Survey Finds 'A Christmas Story' is Texas' Top Christmas Movie

You've seen it a million and a half times thanks to TBS' annual marathon. 'A Christmas Story' is apparently Texas' favorite Christmas Movie.

That's according to a recent survey conducted by House Method, who talked to 4,500 Americans about which Christmas classic was at the top of their nice list.

Somehow, 'A Christmas Story' ranked #1 in Texas, which I find surprising. Maybe most people aren't as burned out on it as I am, but after years of having the marathon on in the background while helping with Christmas dinner I just can't do it anymore. It's a fine movie. It really is. It's funny, it's got a great cast, and I get why people like it. I just can't.

What's funny about the survey is that 'A Christmas Story' did not top the list in the state in which it takes place - Indiana. The fine people up there seem to prefer 'Elf' - the modern classic starring Will Ferrell and a disturbingly blonde Zooey Deschanel.

'Elf' came in at #2 nationwide, followed by:

Source: House Method

I was shocked to see Christmas Vacation didn't at least rank in the top 3.

My absolute favorite came in last on the list, which is all kinds of disappointing. I love 'A Muppet Christmas Carol'. Michael Caine is the best Scrooge, displaying a perfect balance of humbug grumpiness and unfolding humanity. Gonzo and Rizzo the rat are fantastic narrators whose comedy does't distract from the seriousness of the story. The soundtrack by Paul Williams is among some of the finest Christmas movie music ever composed and reflects Williams' journey from the darkness of addiction to the light of redemption.

Basically, it's the total package. I recommend the DVD if you want to own this Muppet masterpiece. The Blu-ray version is missing a scene that's supposedly "lost" in the Disney vaults somewhere. The truth is that the studio thought the song "When Love is Lost" was too boring for the kiddies, so they cut it out. Shame on them. It's an integral part of the story, dang it. Humbug!

I'm also fond of Bad Santa, which was also on the list of nationwide favorites. It's not exactly a family-friendly movie, but if you give it a chance it actually has a lot to say about the real reason for the season - people who are absolutely lost finding redemption and a reason to change their life for the better. (I pretend the awful sequel never happened.)

You'll notice that Die Hard ranked #4 in Home Method's survey. They followed up that finding by asking Americans if they consider John McClane's battle with Hans Gruber and broken glass a true Christmas movie. They didn't bother asking us, because the consensus around our office is that yes, it absolutely is a Christmas classic thank you very much. However, survey says 59.21% of Americans disagree with us. Sadly, only 47% of Texans did agree with us.

Tisk tisk, guys. Tisk. Tisk. Everyone knows it's not really Christmas until Hans falls from Nakatomi Plaza.

Hey, whatever your favorite Christmas movie is, we hope you have a wonderful time sharing it with your family and friends this holiday season. In the end, that's all that really matters.

Merry Christmas!*