Podcast Summary: The Matt Walsh Show

Episode: Why Is Christmas Music So God Awful Now? I Think I Know The Reason
Host: Matt Walsh (The Daily Wire)
Date: December 20, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

Matt Walsh delivers a sharp critique of the modern state of Christmas music and movies, arguing that both have dramatically declined in quality since the late 20th century. The episode explores the reasons behind this, focusing on cultural, artistic, and spiritual shifts, and contemplates what makes holiday content memorable and meaningful.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The “Christmas Shoes” Phenomenon

• Critique of "The Christmas Shoes" Song:

  • Walsh describes it as "the single best argument against the First Amendment that perhaps has ever been made" (00:17), joking that a "civilized society would have imprisoned everybody responsible for that song."

  • He mocks the song's melodramatic premise, unrealistic narrative, and absurd details (e.g., a dying mother needing shoes for Jesus, a child counting pennies at checkout in the 2000s).

    “No kid is going to be counting pennies in the checkout line because we don’t make pennies anymore and everyone’s using Apple Pay anyway.” (02:10, Matt Walsh)

  • Walsh highlights the commercialization of the song, noting its adaptation into a movie and book series—evidence, he says, of the "decline of Christmas songs and movies." (04:00)

• Comedic Analysis:

  • He ridicules the song’s manipulative use of emotion and implausibility, humorously comparing the child to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh because of the focus on burial attire (02:58).
  • "But then it gets worse. As Patton Oswalt observed, the kid eventually makes it clear that he's a total scam artist. He turns to the guy standing next to him and demands that he pays for the shoes." (02:55)

2. The Decline of Christmas Movies

• Assessment of Modern Offerings:

  • Walsh claims that "there hasn't been a good Christmas movie in over 30 years," lamenting the trend towards irony, sarcasm, shallow or negative themes (divorce, family dysfunction, saving Christmas as a literal event), and unnecessary violence.

  • He singles out films like Elf, Bad Santa, Red One, asserting that even the more beloved ones are lesser reflections compared to classics like It's A Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street.

    “None of them appear to have any understanding of Christmas, which is a pretty big problem for a Christmas movie.” (05:21, Matt Walsh)

• Industry Shifts:

  • Walsh attributes much of this decline to Hollywood and the music industry's prioritization of political messaging, often of an “explicitly anti-Christian” nature (06:26).

  • He also notes practical realities: Christmas as a genre is saturated with classics, with little incentive or room for new additions.

    “From a practical perspective. It’s a genre of music that’s only played for one month a year. So people don’t need 50,000 different Christmas songs.” (06:58, Matt Walsh)

3. The Rise of Irony Over Sincerity

• Comparison of Generational Media:

  • Walsh contrasts the sincere, faith-based message in A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965) with the generic, sentimental message typical of more recent specials like The Muppet Family Christmas (late 1980s) (09:15 onward).

• Sincerity versus Sarcasm:

  • He plays a pivotal scene from Charlie Brown where the biblical meaning of Christmas is recited, noting network reluctance at the time—a risk vindicated by the show’s lasting success.

    “A culture that’s defined by detachment and irony, that never wants to take anything seriously at a fundamental level, it’s very different from a culture that values authenticity, vulnerability, and humility.” (14:11, Matt Walsh)

• Modern Example — South Park:

  • Walsh uses South Park’s irreverent Christmas episodes as emblematic of a broader cultural move from reverence to mockery, suggesting that this damages both message and tradition.

4. What Makes a Christmas Movie (and Song) Actually Good?

• Walsh’s Criteria:

  • The story must be truly about Christmas (not just set during it), ideally involve snow, include archetypal characters (a Santa/Gandalf figure), communicate the real meaning of Christmas (not consumerism or apathy), and instill genuine joy (15:16).

• Memorability & Tradition:

  • Walsh insists that good Christmas content creates lasting memories and traditions. It should be evergreen, something viewers/listeners return to year after year.

    “Good Christmas content, above all else, is memorable. It creates traditions. It’s evergreen [...] You can revisit it every year.” (16:29, Matt Walsh)

• Call for New Creators:

  • He concludes with hope that with sincerity and vision—like Charles Schulz defying executive directives—quality Christmas content can be revived.

    “We just need someone like Charles Schulz to do the exact opposite of what executives tell him to do and create something worth watching.” (16:38, Matt Walsh)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On "The Christmas Shoes":
  "Is the kid’s mom a pharaoh? Is this ancient Egypt? What pyramid is this woman being buried in?" (02:27, Matt Walsh)
• On the Charlie Brown Special:
  “The show is going to run for a hundred years.” – Quoting animator Ed Levitt on the lasting impact of the special (10:15)
• On Culture:
  “By the early 2000s, South Park was producing episodes about this tension over the true meaning of Christmas, which seemed to really confuse people at the time.” (12:29, Matt Walsh)
• Summary/Conclusion:
  “A country that values Christmas movies like this... will be less annoying and much happier. They won’t be mystified about the true meaning of Christmas, either.” (16:21, Matt Walsh)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:17 | Rant begins on "The Christmas Shoes" | | 03:46 | Song’s cultural impact: movie, book series, decline illustration | | 05:21 | Why modern Christmas movies are "awful" | | 06:26 | Political messaging and industry decline | | 09:20 | Charlie Brown Christmas biblical excerpt and network backstory | | 11:55 | The Muppet Family Christmas—shift to generic, sentiment-focused message | | 12:29 | Satirical “true meaning” (South Park) and cultural irony | | 15:16 | Defining a real Christmas movie; importance of sincerity | | 16:29 | What makes Christmas content evergreen |

Overall Tone

Matt Walsh’s tone is acerbic, biting, and darkly comedic—riffing with sarcasm and theatrical exasperation while maintaining a through line of cultural criticism and hope for revival. The episode blends pop culture analysis, Christian traditionalism, and comedic lampooning of holiday clichés.

For listeners: If you haven’t heard the episode, this summary captures Walsh’s central arguments, notable quips, and critique of both the substance and spirit lacking in today’s Christmas content. Walsh’s conclusion: Christmas music and movies are in dire need of sincerity, tradition, and meaning—which only brave, principled creators can restore.