As NewsBusters reported Saturday, the politically correct crowd appears to have lost this round concerning whether the Christmas season should be referred to as the holiday season so as not to offend, well…anybody. Another sign that it will once again be acceptable to recognize the religious aspects of this annual ritual with total impunity (meaning without fear that the ACLU will serve you papers instead of egg nog for the holidays!) is when we start seeing news reports concerning this on television.
With the official start of the shopping season now just ten days away, the following video of a report filed by WRCB in Chattanooga, Tennessee, is guaranteed to get you in the mood to shout from the rooftops -- as well as in your favorite store -- “Merry Christmas.”
What follows is a full transcript of this report.
Reporter: P-c makes way for m-c as "Merry Christmas" stages a comeback this Christmas. It got the old heave-ho last holiday season in favor of the more generic "happy holidays". But like a fruitcake... It's back! Cheryl Butler reports.
Butler: They're decking the halls inside this Wal-Mart in Germantown, Maryland... Where a Christmas shop replaces last year's holiday shop. Christmas carols will soon resonate throughout the store and a countdown to Christmas sign is front and center.
Shopper: I hope it doesn't offend anyone. We like Christmas, so we celebrate Christmas, so we're happy to see Christmas come back.
Butler: Last year some retailers replaced `Merry Christmas" with the catch-all phrase "happy holidays." Now things are changing
Wal-Mart manager: Sometimes the holidays are not Christmas, sometimes they're different holidays. But it's all meant to congratulate the season.
Butler: So when shoppers come in during this season, what will you guys say?
Manager: Merry Christmas, happy holidays.
Butler: This Muslim family applauds the effort.
Shopper: Christmas we, as I said to you we celebrate the birth of Jesus, as a Muslim, so, he's one of our prophets.
Shopper: I buy a little tree with many birds for my children.
Butler: This year experts say the trend including everybody through merchandising and marketing.
National Retail Federation Representative: Customers celebrate a variety of religions and holidays and in fact come people celebrate more than one holiday. Some families celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah or Christmas and Kwanzaa, so they don't want to leave anyone out.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.
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*adds "fern fondler"
November 14, 2006 - 18:46 ET by Roger the Shrubber*adds "fern fondler" to mental data bank*
Good addition, Dave! Thx!
tree-hugging pussies
November 14, 2006 - 19:37 ET by BlameTheMediatree-hugging pussies
You forgot dirt-licking and g
November 14, 2006 - 19:38 ET by Eric TurnerYou forgot dirt-licking and grass-kissing.
I work for the government and
November 14, 2006 - 19:28 ET by Dan The Man 2I work for the government and make it a point at my work to say Merry Christmas to all people I see. I also say Happy New Year and Thnaksgiving and Fourth of July and others. So eat my shorts.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark. -- save my gun, shoot a liberal.
Free bal
November 14, 2006 - 17:17 ET by misterbillI'll accept that-- he doesn't seem to be in the daze that most Dems are. As a matter of fact, he will probably make a good conservative after the lib tumor is removed.
Yes. He would make a very g
November 14, 2006 - 17:22 ET by Free StinkerYes. He would make a very good conservative.
We'll have to keep working on him. :-)
Ar ar ar!Reminds me of that
November 14, 2006 - 17:28 ET by balboaAr ar ar!
Reminds me of that scene from the Woody Allen movie where the conservative son of Alan Alda's character is found to have a blockage in an artery to the brain. It goes away, and suddenly, with more blood and oxygen getting to the brain, the son becomes a democrat. ;-)
Balboa
November 14, 2006 - 17:55 ET by Noel SheppardB,
Actually, one of my favorite political Woody Allen jokes is from "Annie Hall." He's speaking at an Adlai Stevenson fundraiser in a flashback segment, and he says: "I have to tell you all up front that I once dated a girl who worked for Eisenhower. But, it's okay because I was trying to do to her what he's been doing to the country for four years." :-) ns
Oh, Woody...Bullets Over Br
November 14, 2006 - 18:06 ET by balboaOh, Woody...
Bullets Over Broadway? "Don't speak."
Bal
November 14, 2006 - 18:16 ET by Noel SheppardBal,
Fabulous film. Diane Wiest was amazing. He hasn't done anything close to as good since. ns
Noel, you didn't like Match
November 15, 2006 - 15:36 ET by JasonCNoel, you didn't like Match Point or Melinda and Melinda? I thought both were on par w/ Bullets. Everything from 95-'05 was pretty weak though.
"The right-wing intellectual refers to the mere existence of the given order as an argument for it." -Slavoj Zizek
JC
November 15, 2006 - 16:17 ET by Noel SheppardJC,
Didn't see Melinda and Melinda. My wife rented Match Point a few weeks ago, and it didn't capture me quickly enough to warrant more attention. It was kind of late in the evening when she started it, and it didn't pull me in to want to stay up much later. ns
Ar ar ar!Reminds me of that
November 14, 2006 - 17:28 ET by balboaAr ar ar!
Reminds me of that scene from the Woody Allen movie where the conservative son of Alan Alda's character is found to have a blockage in an artery to the brain. It goes away, and suddenly, with more blood and oxygen getting to the brain, the son becomes a democrat. ;-)
LOL!And now, to be completely
November 14, 2006 - 17:30 ET by Free StinkerLOL!
And now, to be completely unoriginal: "We heard you the first time." ;-)
Nuts......stupid trigger-ha
November 14, 2006 - 17:36 ET by balboaNuts...
...stupid trigger-happy mouse thumb.
Technology, making our lives
November 14, 2006 - 17:38 ET by Free StinkerTechnology, making our lives easier. . . sort of. :-\
ar ar ar
November 14, 2006 - 17:32 ET by misterbillToo much air in the brain makes you post twice. Hee hee!
I didn't know Christian toy
November 14, 2006 - 19:38 ET by JasonCI didn't know Christian toys and Jesus dolls existed. Seems blasphemous somehow. Anyway, why punish the kids by boycotting the organization?
Let me ask, in all not-being-a-smart-ass seriousness: are you folks really planning on totally passing by any store that says Happy Holidays instead of Merry Christmas (and first of course doing the necessary research to find out which is which)? To what extent is it compulsory that a discount retailer is reluctantly willing to validate your faith?
"The right-wing intellectual refers to the mere existence of the given order as an argument for it." -Slavoj Zizek
Yes, I do go out of my way
November 14, 2006 - 19:58 ET by n2soonersYes, I do go out of my way to avoid shopping at stores that go out of their way to avoid saying Christmas (and don't get me started on xmas). The holiday is Christmas. I don't care if they throw in the other holidays, just as long as they don't leave out Christmas. Can you imagine a national store chain that refused to say Martin Luther King Jr. in any of their advertisement around his holiday? Or how about avoiding Independence Day in their fourth of July sales? Or why not just leave any mention of veterans out of their Veteran's Day sales?
There are lots of national holidays, and stores have sales for pretty much every one of them (along with some holidays that aren't national), but there is only one where some people seem to think it is okay and even a good thing not to mention that holiday by name.
Cool. Just wondering."
November 14, 2006 - 20:02 ET by JasonCCool. Just wondering.
"The right-wing intellectual refers to the mere existence of the given order as an argument for it." -Slavoj Zizek
Before you go shopping, do yo
November 14, 2006 - 20:08 ET by balboaBefore you go shopping, do you first check what their policy is on this subject? Would you avoid going into an unknown store because you weren't sure where they were on this issue?
I don't go out 100%, but I
November 14, 2006 - 20:20 ET by n2soonersI don't go out 100%, but I do make adjustments if I know a store is avoiding the use of Christmas. And the use of xmas bothers me even more. I still shopped at Wal-Mart last year, it is just too damn easy to shop there. But I did less shopping there than normal. I'm not fanatical about it, but it does effect my decisions. And I do prefer to do my Christmas shopping at a store having a Christmas sale than one having a holiday sale.
nit picking... umm I have a
November 14, 2006 - 19:42 ET by lbcdawnnit picking... umm I have a walmart a couple miles down the road that is not filled with false sincerity during Christmas.. but then they do employ a nice sized group of our bible college students.. so perhaps I am just biased. (teeheeheehee) Last year the students that were employed ignored the company mandate for the most part.. I worked in retail eons ago and you can only say merry Christmas so many times before you sneak in a happy holidays to add diversity.
Kill PC
November 14, 2006 - 19:31 ET by Six String SpiffWhen will this PC nonsense be shot dead? I am going to go out and shop more at the stores that say Merry Christmas. ITs a shame that I even have to be proud of the fact that some stores still say it. It shouldn't even be an issue. Welcome to America. Prepare to be offended by our entire culture. Oh, wait that would mean you should LEAAAAAVE!
Stolen Election?
merry what
November 15, 2006 - 04:59 ET by foolnomoreHope( best buy ) rethinks this if nascar fans here about this they not going to be happy in Homestead for last race. bad marketing play for them an" Bootie parker" and team need extra parts for car next year..
go dale j.r. #8<> bless and support the troops