Jim Carrey’s ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ Is Secretly an Adult Film
With Christmas right around the corner, now’s the perfect time to break out some classic holiday movies. There are countless choices for festive holiday films, but Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas is a classic that we love to revisit again and again. The movie brings new meaning to “fun for the whole family” because while kids will definitely enjoy the movie, there are plenty of lines, themes, and scenes in the film that are exclusively for adults. Here are all the adult moments you might have missed when it first debuted back in 2000.
Putting the adult in adultery
The nods to mature adult themes start right away in Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas, but things get especially interesting when Cindy Lou Who starts her interviewing process. The ladies who raised The Grinch (who are referred to as “Old Bitties” ) explain how babies are born in Whoville, stating that they float down to their parents in umbrella bassinettes. “Hey honey, our baby’s here!” one father exclaims. “He looks just like your boss,” he adds, clearly referencing adultery.
A swingers party
The Grinch’s parents also add that he was left outside all night because they were having their annual Christmas party and didn’t hear him crying. If you pay close attention, you can clearly see that the party was, in fact, a swinger’s party. One man is down on all fours as a woman rides on his back. Furthermore, at one point, a bowl is shown and a Who drops their keys into it.
Martha May Who
Watching How The Grinch Stole Christmas back as an adult, it’s clear just how blatantly sexualized Martha May Who is. As a young child, she is seen licking a lollipop and as an adult, she continues to act in a hypersexualized way. She blows seductively into her light machine and nearly flashes the town when she returns the engagement ring back to Mayor Augustus May Who. She speaks in a breathy voice, shrieks constantly, and who can forget that the Grinch falls directly into her cleavage when they are reunited as adults?
Mental health
There’s also an absurd number of nods to mental health issues in the film. Jim Carrey’s character actually envies Santa Clause because he is allowed to be reclusive without receiving any backlash. The Grinch also schedules time every day to hate on himself. At 4:00 PM he wallows in self-pity right before staring into the abyss. Then at 7:00 PM, he wrestles with his self-loathing and at 9:00 PM he slips slowly into madness. At one point, he even tells his dog, Max, to fetch him his sedative.
Furthermore, when he can’t find a way to get Cindy Lou out of his home, he uses therapist’s office lingo. “I’m sorry your session is over. Please make an appointment with the receptionist on the way out,” he tells the young child sarcastically.
Rivalries and taxpayer money
Rivalry is rife through How The Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch and Mayor May Who are constantly fighting over the affections of Martha May. But, there’s some female rivalry as well. Neighbors Martha May and Betty Lou have a rivalry about who has the best Christmas lights. The competition causes Betty Lou to go over the top, using the lights from her chandelier and her refrigerator.
Later in the film, Betty Lou causes several car accidents when she steals a traffic light for her display. And, speaking of cars, it didn’t escape our notice that the car the Mayor used as an attempt to bribe Martha into marrying him was paid with taxpayer funds.
Concerns with weight
Many adults know all too well the struggles with weight fluctuation and the Grinch is no exception. “Am I just eating because I’m bored,” he asks while munching on the glass. When he tries to find something to wear to the Whobilation he exclaims “Blasted water weight goes right to my hips.”
Even when checking the size of his heart, he makes a reference to weight “Down a size and a half!” he bellows “And this time, I’ll keep it off,” he says looking directly at the camera. But, that isn’t the only time Jim Carrey breaks the fourth wall. When his attempts to scare Cindy go amiss he looks breaks it again and says “Kids these days…so desensitized by movies and television,” before jumping back into the scene.
Miscellaneous moments
Other great adult moments in the film include the Grinch putting mistletoe over his butt and yelling “Pucker up and kiss it Whoville!” basically telling the whole town to kiss his a*s. He also yells “Are you kiddin’ the sun is bright and the powder’s bit*hin!” as he slides down the mountain. Our personal favorite relatable moment is when he is deciding to go to the Whobilation and he says, “But what if it’s a cruel prank? What if it’s a cash bar!?,” he exclaims in horror. Because truly, what’s worse than a wedding or holiday party without an open bar?
The adult themes and references in this film make it a hilarious treat for all. Whether you’re an adult, a child, or somewhere in between you’re sure to find something you love in Jim Carrey’s How The Grinch Stole Christmas this holiday season. And if you don’t, we’ll there’s always Home Alone.
