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What's wrong with this N'Sync Christmas video? (Not all of you at once!)

Dec 21, 2007, 11:49 AM | by Gretchen Hansen

Categories: 100% Pure Cheese, Music

Nothing gets me more excited for Christmas than cheesy seasonal pop hits from the mid-to-late 90's. I wish I was kidding. But play N'Sync's ''Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays'' and you'll see -- I immediately morph into a ball of good cheer. While listening to the overtly corny single this morning, however, it occurred to me I'd never seen the accompanying music video, so I hopped over to AOL Music in order to remedy the situation.

We open with Santa, who received the gift of heartburn and indigestion for Christmas this year. He’s also feverish. A tiny person (or hallucination) dressed in a horrendous green rubberized/vinyl suit and matching hat whines: ''Santa, you gotttta deliver the presents!'' Santa groans and rubs his belly like he's about to deliver a child. Christmas is canceled, or so claims the poorly dressed elf, who actually looks and sounds a lot like Gary Coleman.

Wait.

Back up.

That elf IS Gary Coleman.

And it just gets worse from there. So let's play a game. Everyone who's reading this post needs to go to the comments section and list one thing that's wrong with the "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" video. To raise the stakes, try not to pick anything that your fellow readers have already mentioned. But not to worry, there's plenty of heinousness to go around. Ready, set, go!

elf pimp Wed, Dec 26, 2007 at 02:21 PM EST

My top 3 horrible things are:
1. Gary in a plastic green pimp suit.
2. Did they accidentally hit the Christmas goose with their sleigh? Watch the feathers fly.
3. Why was the sleigh in the ocean?

Jo Wed, Dec 26, 2007 at 10:59 AM EST

The fact that it's NSYNC?!?!? So.much.hate...

Tue, Dec 25, 2007 at 08:08 PM EST

The girl dancing with a long strand of garland around her neck like it's the most gorgeous thing that she's ever worn.

evie Mon, Dec 24, 2007 at 11:24 PM EST

Boo...AOL's media player doesn't support Macs! Bah humbug!

sarah Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 02:39 PM EST

Um, wouldn't it have been harder to ask us what was right with this video? I dare anyone to find something right.

That said:
- despite being charged with delivering gifts, they just fly around in the sleigh, stop and pet some coordinated homeless people and have a dance party.
- They obviously should have gotten the Star Trek people to teach them how to lurch like something is actually happening. Or maybe the wind was super strong on Joey in the front and non-existent on Chris in the back, explaining why the former looks like he's sitting on a hot plate and the latter looks like he's watching a tennis match.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays indeed.

Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 03:23 AM EST

I don't know about all of the languages, but the Spanish translation of "Goodwill to All Men" was gramatically incorrect. Seriously?! They couldn't find anyone who spoke Spanish well?

SuzieC Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 01:03 AM EST

I really thought Gary Coleman was going to say "Santa, you have to deliver the baby!"
All the guys saying "Whatchu talkin bout Gary?" at the very beginning. Really? Bet that's the first time he's heard that.
All the background footage that does not match the direction the sleigh is actually "going".
I still LOVE this song.

Susan Sat, Dec 22, 2007 at 12:27 AM EST

Here are mine-
1)Can someone explain Joey Fatone's outfit? Anyone? The candy cane motif?
2)Lance dancing with a girl.
3)The green screen work behind the sleigh reminded me of...Puma Man! "Puma Man,he flies like an idiot" "He has the power to rear project major cities"
4)Justin Timberlake's outfit&hairstyle...NOT bringing sexyback.

Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 11:21 PM EST

The fact that once I pressed play, I couldn't figure out how to stop the video or the music. Nothing Worked!

john Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 10:29 PM EST

I'm not sure but I think the back two homeless people were being played by Joss Whedon and Don Lake

Annette Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 10:21 PM EST

This song should be heard and not seen.

Valerie Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 09:38 PM EST

Ooohh, the rubbery sound made by the elf's suit. REALLY bad sound. That and the fact that Santa looks kinda possessed...

Oh, yeah, there's also the pimp feather on the elf's hat. Sad thing !

gisel Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 08:39 PM EST

uhm, i'm going to venture and say "everything" on this one.

Stephanie Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 08:23 PM EST

That they sing "It's Christmas, the best time of year" with a big "SHALOM" written in the background. I believe that word would go with Hanukkah, boys.

silvio Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 07:44 PM EST

Chris raising the roof in a santa hat and horrible goggles is enough for me oh and the rest of it

Sharlin Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 07:24 PM EST

All holiday videos and themes are cheesy... so what is your point of this post??


What you should be saying is that Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays is the best Chistmas song of the last 20 years.

kim Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 04:22 PM EST

How about Chris's emo glasses? Yeesh, I totally forgot about his pineapple hairdo...

Sarah Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 04:08 PM EST

That all the girls in it are unattractive. I remember watching this video at the height of my love of all things NSync phase and would always say that I was ten times more attractive than all those girls so they should of had me in the video!

AD Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:42 PM EST

Wow that was awful. I would say their terrible "acting" on the sled to simulate that it is moving by lurching in various directions and their ridiculous mugging for the camera. Also Fatone's frenetic overthetop driving of the sleigh. Can't believe I just watched that whole thing. Thanks alot PW.

Leo Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:40 PM EST

The pointing from the floor to the ceiling, though I might have to give them a pass on this one. Just try singing along and not doing that move when the line comes.

Silv Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:33 PM EST

The oversized earring? The rat's nest hairdos on the girls? The misspelled greeting in Spanish? The too-big clothes on the guys? The bemused looks on the children?

Still, the song rocks.

Sara Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:27 PM EST

That there is a strategically-placed black or asian person in every group of people, along with the changing languages in the background... oh N*sync, you big group of white boys, you, thank you for being champions of diversity!

Gorf Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:23 PM EST

Why does JC jump on Lance towards the end? Brotherly bonding eh?

presbypanda Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:10 PM EST

So that's when Lance discovered his love for space!!!

Patty Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 02:00 PM EST

The length- about 4:30 too long.
Justin Timberlake is in it - he sings like a girl people - just don't get it.
The totally fake dirt smudges on the homeless people's faces. Smear it around more or don't do it at all, people don't have globs of mud on their faces from being homeless, it is more of an overall grubbiness.

n Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:51 PM EST

haha justin totally puts the girls hand on his butt towards the end

n Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:51 PM EST

haha justin totally puts the girls hand on his butt towards the end

jcarla Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:44 PM EST

I know Gretchen mentioned Santa rubbing his belly, but the camera kept cutting back to it after it was established Santa was sick. The way it was filmed is like that the camera man was used to filming women moving their hands across a higher body part.

rachel Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:44 PM EST

Are those feathers falling from above? I love that JC (yeah, i know his name) is brushing it off his shoulders.

Sean Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:42 PM EST

1. The fact that Santa's phone from the beginning of the video was a style last used in 1940.

2. The homeless people having to watch Lance dance in the background in order to get their presents.


3. Why do we have to see at least 6 pieces of Joey's jewelry, because in some bizzaro-world scenario, that somehow supposedly makes him the tough guy of the group. Ooooh, Nick Carter, look out (and yes, I realize the irony in comments such as that when I obviously know the n'sync guys names - thanks).

4. Were people still "raising the roof" when this video came out? Really?

5. Why is a santa pole labeling N'sync with an arrow going somewhere? What does that mean, that N'sync is somewhere else, or they need their own sign? Is their an N'sync, North Pole town I don't know about closely to the south?

6. The cliched "blooper" fight with the props - hilarious.

7. It's night, then sunset, then day -does N'sync need two days to deliver X-mas presents?

B. Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:39 PM EST

The snowflakes looked like they were the size of quarters and that they actually looked more like feathers than snow.

C. Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:27 PM EST

How about the TERRIBLE green-screen work throughout the entire video!

Bertie Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:24 PM EST

The fact that it looks like an "Old Navy" commercial?? Love the song though :)

Erik Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:05 PM EST

They weren't N'Sync at all with their movements on the sled. Joey is telling the reindeer to go one way while the others go in the opposite direction.

Sara Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 01:02 PM EST

I was overwhelmed with options, but I must say, JT's oversized, baggy, red quasi-turtleneck. Who thought turtlenecks were ever a good idea??

KristinMarie419 Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:57 PM EST

Chris Kirpatrick "raising the roof" and that the guys are in ski parkas but the girls have booty shorts on.

Anne Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:56 PM EST

That I now know what Justin looked like before he got his sexy. Hell, who am I kidding-the whole thing was awful. "What you talkin bout Gary?!"

Michael Berg Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:50 PM EST

That the 'homeless people' are wearing perfectly coordinated 'homeless' outfits with perfect 'homeless' smudges of dirt on their faces.

D Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:47 PM EST

That I thought, when reading this post, that you were referring to Gary Cole, of Brady Bunch Movie fame. I think I had too much egg nog this morning.

Genny Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:46 PM EST

The horrible hairstyles on everyone, especially the woman with two little pigtails on top.
But I would like to add that even while watching that video the song made me want to go hug everyone and have a big sing-along.

Snarf Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:45 PM EST

That their "singing"

Cassie Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:38 PM EST

I hate that really cheap looking projector in the background that sends holiday greetings in various languages.

BB Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:28 PM EST

The sleigh going sideways across the Brooklyn bridge.

BB Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:27 PM EST

The sleigh going sideways across the Brooklyn bridge.

Molly Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:25 PM EST

That we actually watched the whole thing.

mike Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:22 PM EST

Lace Bass sexy-dancing with a girl. A GIRL? C'mon, Lance.

Vicky Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:21 PM EST

JC was wearing ski goggles as an accessory to his Santa hat. Joey was wearing...swim goggles??? What were those?

Katie Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:13 PM EST

The lime green pleather outfit that Gary Coleman is wearing, OMG!

Kate Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:12 PM EST

That Gary Coleman is in this at all.

RayT Fri, Dec 21, 2007 at 12:05 PM EST

#1 That Lance is dressed the most hetero of all.

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