Aahana Swrup
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ is a comedy Christmas film that focuses on the truly underappreciated part of most holiday season celebrations: mothers. Directed by Michael Showalter, the film revolves around Claire Clauster, the matriarch of a big family. Between her husband, Nick, her youngest, Sammy, Taylor, and her ever-changing love life, her eldest daughter, Channing, with her husband and kids, the protagonist has quite the full table every year on Christmas. However, while she’s devoted to ensuring everyone has a perfectly jolly, yuletide time, no one seems worried about bringing her some holiday cheer. Therefore, when the family accidentally leaves her behind on their way to a merry concert, it becomes the final straw that pushes her over the edge. As a result, Claire finds herself driving out on a solo trip on Christmas Eve to get the one thing she truly wanted: a feature on The Zazzy Tims Shows’ Holiday Mom Contest. Given the significance of this show at its namesake host in Claire’s narrative, their potential off-screen roots naturally become intriguing.
The Zazzy Tims Show is a Fictional Element That Highlights Oh. What. Fun’s Mom-Centric Themes
‘Oh. What. Fun.’ presents a star-studded Christmas story about a family who have a habit of overlooking the maker of their merry holidays, Claire Clauster, in their jolly celebrations. The storyline itself remains entirely fictitious with no direct counterparts in reality. Zazzy Tims and her daytime talk show are no exception in this fictionally crafted world, as both remain confined within their on-screen narratives. There are plenty of talk shows in real life, including many that sport Holiday-themed segments. Some examples include ‘The Drew Barrymore Show,’ ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ ‘The Kelly Clarkson Show,’ and more. Yet, none present a comparable match for the fictional TV program. Even so, the fictionally crafted Zazzy Tims and her show play a crucial role in the film’s similarly fictitious plot.
One of the defining aspects of the Michael Showalter directorial stems from its depiction of the Holiday season, particularly in relation to mothers and their oftentimes overlooked contributions. In the film, Claire has been hosting Christmas Eve and the ensuing festivities at her house for her entire family for years. She’s happy to keep track of everyone’s holiday stockings, dietary restrictions, and preferences, along with whatever new curveball her children may present her with. Nonetheless, no one seems particularly bothered with ensuring she gets to have her holiday cheer as well. This year, she has one lone, but pressing item on her wishlist: a nomination for the Holiday Mom Contest at The Zazzy Tims Show.
The contest is a way to celebrate moms for all that they do for their families around the holidays, and really year-round. Those who are nominated stand the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Cancun as well as an appearance on the talk show. However, the only way to enter the contest is if one’s kids nominate them for it without the mothers directly asking them. Still, despite Claire’s multiple attempts to remind her three children about the contest, all of them forgot to put her name in before the deadline. Eventually, after one thing after another goes wrong, the matriarch decides to ill-advisedly drive out to the show’s filming studio on her own. Thus, Zazzy Tims and her show become metaphorical representations of Claire’s singular Christmas wish: to be appreciated by her family. Ultimately, even though the show and its host lack a direct basis in reality, their thematic purpose in the film emphasises the story’s relevant message.
Read More: Where Was Oh. What. Fun. Filmed? All Shooting Locations
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