or co-workers, or hell, even someone on the street! Trust me, we're gonna have plenty. Maybe we can even gather some of the kids around later and tell 'em some bible stories. Remind 'em why we're here celebrating."
but that's coming from me, not even an actual christian, but someone who does thier best to practice secular compassion in life.
I hate that holier than thou attitude!
He is totally wrong! So all that food is God saying He loves you! What if you *don't* have food? God hates you? That's why I despise the "prosperity gospel". It's a slap in the face to those who are poor and hurting - not to mention Jesus. It's despicable! Kirk Cameron needs to rethink what He believes.
I think that's literally how A Christmas Carol ends too
Top 3 of people destroying a room:
1.-Zaat
2.-Orson Welles
3.-Maggie Mae Fish
You moved Tommy Wiseau out of the ranking.
Oh, a fellow man of culture, I see 🧐😄
There is an exchange in the movie "Chinatown" that I keep thinking about when it comes to certain politicians these days. Those that are impossibly wealthy but still corrupt as hell for the sake of making even more money.
Gittes: How much are you worth?
Cross: I've no idea. How much do you want?
Gittes: I just want to know what you're worth. Over ten million?
Cross: Oh my, yes!
Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What can you buy that you can't already afford?
Cross: The future, Mr. Gits - the future!
I do feel like there's some ideological basis to making more money than you can ever spend and/or perpetuating evil that you will not live to see the full repercussions of. It has to go beyond justifying their actions to themselves in the present or preserving the world order as it is for the children that most of them don't seem to care much about. Maybe it's as simple as misery loving company.
IOW, "My enjoyment of my excessive riches isn't complete unless I know that I'm causing untold suffering." Capitalism - the system designed for and by sociopaths.
@@denisemayosky1955 No wonder there are studies showing that most CEOs, COOs and people in higher management positions are clinically sociopaths.
Wealth impairs moral reasoning. We’ve long known this, but now it’s backed up by research
Rest in peace to your grandmother, and condolences. I’m sure you gave her a lot of joy. And those home-made presents? The gift there was you. Just you. Which I’m very sure is what she wanted.
When you have a kid that loves you, it doesnt matter what they give you, its special. My favorite presents the past year was a painting my niece made of me (we are holding hands outside a house) and a fridge magnet my nephew gave me that says "My Uncle Rocks".
I didn't know Christmas revolved so heavily around ham, thank you
@Ringcoirewen I've always thought the focus on ham was a sort of slap in the face of "Haha, we're not Jewish!".
(I know xmas turkey is also a thing, but why would someone have two giant turkey dinners one month apart?)
@@ToastyJunebugs I think you're overthinking it - it's just a season in North America and Europe when it was a good time to market certain meats rather than try to keep the animals over winter (before factory farming). And it's delicious. I doubt the tradition is very old; without wanting to dive down a wiki hole or god forbid do serious research, I suspect it's late Victorian at earliest.
@@delusionnnnn pigs are way smarter than dogs. To me, it's like a strung up family pet on the table.
@@sint0xicateme That's completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand.
@Ringcoirewen That's a modern apologist read. The "new covenant" that erases the Jewish dietary laws was not something that "the first Christians" would have understood the way modern apologists do, as "the first Christians" were followers of an apocalyptic Jewish preacher and were, well, Jews. This idea that one did not have to become Jewish to be Christian was a Pauline invention which only became normative once Paul's Christians (which is to say, those who were never Jewish to begin with) outnumbered the Christians that the actual followers of Jesus converted among the Jews. Remember, not only did Paul never claim to have met Jesus in person, he steadfastly maintained to have met him only in spirit, which is to say, he didn't meet him at all. So Paul's Christianity was mostly what Paul said about Christ, not what Jesus said about anything. And Jesus is very clear about not being put here to overturn the law, which Christian apologists have been very busy ignoring every since.
I mean, all of this posits a literal Jesus in the first place, but it matters more that Christians believe it than whether I do.
I love how your cardboard fireplace celebrates the physicality of the messiah, while the edited in flames celebrate the eternal intangibility of faith, and your arm going behind the fire celebrates how Kirk Cameron wasn't actually holding hot chocolate in the opening scene of the movie. VERY profound.
the real Christmas are the friends we found along the way.
No. You're . . . all wrong ! It's obviously about amassing material goods and devouring expensive food for our selfish desires - didn't you watch Kirk Cameron's teachings.
As a non-believer living in the “good ol’ Bible belt” who has been harassed and bullied and preached at by family and, well, countless others who really, really, really want me to “get saved” so we can all keep hanging out after we’re dead...Thank you for such an intelligent and thought-provoking review. I look forward to sharing this with so many that I hope will “get saved” as well. Only the other way around. Er, un-saved? I guess? At the least, maybe some will cancel their PureFlix subscriptions.
In all seriousness, as with your other videos that seem to effortlessly say what I try to get across but never seem able to coherently (Case in point: This rambling comment,) you continue to be spot-on with every point you make. I absolutely love your channel and alway adore your approach to this, and all other topics (film related and otherwise) that you cover with such clarity, wit, and insightfulness.
I don’t consider myself to be above or smarter than anyone who follows any religion. My heart does go out to any one who was/is forced into, or struggles with being a member of one however. I look back at the damage and the havoc religion continues to cause throughout my life and how it brings about such hatred, distrust, and ugliness in so many and I just don’t get what the appeal is. It really is an ingenious trap of the mind.
I love hearing propaganda like “Saving...” get ripped apart, layer by layer; cracks me up every time. At the end of the day though, it’s so damn depressing. Not just because of how poorly it’s made or how twisted and empty its messages are. I mean hell, plenty of other movies are just as guilty of being garbage. Go see any horror movie released in January or February. On second thought, don’t do that. Terrible suggestion.
It’s the beliefs and behaviors that are falsely justified and reinforced that places cinematic excrement like “Saving Christmas” on a whole different level of being a disservice to humanity.
I say that having seen almost two Transformers movies in their entirety.
Didn’t mean to write a novel in the comments section. I’m gonna go now.
The biggest ham is not necessarily the giant hams. Those are separate hams.
thank god someone said it
One of them is presumably Ken Ham.
HAM! HAM! HAM!
I only eat the Finest, most exclusive steamed hams!!!
What does the god of Israel want with all these hams? WTF is Kirk's problem?
This Christian (I’m sorry, faith-based) film analysis trilogy was so well done! Thank you for this.
Wait did some part of the production teams deny they're christian?? 😭
That ending, I feel sad but I'm glad you had someone like her in your life.
My Grammy just passed and I'm crying at the end. You really described my grandmother, too. I'm at a loss for words to describe it. She was my hero
This is the most anti-Christian movie I think I've ever seen...
My favorite Onion news story is where the white supremacists take over BET and make no programming changes. That is how I feel about this movie.
Dachusblot have you really watched it beginning to end though?
There *is* the Sorbo duology and particularly "let there be light".
You are correct
And the most pro-ham
A late comment for the algorithm.
I hope your grandmother’s memory continues to be an inspiration.
My father died after a long life and decades after retiring (which he spent volunteering with various organizations). He said he wished he had spent less time working and more time with his family.
_I LIKE GIANT HAMS AND I CANNOT LIE_
And you other brothers can’t deny!
I sincerely hate Kirk Cameron. He evokes everything absolutely wrong in the world. His hypocrisy and morality is sick and evangelist Christians need psychiatric help.
There's an empty vacant rage in his eyes. "How dare you make me feel guilty for enjoying objects more than people."
"You don't need that Kirk, one day you'll die and you'll realise it. Merry Christmas."
So dark and so true.
Literally I’ve never heard of people not wanting to be called Christian and I grew up christian
Really? I refuse any denomination besides that, because I believe those are mostly moral bankrupt while Jesus - his love for all and teachings - is not. Happy holidays internet stranger, I hope you're having a nice time!
Yeah my Christian friends all describe themselves as such, so that’s weird to me too
I've never heard that either. I've heard of people preferring to be called spiritual over religious, but never heard a Christian decline to identify as such. Super weird. If someone tried talking religion to me, and then said "christian but we don't really like to call it that" and used air quotes, I'd substitute the term "quasi-Christian cult" in my head.
I also grew up christian and I was thinking the exact same thing. Now I watch some atheist call-in shows and not once did I ever hear a christian caller not want to be identified as such. I guess the people who made that Ja rule movie are incredibly out of touch with reality.
It's not mainstream, but it's not uncommon, either. It's related to people who think that by saying they're "spiritual but not religious" that they're actually saying something positive or meaningful about what they believe, or people who say that it's a "relationship, not a religion". It's a religion whether you go to church or not, whether you're a mainstream denomination or not. A religion is a system of beliefs based on faith in the supernatural.
This "we don't like to call it that" is, like those other two examples, something you hear more in apologetic circles than normal religious people living their own lives and not making a living selling a particular sort of evangelical belief. It's usually this Prosperity Gospel, but rarely you see it in "I'm-OK you're-OK" liberal Christianity which is so meaningless it might as well be Unitarian Universalism, where they want to believe in Jesus and heaven but they reject most of the actual hard Biblical theology. So, reject most of the stuff you need to get to a literal Jesus, but still believe in a literal Jesus. Madness.
Kirk Cameron came up lucky, privileged and wealthy, and this is how he reconciles that Jesus loves him despite so much of the Gospels and Acts blathering on about this apocalyptic preacher talking about how irrelevant and actually harmful wealth was for a world where wealthy men would no longer be calling the shots. "I'm good, I'm rich, therefore, god wants me to be rich." Kirk is on his own spiritual acrobatic journey with a Jesus and a god that don't actually ask that much of him other than words.
Kirk: God love Captialists! Which is why Greed is one of the seven deadly sins-- wait.
I have actually heard the swaddling cloth/shroud parallel before but it's not about the "prop", but the parallel of Mary wrapping him in white at his birth and at his death/rebirth. It's part of a larger parallel which also frames the gifts of the Magi as reminiscent of funeral gifts.
But... that still makes it incredibly nonsensical in the context of "the Meaning of Christmas" and strips a scholarly/theological parallel to "here is thing, thing important? Things important!".
Aren't Jesus and Mary both aware of his life will end at some point early in his life? Or was this well after the act of swaddling? I also thought this was a well know parallel along with the role of frankincense and myrrh in preparing bodies for burial.
I'm so sorry to hear of your grandma's passing. My husband's grandma is in hospice care. I love her dearly, and I feel your pain. Much love. I hope the memories you have always stay clear, bright and comforting.
In the imortal words of Jonny Brovo: "In real life only televangelists can afford hot tub limousine.", that, that right there is how even a chilleds cartoon from the 00's dunking on Kirk's dumb movie, before it was ever made.
CimpyOvy what episode was that?
@ClimpyOvy
Wait what?
@@Oliviagarry69420
That's what I wanna know, because I remember such thing from Johnny Bravo of all shows.
Where have you been all my life LOL I just found your sight and you are awesome.
2:18: Did he just list "hams" twice in the same sentence? What is he trying to tell us?
Ham is pork.
Human flesh, in a culinary sense, is referred to as "long pork".
Jesus said "This is my flesh. Eat me!" to his dudesciples.
Thus we conclude that Jesus was actually a sentient pig.
Which makes Miss Piggy a symbolic representation of the mother of god.
struck me odd too , that Ham..ham statement ,ha ha....
Does Kirk realize that Christmas is actually a pagan holiday with Christianity slapped on top of it?
Sssshh, that requires him to actually do research
I think the character Christian brings it up that our modern Christmas rituals are heavily inspired by pagan rituals, but obviously, the movie doesn't want you to think about this fact critically in any way.
@Denise Mayosky
Yes, but also no... But at the same time yes.
as if he cared about christ
Christian mentions it that Christmas tree is just a celebration of solstice inherited from the druids.
Kirk goes on a weird ramble about the tree representing the tree of life from the Garden of eden. And christmas ornaments representing the apple. He even totally forgets that eating the apple by Adam and Eve was a bad thing, they were not supposed to do. Oh, and the winter solstice? God created these by creating the universe and therefore celebrating winter solstice is celebration of God.
He then goes on to tell that the cross was made of wood and since wood comes from trees, the trees represent the cross.
His logic is truly baffling
Then he says that the cross Chri
"So, Kirk, what's your favourite thing about Christmas?"
"GIANT HAMS"
Wouldn't that be cannibalism?😂
can't help but read "GIANT HAMS" in Billy May's voice.
RIP Billy
"Excuse me, what does God need with a Starship?" Did not see a Star Trek reference coming...or that part about your Grandma, "no more shared memories with her"... heartbreak. Best analysis of this wretched movie that I have watched so far, thank you Maggie Mae.
So, smiting is equal to punching?
Surprisingly, I am disappointed. Smiting sounds BIG, like it might take both hands and the better part of the day.
I choose to believe that "smiting" is the weird palm punching technique that all the characters use in Star Trek. There is zero historical basis for this but it livens up the scenes when I imagine them this way.
Well, God's got huge hands, so if he smites you...
@SuperNoone89 so that dude just walked around with a dead cheek for the rest of his life? Metal.
Well, the punch did lead to a big brawl that resulted in all of the Arians being removed from the council by force so that the remaining members could vote to make nontrinitarianism heretical.
A Smite is basically a People’s Elbow
A "celebrity" is preaching materialism.
Imagine my shock. Lol.
I’m so sorry to hear about your grandma Maggie, I wish we could all thank her for making you the sweet, smart, wonderful person you are, as a Christian I loved this video and I’m so glad I can enjoy it with all your fans no matter what we believe, something I hope Kirk Cameron leans at some point
Kirk Hameron
I know this is 2 years later and not even Christmas, what am I doing (it's all about those extra layers in these videos!) but it was genuinely nice to hear you be so open and sincere about your grandma, and show vulnerability like that. And contrasted with the sheer cynicism of the movie and all the people involved in it, oof. You're good people Maggie!
I watched this movie with my best friend and we’re both Christian and we both were so lost and confused. I literally screamed when he said the whole city of Jerusalem outline with the presents 😂 this movie is a mess and dumb
“She knew exactly what to laugh at” that is incredible. I’m so sorry for your loss. She sounds amazing.
"Celebration of an Eternal God taking on a MATERIAL body"
Yes and no! The point of the Incarnation is to demonstrate the material world as something that is worthy of honor and love and not to be discarded in favor of just the spiritual (i.e. Gnosticism), so much that the God of all creation would willingly inhabit it AS a material body, warts and frailties and all. Not as an excuse to commit all 7 deadly sins! (In this particular example, greed and gluttony)
My sympathies, Maggie. I lost my grandmother last month too. I was intending to give her a new jewelry box I made myself with a laser cutter. I wanted to cut images into it from her youth, so that she could literally feel the pictures because her sight had gone some years ago. Now I don't get too.
❤❤❤
Hey dude. I know im very late with this comment but it touched my heart (not to sound cheesy or something) and i just hope you and your family are doing ok, that sounded like the most beautiful gift I've ever heard of 💜 hope you're taking care and still making amazing things like that
@@alim.9801 We're doing okay. We lost my grandfather (her husband and widower) this summer. They both had good long lives, and we saw these coming. We'll miss them.
So good. As an ex-evangelical, this is some of the best writing about why I left that identity
It's a Christmas MIRACLE to watch a movie review that's actually smart and funny. This is why I keep tuning in.
MYYYYY TEMPLE SHOULD BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER
GET OUT
GET OOOOOOOUT
Best comment. Read in Neelly’s voice.
What is Christmas about?
Kirk Cameron: hams hams hams hams hams hams hams hams hams
I always feel like I read the wrong bible, the one where Jesus loves buying things and money sounds much better!!!!
Actually Jesus being a socialist is one of the few parts of the bible that I can relate to. I wish modern Christians would flip over the tables of money lenders and chase them off with whips.
Michael Kenner don’t forget grand theft donkey. And getting hangry at fig trees.
Nah, it's definitely the worse one
Okay... but God came to Simon The Magus with extra information! Are we not going to listen to what Sorcerer Simon has to say? We have to hear all sides, including the Bad Samaritan.
Behold... the gospel of Supply Side Jesus! www.beliefnet.com/news/2003/09/the-gospel-of-supply-side-jesus.aspx
I'm so sorry about your grandmother :( this video was so meaning, thank you for making it even though it was probably really hard
Did he say giant hams twice? How is ham so important to the birth of Jesus?
Steamed hams, specifically.
You just buy a ham that is the same size/weight as baby Jesus was. Duh.
@@ToastyJunebugs Everyone knows Christmas is really about the virtues of cannibalism and how you have to cook Jesus Christ properly, lest the ham gets too tangy, duh.
So the Kirkster is promoting gluttony, which is one of the seven deadly sins? Makes sense, as he is also promoting greed, wrath and envy. So ok, then.
Clearly, Jesus is a ham baby (see: Scrubs)
I went from actually crying to hysterically laughing just in the last 3-4 minutes of this. This is a masterpiece.
I'm so sorry for your loss, and I hope you still have an amazing Christmas with the rest of your family.
The story that Scrooge "had his reasons" INVENTED modern Christmas. Not only is Kirk distorting the bible but the origin of Christmas itself to suit his greed.
Special boy indeed
He also said “Uncle Scrooge” so it’s entirely possible he was talking about the duck.
@@melomenon so glad i'm not the only one that caught that
@@melomenon Wow I completely missed that detail. Kirk is such a hack.
@@melomenon If you read the book, there's a scene where Scrooge is spoken to by his nephew, who refers to him as "uncle". Just sayin'.
I loved this review because this came from a different perspective. Most other reviews of Saving Christmas have made fun of the dance sequence, Kirk Cameron pretending to drink hot chocolate from an empty cup, the dub-step beating, and the bad ADR involving the 'War on Christmas' conspiracy theory. Funny and entertaining but I think this one is the best one because it is informative and I loved the personal touch at the end.
"I don't think these people believe in anything." Me neither, sister.
UNTRUE. they believe in several types of HAMS....
They believe that God likes them better than everyone else, though they probably wouldn't even recognize him if they met him on the street.
I think they just believe in _"God says gimme yo' money"_ aka con jobs. Well that and ham clearly.
Oh no, I think Kirk truly believes this nonsense. Watch the video of him prattling on about the banana being designed for man to eat it. He is just really stupid. I mean he is really, really stupid.
wait... 7:22 "even Uncle Scrooge has a story to tell." yes Kirk, yes he does have a story to tell, in fact some would even call it a....Duck TALE. I understand his mistake in confusing the Disney character and the Christmas Carole character, but someone should have caught that in the editing department.
I like Scrooge McDuck!😂
In A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is, indeed someone's uncle, and that nephew, Fred, refers to Ebeneezer as Uncle Scrooge, so it's not really a stretch.
14:20 looks like a shot from a psychological thriller where the main character goes insane
OMG Totally :D
"Yessss, YEEESSS, I CAN SEEE IT NOW, IT IS DRENCHED IN THE BLOOD OF THE LESS FORTUNATE, MUUAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA" xD xD
Her whole series on these Christian movies is honestly on the level of Lindsay Ellis's Hobbit videos. Amazing work, Maggie!
Only that the Hobbit is, you know, good.
movies like Saving Christmas are a good window into the mindset of the evangelicals who say they follow what Jesus taught and Donald Trump at the same time without seeing the utter hypocrisy and shamelessness.
Which is pretty much psychotic n terrifying.
TygerTigerable it’d be fascinating if it weren’t so terrifying and harmful
Satanism. Like , the real kind, not the silly fire and brimstone kind.
Isn't that cognitive dissonance? Or negative capability? Save me the drumstick of the crocoduck either way.
@@TygerTigerable
Kinda like the secular zeitgeist.
I think this is the third time I watch this and only now have I realized that Maggie noticed the double mention to ham earlier on and threw it back at the end! Brilliant!
17:18 "discosing"! Anywho, I thought I was going to be laughing at an incompetently made Christian film, instead I'm depressed about corruption, indoctrination, immorality, and rampant misogyny.
Well done, great video as always. Sorry for your loss.
Rest in peace to your grandma bro. It's sweet that you care so much I'm sure she's incredibly thankful
The Christmas Thrash at the end reminded me a little of The Jerk. "I don't need any of this! I don't need anything except for this snowman. All I need is this snowman, and this wreath"
I loved this video; so many good points. I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. I hope you have a Merry Christmas.
If there is one 'philosophy' that pisses me off more than 'manifest destiny', it's 'prosperity gospel'. (And, my condolences for the death of your beloved Grandma.)
@Srithor Ha! :)
Is it a wink or a blink if one has only one eye?
Holy shit, that was a History of the World, Part 1 reference! The best scene, even! Truly, a woman of taste.
That fireplace is so distracting, but I love it.
Spoilers:
Good thing she decided to destroy it at the end, then, hey?
jmlkinc what???!! NOOOOOOO!
"It represents the tree of life". You mean the tree of life humanity explicitly did not eat from? The tree we did eat from is "The knowledge of good and evil."
I’m sorry for your loss Maggie, your grandma sounds like a special lady. I hope you have a merry Christmas. And thanku for the thoughtful content x
Made for the people who go berserk when someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”.
But what is Holiday short for...HOLY DAYS. Happy Christmas All Y'ALL.✨💥✨💥✨💥✨💥✨
And the ones that can't be bothered to read a book for long enough to know that the 'X' in 'Xmas' represents the first letter of the greek spelling of 'Christ' (Χριστός), and that it has been in use for centuries.
@@funstuff2006 In fact people specifically started using the Xmas spelling to distance the Christian holiday from the growing commercialization of Christmas in the US in the 1920s.
"Smiting them... on the cheek." Is my new favorite Evangelical phrase.
Movie should have been called _Saving Capitalism_ lol. Also, I love how janky that fireplace is 😂
Complete sidenote: I was sorely tempted to buy a big sleigh bell on clearance at a craft store, but I controlled myself (because I don't actually need a giant bell lol). Now, seeing Kurt sitting next to one just like it, I'm glad I didn't buy that bell.
Kurt? You mean Kirk?
@@bobsonny Yes, but I couldn't edit it without losing the heart XD
@@emilyrln Honestly not even getting his name right is perfect.
0:58 I wasn't aware that the stable in Bethlehem had been the victim of a drive-by shooting, but judging by the bullet holes the light is coming through Mary and Joseph stayed in a rough neighbourhood...
It was an... unstable region, made holey.
I'll see myself out.
@@asenseofyarning5614 😂😂😂
I know Maggie couldn't have known it at the time, but listening to her saying "...I can't wait to show what we have in store for 2020" at the end of the video... It just sounds omnious now. But hopefully everything will work out in the end and we get to hear Maggie's thoughts on other terrible Xmas movies come December.
Oh dear... well we still get to hear her. The next two years however, kinda went to shit
@@cambriaofthevastoceans6721 It's surprising how the last 7 or so years have just been a never ending stream of shit getting worse.
@@hedgehog3180 sigh... one of the worst things is the people around me going on with their lives as if nothing is happening
I genuinely could have seen childhood me enjoying and getting the intended message from the last films you've covered. But damn, this one goes counter to everything that I understood about Christmas as a Christian.
"Chekhov's swaddling cloth"
Delightful.
I'm so sorry you lost your Grandma, she sounds like she was a wonderful person. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New year to you and your family ❤️
Gotta l❤️ve the algorithm: got two ads back to back for christian / faith based movies. God Bless Us Everyone!
It’s so creepy when the actors in the movie smile
Stepford Wives
That's a well done fireplace. I didn't even realize that it was made of cardboard until you waved your hand and it went behind the fire!
The Christmas Miracle we needed. Thank you Maggie Mae Fish.
I am so sorry for your loss. I am glad that you were able to make this video. Memories, love and just being there is so much more powerful than giving things. I think we all forget that.
Merry Christmas and my condolences for your grandma.
And thank you for being so diligent with your citations! 🖤
I forgot that _History of the World Part 1_ (1981) was a thing, going to watch that after this 😊