How the 80’s made me believe in redeeming the unredeemable character and how it messed up my love life

Throughout my childhood I watched cartoons, and live action sitcoms that always had a character beyond hope. They did bad things like drugs, alcohol, telling people what to do. They broke rules and laws and seemed to have few consequences if any. In addition, there was always something the director let us see to let us know this person wasn’t all bad. They had good qualities and “life” was just creating a situation where they had to act this way. There are many examples of this from Happy Days, Saved by the Bell, Alvin and Chipmunks, even Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

This became very clear when my daughter started watching the new Alvin and the Chipmunks on Netflix “Alvinnn!!!”. Alvin continuously makes selfish, self-centered decisions (as does Britany his female counterpart), and they are held up as this ideal of who you should want to be. Who you should want to date. How you should want to live. As the holidays approach, I pulled out my 25^th anniversary collection of Alvin and Chipmunks Christmas Specials to watch with my children since they were so enamored of the characters.

As I watched this episode that I loved to watch every year, along with The Chipmunk Adventure movie, I realized this is the only thing I’ve watched where Alvin isn’t being selfish or self-centered at all. He wants to go Christmas shopping at the beginning of the movie (an activity to buy for others), he hears about Tommy Waterford’s plight (he is ill and the doctors don’t know what is wrong with him). Alvin is so upset by this information that he is unable to perform in the studio. Alvin gives away his own Golden Echo Harmonica to Tommy making up a contest the child had won so he wouldn’t question the gesture. Alvin returns the studio and is able to perform perfectly.

Later that day Dave tells the boys they have a performance at Carnegie Hall and they want Alvin to perform a harmonica solo. Alvin, with the help of his brothers who know why Alvin is doing this, immediately starts to plan ways to make money so that he can replace the harmonica Dave had bought him as a present before Dave realizes it is gone. These are all very altruistic motivations for the normally selfish character.

The day of the performance Simon and Theodore give Alvin all the money they have saved up in addition to what they’ve earned and he races the music store so he can be to Carnegie Hall before the performance. Meanwhile Dave receives a call from Mrs. Waterford and learns what has really been going on with Alvin. When Alvin arrives at the music store, he realizes he still doesn’t have enough money and an old woman comes up and says she must buy it for him. She purchases it and says the only payment she needs is a song. By the time the song is over the woman has disappeared and, Dave, Simon, and Theodore have shown up to make sure Alvin makes the performance.

Alvin performs his solo and returns back stage to see Tommy who is now miraculously cured and able to be in public. Alvin pulls Tommy onto the stage and they perform one last song with Tommy playing harmonica while the chipmunks sing. As the chipmunks are singing Alvin adapts a line of the song to say, “but don’t forget the gift for me.” And Dave and the audience are left throwing up their hands that once again Alvin is being self-centered and selfish. Making it clear while this time Alvin made good choices, he has no intention of changing who he is at his core. A selfish, self-centered, brat. The next scene before the credit’s role is to have Santa pass over the concert and return home to the North Pole. He talks to Mrs. Claus who is revealed to be the woman who bought Alvin the harmonica and the credits roll.            

Writers occasionally have to make characters who are otherwise despised have a moment of reflection and growth. Without this we would all turn off the show, but somehow it colored how I looked at the world for too many years and I sought out these rule breakers as an ideal mate. I didn’t understand yet what television was afraid to tell me. Sometimes, some people are just bad. They don’t want your help, they enjoy their behavior and what it gets them, and they don’t want to be saved. In addition, if they do want to be saved it should be through personal therapy and not because someone they are dating tells them to.