Woodyanders Review of You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown

You're Not Elected, Charlie Brown (1972 TV Short)

Another enjoyable Peanuts TV special

[8/10 · 15 February 2011]

Linus runs for school president with Lucy and Charlie Brown serving as his campaign managers. This time Charles M. Schulz's characteristic sweet and witty humor is well used to take plenty of sly satirical digs at politics and the intrinsic absurdity of the whole electoral process: Lucy intimidates people to vote for her little brother, Linus gives a gloriously histrionic first speech in which he makes all kinds of ridiculous promises, Schroeder compares Linus to Beethoven, Linus appears on a talk radio show and gets bombarded by clueless callers who can't get their questions right, and Linus almost blows the whole campaign when he talks at length about the Great Pumpkin in his second major speech. Of course, Snoopy is in his usual delightful mischievous form: The irrepressible beagle ransacks a refrigerator and makes an elaborate breakfast for himself, assists Sally by making campaign signs (he puts a paw print on the sign he makes), and, in the show's single most hilarious segment, goes to school as grinning hipster Joe Cool only to wind up being ignored by all the kids (Joe Cool even has a great groovy theme song). Vince Guaraldi's bouncy and sprightly score further adds to the considerable frothy fun. A pleasant romp.