Sorry, Sarah Palin: There’s no war on Christmas

[DonViejo]

Palin's new book commands you to tell her "Merry Christmas." Her order goes against the real Christmas spirit.

DANIEL D'ADDARIO

The idea of a nationwide “war on Christmas” — a campaign to un-sanctify the second-most important holiday in the Christian religion, as discussed each year by Bill O’Reilly — has been taken up by a new culture warrior. Sarah Palin is about to release “Good Tidings and Great Joy,” a 256-page treatise whose Amazon page’s copy has that trademark aggrieved Palin tone. In 2013, we’re told, “the greeting ‘Merry Christmas’ has been replaced by the supposedly less offensive ‘Happy Holidays.’”

This is a nifty rhetorical trick — to not say “Merry Christmas” to Sarah Palin, then, is not merely gauche (if it indeed is) but actually offensive! As to who “supposes” the saying “Happy Holidays” is less “offensive,” that is, at least in Palin’s selling of the book, left purposefully vague. She also ignores the possibility that the people telling her “Happy Holidays” have no idea whether or not Palin celebrates Christmas (unlike, say, Thanksgiving or Independence Day, an explicitly religious celebration) and are less worried about offending or not than just getting through their day working at the Hallmark Gold Crown store without a lecture about American’s Christian heritage. There is no coordinated campaign against uttering Christ’s name but rather, a seeming gradual shift over decades to awareness that not everyone celebrates Christmas. “Happy holidays,” for those who say it, is not disrespectful but a catch-all phrase to which the hearer can impute anything she wants; presumably Palin’s faith in the Nativity is not so weak that a person failing to mention Christ in alluding to the celebration could shake it.

All this — the debate litigated each year by those who believe everyone must acknowledge their special faith, and those who just want to get through December calmly — leaves entirely aside the fact that the liberalizing force of pop culture nearly universally singles out Christmas as the holiday. It’s fairly uncommon for a television series to broadcast a Chanukah special, but Christmas specials rule the tube, from reruns of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” to the “Modern Family” family and the “New Girl” gang celebrating the Yuletide.

Palin’s claim that “the homogenization of the holiday season” is underway is hard to square with the reality that last year, shows including “The Big Bang Theory,” “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office,” and “Grey’s Anatomy” broadcast Christmas specials. Christmas is inescapable in pop culture from more than a month out — after all, Palin’s Christmas book is coming out in November, more than a month before the holiday.

full article
http://www.salon.com/2013/11/11/sorry_sarah_palin_theres_no_war_on_christmas/

[BlueToTheBone]

1. and it's going to be smaller since the grinch, I mean repukes

stole it with the sequestration and government shutdown. Santa is tapped out and can't afford the elves!

[Scuba]

2. Sarah, I hope you have a truly shitty Christmas.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

5. I don't know why I'm laughing so hard....

Sing along with me...

Have yourself, a shitty little Christmas...

If I were more creative, I knock out the rest of the lyrics. Have at it!

[Scootaloo]

3. Wait, did we cancel? I didn't get the memo!

What I going to do with all these cards that say "Happy Holidays!" now?!

Sunnuva...

[Mike Daniels]

4. I guess Sarah wants store clerks pawing through your purchases looking for that one clue

as to what to wish you when they're ringing up your purchase of that frilly little undergarment with the matching handcuffs and gag ball.

The blindingly obvious reason (good business practice) for stores wishing people "Happy Holidays" never fails to escape morons like Palin, Hannity and others of that ilk.

[bigdarryl]

6. Palin is one of the most IGNORANT!!! attractive caucasian woman I have ever seen

JESUS!!!!!

[oswaldactedalone]

18. She's so ignorant

that it negates any possible good looks she may possess. I turn away when her mug shows up anywhere, TV, web, nightmare, etc...

[modrepub]

7. If she'd actually be offended

at the retail places that put their Christmas displays up three weeks before Halloween I'd be with her. The right seem completely oblivious to the complete commercialization of their holiday.

[surrealAmerican]

10. You are aware, of coarse ...

... that the "politician" we are discussing here does not hold public office, and is not receiving any wages, right? In fact, she gave up the governorship of her state at least partly because she could make more money, and wield more influence elsewhere. She's a pretty good example of why your solution wouldn't actually solve anything.

[Snake Plissken]

9. The people who have proclaimed a war on everything under the sun except Angry Old White Men

whining about yet another imaginary war.

Sarah, the Teabagger's War On Sanity was good for a laugh at first, but it's now beyond worn out, it's time you got yourself a new shtick.

[Blue Idaho]

11. Well, when this book flops like all the rest...

She can use a stack of them to hold up the another sagging corner on her trailer...

Damn handy this writing gig...

[lame54]

12. 256 pages?...

is it an endurance test?

[Myrina]

13. Someone please tell me why anyone points a camera or microphone at her anymore?

SMH.


It's like she's got Stage 3 dementia and is on Quaaludes at the same time.

[DFW]

14. Here's a song ALL friends and foes of Christmas should hear

My parents used to play this for me when I was 6 (1958!!), and it was already old then! But I still laugh when I hear it.

[Iceberg Louie]

15. Really, Sarah? "War on Christmas"?

Tell that to anyone who works in or shops at a retail establishment or shopping center that, as of 2013, has officially set Veteran's Day as the opening of Christmas season. That's right, not only does Black Friday now begin mid-afternoon on Thanksgiving, but all the wonderful commercial trappings of the gift-buying season...the hyper-aggressive kiosk barkers, the superfluous decorations, the ubiquity of craptastically redundant renditions of the same ten songs...were in full swing yesterday at every retail outlet I visited.

War on Christmas my *&%#!....

[Jamaal510]

16. Can we PLEASE stop this annual War on Xmas crap?

[oswaldactedalone]

17. NOOOO!!!

I'm over here hunkered down in the bushes ready to attack waiting on the rest of the troops to show. The War on Christmas is still on isn't it?

I've always thought that Happy Holidays refers to the fact that New Year's Day is also a holiday so a person saying Happy Holidays is actually wishing you happiness for both Christmas and New Year's.

[Ranchemp.]

19. She's just the gift that keeps on giving.

[SmittynMo]

20. A couple of phrases come to mind.....

There's no fix for stupid. She's in it for the money and recognition. How can anyone read/listen to her bullshit anymore? We all know what she's all about. Me me, me, Money, money, money!!!