Christmas is typically viewed as a pleasant time, a charitable time, and a time where everyone's a little bit kinder to one another in the spirit of the season. As sentimental and sugary as that notion is, not everyone is fully on board with the holly jolly message of the holidays. Some even go as far as to make a career out of it.
The Grinch and Ebenezer Scrooge are two of Christmas' most famous evil movie villains, both notorious for their disdain for the Christmas season and the lengths they go to make that perfectly clear. But of the two classic characters, it's up in the air as to who really wears the wicked crown.
The Grinch
He Truly Loves Being The Bad Guy
"You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" isn't just the character's theme song, it's a musical statement of the Grinch's internal being. No matter which movie version of the Grinch it is, they are always gleeful about their fiendish activities. Just one look at his curly Grinch grin at the thought of stealing Christmas from the Whos says it all.
If viewers need more proof, all they have to do is look at the expression he makes while taking all the toys in Cindy Lou's house. No one looking that gleeful while slithering and slunking through a sleeping household has good intentions.
He's More Easily Provoked
Scrooge is described as being "as solitary as an oyster," people leave him alone and he leaves them alone. In the case of the Grinch, however, it does not take much to invoke his wrath on the Whos down in Who-Ville.
While the embarrassment at the celebration in the live-action version does logically trigger a hostile response, the original Grinch is provoked by singing alone. He's put up with it for years, and it looks like that was finally his breaking point. Even so, it's still an extreme reaction to literally rob an entire town.
He's Openly Antagonistic
Old Ebenezer might have a longer career, but when it comes to being openly mean-spirited, the Grinch has him topped. Where Scrooge is one who carries his icy nature with him, the Grinch is much more explosive in his displays of meanness. At least Scrooge doesn't go out of his way to cause trouble for his neighbors.
The Grinch spends most of his time literally "hating the Whos," but the live-action version goes farther than that by having him intentionally leave his cave to stir up trouble in the town. Scrooge, while not the most pleasant individual, tries to avoid any sort of interaction outside of work.
He's More Aggressive
Again, this mainly applies to Jim Carrey's Grinch interpretation, but even when stacked against more antagonistic Scrooges, like Alistair Sim or George C. Scott, the Grinch is easily a more aggressive character. Let's not forget that the Grinch literally set a town's Christmas display on fire in a fit of rage.
His aggressive stance only fuels his fiendish reputation, which he eats up quicker than a plate of Who-Hash. He takes the Whos' Christmas celebration as a personal attack, and only reaps his Christmas scheme out of pure hatred.
He Commits Literal Crimes Against Christmas
The Grinch not only steals Christmas, but he also commits a litany of various other crimes as well. Breaking and entering, destruction of property, vandalism, and of course theft are but only a few of the deeds that make up the character's rap sheet. He might give all the stolen stuff back at the end of the film, but that doesn't mean there isn't a case against him.
While it could be argued that Scrooge commits more white-collar crimes of an extortive nature, he works within a legal system. The Grinch, on the other hand, works under the cover of darkness and knowingly commits his crimes with a smile on his face. At least Scrooge could possibly blame ignorance and want.
Scrooge
He Relishes His Reputation
The Grinch might have a notoriously curmudgeonly reputation, but Scrooge's cultivated reputation for cruelty and coldness has earned him respect and fear on the streets of London. Whether he's depicted as a slum lord, a moneylender, or another position of financial superiority, Scrooge is a man in a position of power who's not in the business to make friends.
The man doesn't go out of his way to create this vicious persona, but he certainly doesn't do anything to hinder it until after he experiences his holiday haunting.
People Literally Fear Him
In no uncertain terms, Scrooge is not a man most want to tango with. He's one tough customer that scares even the blind man's dog in the original text. No one wants to get in his way or make him angry, and it's all thanks to his demeanor and position.
Scrooge accomplishes a feat reserved for villains like Dracula, Darth Vader, or Voldemort, he's able to inspire fear and dread just by his presence alone. In nearly every version of A Christmas Carol, people go out of their way to avoid him even as he walks to work. It certainly makes for an unforgettable first impression.
He Detests Humanity
In some of the best versions, Scrooge is often depicted as a misanthropic individual with either outright disdain for his peers and neighbors or simply a lack of caring altogether. The opposite of love isn't hatred but indifference, so the saying goes and so is true of Ebenezer Scrooge.
This can be distinctly represented in the performances of Alistair Sim and Jim Carrey's adaptations of the character. Everything and anything anyone does causes the man to scowl with contempt for all mankind. It's a few shades darker than just being a Grinch around the holidays.
He Hurts More People
Thanks to the Whos' resolve and moral direction, the Grinch really doesn't hurt anyone in his schemes. He does return all the toys and presents at the end, after all. But Scrooge is far more damaging in his deeds. And as he would learn from Christmas Yet To Come, Scrooge isn't just negligent in his acts of selfishness, he's dangerous too.
Belle, Fred, the Cratchits, and Tiny Tim aren't the only individuals that Scrooge's actions affect either. In a creepy vision shown by the Christmas Carol's third spirit, a pair of Scrooge's debtors are seen rejoicing at his death. That easily earns him a lead against his green competitor. If Scrooge has been in business long enough, there's no telling how many more he's wounded with his greed.
It Takes More To Change Him
The biggest difference between the two characters in question is how they are changed before the end of their respective stories. Where the Grinch is shown the true meaning of Christmas by the Whos rejoicing without any presents at all and is subsequently changed in an instant, it takes way more to get through to old Ebenezer Scrooge.
It's not enough for him to just get haunted by the famous Christmas Carol spirits, but Scrooge needs to see the effects of his actions and his own unmourned grave to really get the picture. Fortunately, he repents and relents, but it still takes a lot more effort and time before he's changed for the better.