When it comes to series of reviews like the Christmas Countdown, sometimes you plan out a theme and sometimes that theme organically emerges. Friday the 13^th was such a special day I thought it deserved a scary Christmas horror marathon, but this alien thing kind of took me by surprise. I didn’t think there were going to be aliens in The Yummy Gummy Search For Santa, but here we are, and now I have the opportunity to continue this with a look at a bizarre little Christmas special from 1991, Aliens First Christmas. I don’t know who made this, I don’t know why, all I know is that for some reason this exists, so let’s talk about it.

After getting a work transfer to the alien planet of Zolonia, the Peoples family (yes, they are actually called the Peoples) must adjust to their new life while trying to maintain their Earthly traditions. When Christmas comes along, the Peoples find it more difficult than they expected to keep the Christmas spirit alive, but they get some help from an unusual source. That’s really all the plot, this is a very short special and while it’s not all that long, there is a bunch of weird stuff that happens in it.

One of the most constantly unsettling things about this short is the intense undercurrent of xenophobia, one which uncomfortably resembles certain aspects of our own culture. While I was expecting the light hearted japing of any fish out of water story where the fish out of water are goofed on for not understanding all the intricate cultural details of their new home, I was surprised how much the Zolonians absolutely HATE the human immigrants. Even though the Peoples can clearly speak the language of the Zolonians and are making efforts to assimilate into their culture, the Zolonians want nothing to do with the humans and are constantly shouting that the Peoples are stupid and ignorant, and even having a dog-analogue alien chase them up a tree when the Peoples start Christmas Caroling. This is all really nasty stuff that mirrors real life hatred a bit too closely for my taste, but if this is meant to be a cultural indictment of the hypocrisy of anti-immigration policies, then I guess I’m for that, I just didn’t expect that in my 1991 Christmas Special about humans on an alien planet.

What makes me confused is that I think the disturbing moments where the Peoples are discriminated against are supposed to be comedic. When the family is chased up a tree, the music is comedic with a whaa-whaa-whaaaa, like we’re supposed to be laughing because a xenophobic neighbor released the hounds. Another moment like that happens when the dad is at the mall trying to buy gifts for his family because he destroyed the box of imported Christmas goods with his homemade generator (I would explain how any of that made sense but there really is no more context to it I can give you) and he ends up in some kind of store. After looking through a selection of things he thinks, and says aloud, are a hat and a ball, he tells the clerk he wants to buy them. Once he leaves the store, the clerk explains to another employee (who avoided the human because she finds them creepy) that the man bought two live animals who hate each other and will kill each other given the chance. The clerk purposely withholding this information is presented as a joke, not as an abuse of a curious customer willing to pay for your wares, a situation which ends with the dad getting mauled by the animals.

Even though there are a few bright spots, like when the Peoples neighbors try to help the Peoples have an authentic Earth Christmas, most of this special is weird and creepy. It’s more of a strange allegory for immigration and xenophobia than a heart warming Christmas special, but maybe we need more of those. Maybe it’s time to make Christmas uncomfortable while we all talk about the xenophobia and racism on display in this special. That will surely make the Christmas dinner table a fun time!