A dark How the Grinch Stole Christmas fan theory solves Max the dog plot hole
The Grinch (or, as nobody calls it, How the Grinch Stole Christmas) celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and still stands strong as a go-to festive favourite for many households.
With a genuinely Oscar-worthy performance from Jim Carrey, actually Oscar-winning make-up, and a darkly zany tone that ensures adults don't get bored and fall asleep, it's a movie that's earned its place among top Christmas classics like Home Alone, Elf and the many varieties of A Christmas Carol.
However, a dark fan theory about the origins of the Grinch's loyal pet may just change your perception of the film forever – even if it does clear up a slight plot hole.
Watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas on NOW TV
For those miraculously unaware of the story, the Grinch is basically a fluffy green Scrooge who lives at the top of Mount Crumpit with his dog Max. Every year, his hatred for Christmas grows stronger as the freakish mouse-faced citizens of Whoville stuff their unwanted presents and rubbish in a trash chute that leads directly to his humble abode.
The Grinch first moved to the mountain when he just a prepubescent (but still very hairy) child. It's only after receiving decades of people's discarded gifts and trash that he finally decides to go back down to Whoville and gleefully tear the place up.
However, TikTok user @dogmom_af recently drew attention to a potential flaw in that premise. If the Grinch hasn't visited Whoville in decades, where did Max the dog come from?
While they leave the question open-ended, the implication is that Max was just another unwanted Christmas present that someone stuffed in the chute and sent to Mount Crumpit. Sad face.
Dogs are for life, not just for Christmas, people.
At present, the depressing TikTok theory has over 7.5 million views and has naturally sparked a major reaction from Grinch and dog fans alike.
One distressed individual tweeted: "I saw a TikTok where this girl was talking about the Grinch and how he lives on Mount Crumpet and he gets all of Whoville's trash thru the chute, so the reason he had his dog Max is because he was a Christmas present that was thrown away and now I'm sobbing."
Another wrote: "I'm today years old when I realised Max the dog in The Grinch was just a Christmas present that a kid didn't want and got rid of by dumping it into the "Dump it to Crumpit" trash chute. Poor doggo."
I saw a tiktok where this girl was talking about the grinch and how he lives on Mount Crumpet and he gets all of Whoville’s trash thru the chute, so the reason he had his dog Max is because he was a Christmas present that was thrown away and now I’m sobbing
— meredith (@mrdthblr) November 23, 2020
Im todays years old when I realized Max the dog in the grinch was just a Christmas present that a kid didn’t want and got rid of by dumping it into the “dump it to Krumpet” trash chute. Poor doggo ._.
— Angel Salazar (@AngelSalazar_88) November 23, 2020
not me barely finding out that the dog from the Grinch was one of the gifts that the people from Whoville threw down the trash chute because that’s where they get rid of their Christmas presents that they get tired of and the Grinch couldn’t have gotten the dog any other way
— juuli (@juicelissa) November 24, 2020
When you realize that the Grinch hasn’t been down to whoville in decades and gets all The Who’s old gifts they get tired of in two weeks when the throw them in the Dump it to Krumpet trash chute and that’s how he probably got Max
— Whitney Houston (@whitknee1812) November 23, 2020
I just saw a tiktok talking about how Max from the Grinch was actually a present that was thrown away in the “dump it to Krumpet” trash chute and that’s how he got him and now I’m crying in the club 😭
— Danielle (@DanielleMarylee) November 23, 2020
Related: 9 best Christmas movies on Netflix to get you in the festive mood
Importantly, some fans have pointed out that the Grinch actually visits the mail room towards the beginning of the movie, which suggests there are plenty of occasions where he could have picked up Max.
However, in the 1998 book The Grinch Meets His Max (admittedly, not written by Dr Seuss), the pooch is discovered by the green grouch after being lost on Mount Crumpit, which could still support the theory that he was dumped there.
After being bombarded with angry comments from people trying to disprove the theory, @dogmom_af returned with a second video, pointing out that other Grinch stories have hinted that Max was an unwanted present.
In any case, this rather gloomy theory is actually quite in keeping with the tone of the movie, which has more than a handful of bizarrely inappropriate gags aimed at adults (see the swinger party scene where everyone places their keys in a bowl and baby Grinch is left outside to cry).
How the Grinch found Max may be irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but now we'll never look at the makeshift reindeer the same way again.
If you're due your annual rewatch of How The Grinch Stole Christmas and want to make up your own mind about the theory, it's currently available to stream on Sky Cinema and NOW TV.
Digital Spy has launched its first-ever digital magazine with exclusive features, interviews, and videos. Access the latest edition with a 1-month free trial, only on Apple News+.
Interested in Digital Spy's weekly newsletter? Sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox – and don't forget to join our Watch This Facebook Group for daily TV recommendations and discussions with other readers.
You Might Also Like
