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Dysfunctional Family Christmas

Saturday Night LiveSNL
SKETCH-O-VISION
A VERY GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.

The setup

A Christmas album commercial turns family grievances, unwanted advice and forced togetherness into a festive singalong.

Community rating

– / 10

The premise

Here’s the bit.

Silver Bell Records offers a Christmas album for families whose holiday gatherings revive old tensions. Around a punch bowl, relatives sing about keeping up appearances, a celebration spoiled by an argument, disappointing gifts and a parent’s drinking. A mother wraps criticism in apparent reassurance, while the children describe a father’s temper. The sales pitch closes with a carol that turns demands for personal space into a family chorus.

The funny people

Meet the cast. 6

Say it with us

Highly quotable.

Hit after dysfunctional hit.

Behind the scenes

The people who made it.

A little extra

Notes from the archive.

The advertised offer is 24 songs for $19.95 from the fictitious Silver Bell Records.

ScriptEnglish · 17 turns

Automatically generated script; wording may contain errors. Speaker labels are inferred.

  1. 00:01

    Speaker 1

    It's that time of year when families gather together to reopen old feelings. And Silverbell Records is proud to present a dysfunctional family Christmas.

  2. 00:09

    Speaker 1

    This is the album your family is sure to cherish for Christmases to come.

  3. 00:14

    Speaker 2

    Christmas time, you force a smile. Everyone is joining in the group denial. Folks behaving infantile. Family Christmas time.

  4. 00:25

    Speaker 1

    Hit after dysfunctional hit. Songs like The Almost Perfect Christmas. Christmas.

  5. 00:30

    Speaker 2

    Dinner is perfect, the presents are perfect, the tree and the parlor's the perfect one. Then your brother yells at your mother, Christmas is ruined for everyone.

  6. 00:41

    Speaker 1

    Get timeless favorites like Someday I'll Get Christmas Right, I've Got My Drinking Under Control for the Holidays, Peace on Earth Where, and The Daughter's Song.

  7. 00:49

    Speaker 3

    Presents and wrapping paper, ribbons and bows and all that stuff, why do we even bother?

  8. 00:57

    Speaker 1

    And

  9. 01:00

    Speaker 1

    this country Christmas classic

  10. 01:03

    Dad

    Every Christmas when you got drunk I told the children you were not drunk And I said, Tommy, you're not being bad It's just that Christmas makes your mommy mad

  11. 01:16

    Speaker 1

    You'll get Can't You Let It Drop, It's Christmas What I Want, You Can't Buy Me Fruitcake and Shame And Why Am I the Only One Who Knows What Christmas Really Means And many more

  12. 01:28

    Mom

    Underneath the mistletoe, it's a two-by-two Jingle Bell world. And underneath all those extra pounds is a very pretty girl.

  13. 01:38

    Daddy's

  14. 01:40

    Speaker 4

    Daddy's nose is red and runny. Daddy's voice is gruff and funny. And the only words I can understand are God and Jim and Christmas.

  15. 01:55

    Speaker 1

    Just imagine 24 timeless standards, including the classic carol of intimacy.

  16. 02:01

    Dana Carvey

    Leave me alone, please go away. I'm doing fine, just get away. Leave me alone, please go away. I'm doing fine, just get away.

  17. 02:13

    Speaker 1

    To order, call Call 1-800-GET-HELP today. Operators are standing by.

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