Attempting to write a humor piece on a holiday whose relevance is now primarily owed to the humor movie bearing its name is no easy task. Such a challenge though is why we comedy bloggers get into comedy blogging. Well, in truth I do it for money. Except no one pays me yet, so my reasoning defaults to “for love of the craft.”
Groundhog Day Origins
The Groundhog Day ceremony dates back to whenever it first started. Odds are the inhabitants of some European country or other created a custom out of observing the climate-deducing habits of a rodent whose closest relative their descendants could find when they ended up in America was a groundhog. Such a tradition is in the spirit of the German Hessians bringing Christmas trees here during the American Revolution, and the British introducing us to Cadbury Crème Eggs in celebration of the Resurrection. (It’s okay, you can laugh. I’m technically Catholic)
Groundhog Day Mysteries
Let’s examine perhaps the two most perplexing mysteries surrounding Groundhog Day. The first is why those descendants opted to settle in a town whose only other contribution to society seems to be the highly impressive score its name would rack up in a game of Scrabble. The second mystery is that February 2nd somehow marks Groundhog Day in both the United States and Canada, yet our two countries can’t even agree to set Thanksgiving Day in the same month.
Hedge-hogging His Bets
From the time his predictions were first recorded, Punxsutawney Phil has seen his shadow far more times than he hasn’t. To some, this may indicate that Phil’s natural inclination to return to hibernation is his primary motivation. However, with Groundhog Day permanently set on February 2nd and the onset of spring consistently March 21st, the reality is that whether or not Phil sees his shadow there’s going to be six more weeks of winter. Do the math, people.
Groundhog Day in Pop Culture
When comedian Buddy Hackett voiced the cartoon groundhog in the 1979 Rankin/Bass television production Jack Frost, one can only surmise that he secretly rejoiced in cornering the groundhog character for generations of viewers. However two things would conspire to deny him his chance at securing immortality. First, unlike Rankin/Bass’s reigning Christmas classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Jack Frost kind of sucked. As such, it’s rarely seen or even remembered today. Hackett’s disappointment at not overtaking Rudolph was later transformed to complete and utter dismay by two simple words: Bill Murray.
Regardless of the unending speculations of how many consecutive days Phil Connors actually spent waking up on February 2nd in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania; or for that matter how both his friends and the townsfolk could possibly not notice that they too were reliving the same day, Groundhog Day remains the gold standard for movies based on non-holiday holidays. The film has something for everyone, and will no doubt result in laughter, tears, and a loathing of Sonny and Cher.
The Groundhog Day Setting
Although Gobbler’s Knob sounds more like the name of an R-Rated Bond Girl, (Even though Saltzman and Broccoli somehow got away with “Pussy Galore”- in 1964) it’s actually the little nook east of Punxsutawney where tuxedo-clad men pull Phil out of a plastic tree stump annually. Though the pomp and circumstance of the day is no doubt appealing, the question remains that if these men are indeed able to understand the language of Groundhog, one might think they’d also be smart enough to avoid dressing in top hats and standing in sub-freezing temperatures at 7:30a.m. in order to speak with a rodent.
In Conclusion
Groundhog Day is nothing more than a little benign fun for all. In fact the most perplexing thing about it is why, unlike the winter non-holiday holidays named after Saints Valentine and Patrick, so few have found a way to make truckloads of cash commercializing it. So enjoy the day- though if you’re looking for an accurate weather forecast you’re probably better off checking in with Doppler than Gobbler.
Chris Gay is a freelance writer, voice-over artist, and broadcaster/actor. He writes and broadcasts a daily, sponsored radio humor spot in Hartford, Connecticut, and has written two humor books: Shouldn’t Ice Cold Beer Be Frozen? My 365 Random Thoughts To Improve Your Life Not One Iota, as well as And That’s the Way It Was…Give or Take: A Daily Dose of My Radio Writings. Look for his upcoming supernatural, theological crime novel Ghost of a Chance and later its sequel, Perdition’s Wrath, his humor book The Bachelor Cookbook and, written in partnership with KSpin Designs for the benefit of Melanoma research, Suesea Sunscreen and the Big Lesson. He has written and voiced radio commercials, authored both comedic and non-comedic freelance articles, scripts, and press releases, done occasional radio color commentary for local sports, and acted in a couple of movies and plays. He is the media and technical writer for the clothing company KSpin Designs, and the publicity director for the Connecticut Authors & Publishers Association. (CAPA)
https://chrisgay.wordpress.com
Movies:
2012:
Great Hope Springs (Barfly)
2009:
Testimonies of a Quiet New England Town (Constable John Gilbert)
