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May 24, 2005
He Was Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
Thurl Ravenscroft died of prostate cancer in California on Sunday. He was 91. Ravenscroft is of course best known for being the voice of Tony the Tiger, who pitched Kellogg's Frosted Flakes for half a century with the slogan, "They're grrrrrrrrreat!" He also did the voice work for many of the attractions in Disneyland.
But I will mourn Ravenscroft's paasing not as Tony the Tiger or a Disney shill, but for something much more profound and lasting. For it was Ravenscroft who performed what is, to me, the single greatest Christmas song ever -- and thus contributed to the best holiday special in existence: How The Grinch Stole Christmas.
First of all - the single greatest four seconds in animation history are when the Grinch first gets the idea to steal Christmas... and that grin begins deep in his soul and spreads like a spill across his face, distorting his cheeks, creating folds in his jowls and unfurling those things on top of his head. I'm almost 37 years old, and that moment still makes me giggle like a schoolboy.
And it was Thurl Ravenscroft who unknowingly provided me with my soundtrack of the holiday season. His is the voice behind the classic, "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch." While everyone else is caroling insipidly about first Noels, little towns and silver bells, I spend the Christmas season singing "you have termites in your smile... you have all the tender sweetness of a seasick croccodile..."
So goodbye, Thurl Ravenscroft -- and thanks for giving me a carole to call my own during the holidays.
