'Addams Family Values' and 'Wednesday' addressing Pilgrims and Thanksgiving

Something that still lives in my head rent free, especially since "Wednesday" reignited some nostalgia, is the scene in "Addams Family Values" where Wednesday (Christina Ricci) leads outcasted campers in a revolt, as shown in the video above.

What really makes the scene memorable is Wednesday's speech about all the injustices inflicted on Native Americans by colonists, which she uses as an excuse to attack Amanda's (Mercedes McNab) Pilgrim troupe and the camp's counselors (Peter MacNicol and Christine Baranski).

Despite some obvious stereotyping, the scene interweaves some clever commentary with Wednesday's macabre sense of humor, which makes it one of the best and most memorable parts of the movie. It's also one of my favorite early acting performances from Ricci.

Despite this part of the movie taking place at a summer camp, the Thanksgiving play and the November release of "Addams Family Values" have made the movie a Thanksgiving staple on par with "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" in my family.

And the theme of poking fun at Pilgrims only continues in "Wednesday."

In the third episode of "Wednesday," titled "Friend or Woe," Wednesday (Jenna Ortega) is forced to participate in local celebrations of Jericho's Pilgrim founder Joseph Crackstone, which includes scenes of her dressed as a Pilgrim in the town's Pilgrim World tourist attraction.

Wednesday spends most of her time shirking her duties and investigating Crackstone's connection to the mystery she's been trying to solve. But at one point, she maliciously complies by serving fudge while informing German tourists of how utterly inauthentic the experience is.

This felt like a solid callback to the speech in "Addams Family Values," and it served as one of several comedic moments in the episode.

Plus, there are a number of other moments poking fun at Pilgrims or highlighting the impact of colonization throughout the series due to Crackstone's connection to the overall mystery in the show.

There are even a couple of scenes that feature Wednesday fighting bullies who work at Pilgrim World.

Both versions of the character offer moments of macabre comedy that fit right in with the Thanksgiving holiday.

'Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time' is one of the most chaotic mashups on 'Glee'

"Glee" has featured a number of chaotic song mashups, but arguably the most chaotic mashup of them all is "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" from the season four "Thanksgiving" episode.

"Let's Have a Kiki" has a smooth techno style as it describes throwing a party for gossip and chit-chat, whereas "Turkey Lurkey Time" has a bouncy folk vibe that sounds like it could be used to get elementary schoolers excited about Thanksgiving dinner.

Isabelle's (Sarah Jessica Parker) bewildered face immediately after Rachel (Lea Michelle) suddenly transitions into "Turkey Lurkey Time" is possibly the best and most accurate reaction. The mashup is still fun, mostly because everyone just goes with it, but it's wild and doesn't quite fit.

Watching the "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" mashup in the context of the episode might work, but listening to the song without the video would be a bit jarring. But given some of the initial character reactions, maybe that was intentional.

After all, it wouldn't be the first time that Rachel pulled a weird stunt to draw attention to herself while lacking awareness of just how weird the stunt is—just consider the "Run Joey Run" debacle, Rachel and Finn's (Corey Monteith) "With You I'm Born Again" performance, and when she sent a potential rival to a crack house.

And "Glee" thrives on awkward character interactions anyway. It's practically a staple of the show.

Either way, I always get a good giggle out of watching the "Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time" mashup performance, so maybe you will too.

'Dark Celebration' makes a good point

The above video is a poem performed at the December 2008 White Plains Library Poetry Slam. The poem is called "Dark Celebration" and addresses the dark side of Thanksgiving.

Essentially, the poem recounts how some details of the first Thanksgiving were exaggerated and how, regardless of the positive side of the first Thanksgiving, the holiday has come to be a reminder "of a friendship that was betrayed" for Native Americans.

The poem, performed by a young girl, is a poignant reminder of how complex holidays like Thanksgiving are considering the negative impact of colonization. In light of that, I completely understand why many Native Americans instead observe a National Day of Mourning.

That said, many other Native Americans still observe Thanksgiving due to the more positive side of the holiday and its similarity to other Native American celebrations.

Regardless of whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or the National Day of Mourning, peaceful and respectful observations are key, and a moment of silence to remember those impacted by colonization would be ideal.

'Pangs' is an interesting 'Buffy' Thanksgiving episode

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" tackled a lot of complex and interesting subjects during its seven-season run. Season four episode eight, also known as "Pangs," addressed colonization and how complex it can be to point to a "bad guy" in some situations.

Specifically, the episode features Xander (Nicholas Brendon) discovering an abandoned Mission at a construction site, which results in a vengeful Native American spirit recreating the wrongs done to his people.

Meanwhile, Buffy (Sara Michelle Gellar) makes Thanksgiving dinner and tries to keep the peace between Giles (Anthony Stewart Head) and Willow (Alyson Hannigan) as they debate colonization and how best to deal with the spirit.

While I understand criticisms about the stereotypical portrayal of the Chumash people, I also appreciate that the show even attempted to address colonization and how it conflicts with Thanksgiving.

Likewise, I enjoy the usual elements of the show such as how it brings humor into otherwise dark subject matter.

Like Spike (James Marsters) repeatedly being shot with arrows while he's bound to a chair, Anya (Emma Caulfield) viewing Thanksgiving as a ritual sacrifice, and Xander getting syphilis from a bear.

Plus, the episode has a subplot featuring Angel (David Boreanaz) that leads into a major crossover episode within his "Angel" spinoff series.

The appeal of "Pangs" is wide reaching not only if you're a "Buffy" or "Angel" fan, but also if you want to see how a 1999 TV episode deals with big issues like colonization.

'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' is a nice yearly dose of nostalgia

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" has become a staple of Thanksgiving tradition in homes across the United States and beyond since its 1973 debut.

Even in years when I don't watch the special, I inevitably end up thinking about it either because of the nostalgia or because of the characters' inclusion in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

"A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" showcases Charlie, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock preparing a makeshift meal for their friends after Peppermint Patty invites herself and others over to Charlie and Sally's home for dinner.

The special comedically offers a nice message about friendship and being thankful, and it continues the tradition of holiday themed Peanuts specials started by "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown."

And despite recent misunderstanding, Franklin's chair breaking was a plot device used to spotlight him since he doesn't have as many quirks as the other kids and having him separated from other characters may have been a way to give a better view of the incident.

If you haven't done your yearly viewing of "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" yet, here's your reminder.