It may come as a surprise that 1983’s “A Christmas Story” was not a big hit upon its initial release, a trait that 1946’s It’s A Wonderful Life shares with the now much beloved story of young Ralphie Parker’s quest to get a Red Ryder BB Gun delivered to him on Christmas Day. A Christmas Story owes its loyal following and place in American Pop Culture to both the popularity of home video as well as cable tv, as it has been replayed countless times in countless households in those formats for decades.
The best testament to A Christmas Story’s place in the pantheon of holiday movies, more-so than the sequels and spin-offs, the merchandise or the consistent quoting of “You’ll shoot your eye out” or “Fragil-ay” , is the A Christmas Story house museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
Lead Tour Guide Ernie Scales joined the show recently to talk about how this museum stands as primary source of the early part of the 21st century.
To hear my household break down the latest installment of the Ralphie Parker saga, A Christmas Story Christmas, visit patreon.com/epspodcast and become a patron today!
(Cover art: A "One Story House" doll house courtesy of The Tie Dye Librarian)
Episode 17: "The House at Good Old Cleveland Street" - Analyzing The "A Christmas Story" House as a Primary Source w/ Guide Ernie Scales
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Everything is a Primary Source
The analysis of a primary source helps us to learn about the time period and the place from which it came. Too often we limit the term "primary source" to mean just newspapers, letters, diaries and such, when in reality EVERYTHING, from toy packaging to movies, websites to toothpaste, restaurant menus to , well, podcasts, can be dissected. This podcast focuses on American Popular Culture and treats films, songs, food, comic books, toys, games, TV shows, clothing...& etc as artifacts waiting to inform us about the time period and society that produced and embraced them.To learn more about the process, see materials and follow the episodes, go to epspodcast.club Join the EPS Podcast Facebook Group to follow new episodes, see announcements and offer up suggestions for future episodes.
The analysis of a primary source helps us to learn about the time period and the place from which it came. Too often we limit the term "primary source" to mean just newspapers, letters, diaries and such, when in reality EVERYTHING, from toy packaging to movies, websites to toothpaste, restaurant menus to , well, podcasts, can be dissected. This podcast focuses on American Popular Culture and treats films, songs, food, comic books, toys, games, TV shows, clothing...& etc as artifacts waiting to inform us about the time period and society that produced and embraced them.To learn more about the process, see materials and follow the episodes, go to epspodcast.club Join the EPS Podcast Facebook Group to follow new episodes, see announcements and offer up suggestions for future episodes.Listen on
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Episode 17: "The House at Good Old Cleveland Street" - Analyzing The "A Christmas Story" House as a Primary Source w/ Guide Ernie Scales