The sixth episode of the second season of Rocko's Modern Life, as well as the series' Christmas Episode and one in a handful of full, 22-minute episodes (instead of the usual two-short episodes)
Feeling down about the holidays, Rocko decides to have a Christmas party inviting everyone in the neighborhood, but Mr. Bighead ruins it with rumors about the elves that just moved in across the street. Meanwhile, Filburt and Heffer take jobs as Christmas tree salesmen.
This episode provides examples of:
- Added Alliterative Appeal: At the beginning of this episode, Rocko notices that it's hard to believe it's Christmas Eve in O-Town, and asks Spunky, "Where's the Winter Wonderland? Where's the Warm, friendly gatherings?"
- Anthropomorphic Food: Fruitcake Man is a man made out of fruitcake. He screams in pain when a toddler sitting on his lap takes a bite out of him.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: The littlest elf is a friendly fellow, but he was initially scared of Rocko, due to shyness. Rocko wins him over by saving him from getting bullied at the mall. Later, after the party is a bust, the littlest elf goes over to try to make Rocko feel better and later ensures he has a merry Christmas.
- Brick Joke: When Rocko first arrives at the elves' house, the elves build a robot Santa. In The Stinger, the robot Santa goes on a rampage and the elves chase after him.
- Creative Closing Credits: This episode ends with a view of snow falling over Rocko's house as an instrumental of "Jingle Bells" plays.
- Dreaming of a White Christmas: Rocko wants snow for Christmas, despite coming from Australia where it's pretty much summertime at Christmas.
- Easily Forgiven: Rocko shows no hard feelings to the citizens of O-Town for missing his party and spreading rumors about the elves who live across the street from him.
- Either/Or Title: This epsiode's alternate title is "You Can't Squeeze Cheer from a Cheese Log".
- Evil Is Petty: Ed spreads vicious rumors about the elves so that people won't go to Rocko's party, all because he believed that he himself hadn't been invited.
- Fantastic Racism: Mr. Bighead has a full-blown disdain for elves, which is why he spreads rumors about them.
- Friend to All Children: Parodied with Fruitcake Man, who is completely deadpan as he expresses his fondness for children.Fruitcake Man: Bring the children to Fruitcake Man. I love the children. (A child is placed on his lap) Go on. Take a gift. I feel nothing.
- The Grinch: Mr. Bighead hates Christmas, and Mrs. Bighead wishes that he could try and enjoy it for once instead of complaining about it. He hates elves even more than Christmas, and ruins Rocko's party by spreading rumors about the elves.
- I Owe You My Life: The littlest elf who is the only one who attends Rocko's party makes it snow for Rocko to return the favor for saving him from the salesmen at the shoe store.
- Incorruptible Pure Pureness: Mitch explains the littlest elf made it snow by demonstrating true Christmas cheer, adding only one other person in the entire town truly embodied the spirit. Heffer and Filburt realize he means Rocko.
- Karmic Jackpot: For his unwavering Christmas cheer and kindness to others, Rocko gets to experience snow, have a packed party, and get to talk to his family on the phone.
- Laser-Guided Karma: After he invites Mr. Bighead to Rocko's party, the littlest elf who makes it snow hits him in the shin with a hammer, ties him up in Christmas lights, and hangs him from the ceiling for spreading the rumor that caused all of O-Town to miss Rocko's party in the first place.
- Let There Be Snow: This episode episode features an elf trying to make it snow in O-Town, where it hadn't snowed in decades (O-Town is almost certainly based on Orlando, Florida).
- Mall Santa: Fruitcake Man gets a job as one at the O-Town Mall.
- Mood Whiplash: When the littlest elf demonstrates his invitation did indeed just get lost in the mail, Ed is actually touched and appears to be experiencing true Christmas cheer. The elves then attack him, ensuring he receives karma for wrecking the party in the first place.
- New Job as the Plot Demands: Heffer and Filburt get jobs selling Christmas trees in this episode.
- New Neighbors As The Plot Demands: A troupe of elves move across the street from Rocko, and they inspire him to throw a Christmas party, which Mr. Bighead ruins by spreading rumors about them due to his disdain for Christmas and elves.
- Never Smile at a Crocodile: The salesmen who work at the shoe store are all crocodiles, and they bully the littlest elf that follows Rocko to the O-Town Mall.
- Nice Guy: Rocko had just intended to invite Heffer and Filburt over for a holiday meal. He's perfectly fine with Heffer bringing his family, Filburt bringing Hutch, and pretty much the entire town inviting themselves over. He also doesn't begrudge anyone for not showing up and immediately opens up his home to them.
- Odd Name Out: The elves who live across the street from Rocko are named Wrench, Pliers, Screwdriver, Nail Gun, Claw Hammer, Drill, Crowbar, Jigsaw, and Mango. When Rocko questions why one of the elves is named Mango, Dad Elf tells him that he was feeling fruity that day.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Mitch was the last elf who could make it snow, and Dad Elf tells Rocko that he died in a blizzard. Near the end of the episode, it is revealed that Mitch went into seclusion due to a lack of holiday cheer.
- Shout-Out: When Dad Elf introduces the other elves to Rocko, he sings, "But do you recall the most famous elf of all?"
- Special Edition Title: This episode begins with Rocko getting knocked out by a single snowflake, and hallucinating that it's snowing in O-Town as he rides his sled, pulled by Spunky, giving presents to his friends.
- Split-Screen Phone Call:
- Done when Filburt calls Dr. Hutchison about going to Rocko's Christmas party, with the former on the left side of the screen, and the latter on the right. Dr. Hutchison then moves to the left side of the screen as she calls Gordon, who then calls Gladys the Hippo Lady, who then calls the Wild Pig, who then calls Really Really Big Man.
- Done a second time when Mr. Bighead spreads a rumor about elves carrying foot fungi to Filburt, and Filburt calls Dr. Hutchison to tell her he can't come to Rocko's party because of this. Dr. Hutchison then calls Gordon, who then calls Mrs. Wolfe, who then calls the Wild Pig, who then calls Really Really Big Man, who then calls a flamingo, who then calls Dad Elf.
- The Stinger: After the end credits finish, the robot Santa seen earlier at the elves' house walks by firing its' laser eyes as the elves run after it. Then the sun rises on the next morning, December 26th, and everyone throws out their Christmas trees onto the curb, decorations and all, to which the show ends.
- Women Are Wiser: Bev is quite critical of Ed's Grinchy ways. Part of the reason Ed seeks to sabotage Rocko's party is because he believes he and Bev were excluded, but she says that's ridiculous and that of course they were invited. This ends up being exactly right when the invitation (which had gotten lost in the mail) is finally brought to the Bigheads' house.
- Yank the Dog's Chain: Rocko waits hours for people to show up, but Heffer literally froze up at work, Ed let Bev fell asleep in the tub, and the elf-fearing townspeople never bothered to cancel. Rocko tries to call the family back home to at least hear a friendly voice, but all the lines are busy.
