It looks like UNICEF has never seen It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. The evidence is clear: Variety reports the philanthropic children’s aid organization is teaming up with the upcoming Peanuts Movie to raise money for children in need. Unfortunately, it’s for an event called the “Treat-Or-Treat For Unicef” program, and as anyone who’s seen the half-hour animated special knows, Charlie Brown is the absolute worst at trick-or-treating.
The program began in 1950 as a method of collecting donations for UNICEF, with kids bringing collection boxes with them during their door-to-door travels on Halloween, soliciting money for the cause while gathering candy for themselves. The event has raised more than $175 million for UNICEF since it began. And sure, it’s fine to recruit Snoopy, Lucy, Schroeder, and the rest of the gang to raise money, but unless UNICEF wants a collection box full of rocks, it might want to rethink having Charlie Brown play a role in this effort. Maybe he could do something more suited to his talents, like losing the big spelling bee, or costing everyone the big game. (Jesus, that cartoon is dark.)