Unpacking the most deliriously funny, ho-ho-ho-iest Christmas special of the season.
Are you hot? Are you young? Is your stocking well-hung? Then you’ll enjoy Sabrina Carpenter’s A Nonsense Christmas, her new Netflix special, out just in time for the holidays. The pop star caps her year of explosive stardom — from “Espresso” all the way to her Grammy nominations in the Big Four categories — with this charming hour of holiday cheer. Obviously, that hour is jam-packed with her signature innuendos (“You’re in luck, I’ve trimmed my tree just for you!”) and her top-tier humor: “Seriously, they told me I could have an unlimited budget as long as I go viral, so I’m gonna break the set just to do it.”
Much like her triumphant Short n’ Sweet tour and its vintage television set, Carpenter breaks the fourth wall on A Nonsense Christmas, taking the audience backstage and into her dressing room. “You could have been anywhere tonight, spending time with family, helping the less fortunate,” she tells us. “But instead, you’re here, half-watching a big screen, while scrolling social media on a smaller screen. And for that, I’m forever grateful.”
She also gets incredibly meta, explaining she can only say “fuck” three times while poking fun at herself for creating a special in the first place. “There are comedy specials, and there are music specials, and there are holiday specials,” she notes. “But who does musical comedy holiday specials? A lot of people. But do those specials have celebrity guests? Yes, they do! Everyone with a musical comedy holiday special does them with celebrity guests, and this is one of those!”
Here are the best moments from A Nonsense Christmas, for those in need of that Charles Dickens.
That Retro Kitchenette
Carpenter introduces us to her home, entering through a front door and into a living room with a bedazzled Christmas tree and fireplace. “Isn’t this cute?” she asks. “It’s exactly what my house looked like growing up: A tree, three walls, and a live studio audience!” She whips up an espresso martini (of course) in her 1950s-style kitchenette, which contains a retro pink fridge and several desserts on the countertop. (Is there a Martha Stewart jadeite cake stand? Yep! How about a fruitcake? You bet!) She admits none of the appliances actually work, but still manages to make a magical chocolate cake — is she a modern-day Betty Crocker or what?
Tyla Spreads Amapiano Joy
The doorbell rings, and in walks Tyla, dressed in a literal Christmas bow that only she could pull off. The South African pop star joins Carpenter on the floral couch, as they trade verses to a fiery rendition of “This Christmas.” They stand up for a dance break, wishing a Merry Christmas to your brothers, sisters, misters, cousins, and dogs. It’s the perfect kickoff to the Christmas special — when it comes to these two, caroling through the night is for amateurs.
Short n’ Sweet Origins
Sitting in front of a vanity mirror, surrounded by bottles of hair products and a wardrobe rack, Carpenter recalls an adorable childhood memory. “Starting from when I was two years old, my dad would get his VHS and film our Christmas morning every single year,” she says. “And for some reason, I never wanted to open my presents. I just wanted chocolate cake.” She shows a video from December 2002, where a three-year-old Sabrina sits with an unopened gift on her lap, asking to have cake. Speaking of the clip, Carpenter says, “I just had an ulterior motive, and it was chocolate. And it kinda still is.”
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