 Since airing , " Grift of the Magi " has received generally mixed to negative reception from critics . While reviewing the eleventh season of The Simpsons , DVD Movie Guide 's Colin Jacobson commented that the episode " feels like an amalgamation of elements from prior holiday programs and never really elicits much humor . Christmas is commercialized and corporations use and abuse their customers ? Those aren ’ t exactly rich insights , so [ ' Grift of the Magi ' ] comes across as a below average episode . " In his review of the DVD Christmas With the Simpsons , Digitally Obsessed critic Joel Cunningham wrote that the episode " comes from Season 11 , well past the point when the series had sacrificed character for absurdist humor . Unless you don 't think evil toy marketers , sentient <unk> , and Gary Coleman qualify . Anyway , after the school nearly goes bankrupt , Principal Skinner signs a contract with corporate backers who use the kids to conduct market research . There are some good gags , but the story doesn 't hang together very well . " Adam Tyner of DVD Talk argued that the episode " has a couple of good gags ( Gary Coleman chatting on the phone being my favorite ) but is quickly forgettable " . Brian James of PopMatters described Coleman 's cameo as " hysterical " in 2004 , and Meghan <unk> of the same website listed " Grift of the Magi " at number eight on her 2009 list of the " 10 best holiday themed TV episodes . " 
