Today, I’m going to channel the spirit of my sister-at-heart, Kaye Wilkinson Barley. I think I loved her before I ever met her because I appreciated the honesty of her rants on DorothyL. I have one of my own today. And, because Christmas carols involve words and meaning and implications, I’m going to rant about them instead of talking about a book today.
Personal rant!
This is my personal rant, just because it tees me off that people have to be so politically correct that we ban a Christmas carol, but we allow women and children to be tear gassed, children separated from their parents, put in internment camps (let’s just call them prison camps), but, no, we better not play a Christmas carol. You want to ban a Christmas carol? How about “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer”? We’re talking hit-and-run here, and we celebrate it. Now, that’s a violent Christmas carol. Oh, for Pete’s sake. So, I’m going to play that Christmas carol. Here’s a fun version. And, Natalie Toro picked Ryan Kelly up at the airport, and SHE talked in another video about how good-looking he was. I don’t think she cares that we’re playing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Stupid. We have more important things to care about, not just at Christmas, but every day when people are hurting. The following video did not hurt a child, or cause a child to be taken from their parents. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
And, then there’s that poor page in one of my favorite carols, “Good King Wenceslas”. The king dragged that poor page out in the weather. “Sire, the night is darker now,
and the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how.
I can go no longer.” Darn. I hate cold weather. I identify with that page. Let’s ban “Good King Wenceslas”. I bet I could find a lot more to ban. Why not? Let’s take all the fun out of the season.
So, anyone have a Christmas carol you want to tear apart today because it offends you? (I can think of more.)
This is really ridiculous, isn't it? I was talking to someone about this yesterday. I am sure we can pick apart most songs and find something in them to be upset over.
My thought is to not listen to it if it upsets you!
Good grief!
I watched the discussion on CBS This Morning Yesterday. Gayle King stands with you Lesa. It was written during a different era. And she was taken to task for her opinion yesterday finally ending the discussion with agreeing to disagree. I like Baby it's Cold Outside no matter who sings it. I see it as a fun flirty song. But according the report yesterday one radio station is having a poll this week as to whether to keep it and so far over 90% of the listeners say Leave My Christmas Music Alone.
The comic strip Pearls before Swine has been running a series about it all week as well. I wonder how much longer before the Rudolph Christmas special will be pulled which admittedly is at times appalling by today's standards.
We live in crazy times where everyone seems to be wearing an "over sensitive cloak" while posting vitriol comments online.
Sorry if this was more than you asked for. As long as they don't yank Springsteen's Santa Claus is Coming to Town, I'm good 🙂
Right with you, Deb. Don't listen if it upsets you.
Thanks for that update, Sharon. I'm happy to hear people are saying leave my Christmas music alone. I'll have to look for Pearls before Swine to see what they say.
And, good for Gayle King. I can think of lots of other songs. Ridiculous, isn't it?
Nebraska principal put on leave after banning Santa, Christmas trees, candy canes, and more from classrooms
I know this is suppose to be about Christmas Carols. What got me over the moon and back was wanting to ban candy canes.
When is this craziness going to stop? Are will it?
If you don’t like something then just don’t participate, leave others alone to enjoy what pleases them. I happen to like candy canes.
Lesa, you can remove my comment if you don’t approve of my changing the subject. No hard feelings.
Actually, Charlotte, I think it fits right in. Craziness is right. Oh, it was probably about the fact that candy canes resemble shepherds' crooks. Geez.
I love this.
And I am SO with you!!!!
Like Deb, if I don't like a song, I don't listen. If I don't like a book, I don't read it. etc etc etc. WHAT is so hard about this?! DO NOT TELL me what I'm supposed to like or what I'm "supposed" to be offended by.
Like Sharon – Just don't mess with Springsteen's "Santa Claus is Coming to Town!" Then you've got a real war on your hands. Having been lucky enough to be present at his concerts more than once to experience how he absolutely energizes and transforms an audience when he rips into that is pure magic.
Now I'm going to have to look for Pearls Before Swine to see how they've been handling this.
Thank you, Lesa for stating all this SO perfectly!
My pleasure, Kaye. I learned from the best. And, at home, I listen to Pandora. I can say thumbs down to a song, and I'll never have to listen to "Feliz Navidad" again. I think it was every fifth song played when I lived in Arizona.
I'm afraid I never got the whole "ban this song" thing in the first place. And Lesa's "rant" (justified) said it all. Rather, ban the hypocrisy of the phony "War on Christmas" nonsense stirred up by phonies like Sean Hannity every year. But I would never say Sean should be banned, no matter how little I think of him. Just. Don't. Watch.
The ultimate in ridiculous PC is going on right now at NYC's "performing arts" LaGuardia High School, where they are doing ten performances of THE SOUND OF MUSIC and the Principal, in the utmost of ridiculousness, has banned all Nazi symbols! WTF? It's THE SOUND OF MUSIC! The Nazis are the bad guys. Sheesh.
Oh, Jeff. You're right – the whole point of the last half of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is facing down and fleeing from the Nazis. Let's see – we've now talked about Christmas carols, candy canes, and The Sound of Music. Fascinating post today. Shows the length people will go to be ridiculous.
Thanks, everyone!
Totally agree…but it's easier to make this an issue than it is to tackle the real (important) stuff…immigration, family separations, education, health care, and more. Our country seems to be off balance and it's becoming more difficult to predict how it will all end.
Thanks for the post, Lesa.
Lesa, you were pretty close about the candy canes. It was because it was shaped like a J meaning Jesus.
The history about the candy canes is very interesting.
It was made about 250 years ago in Germany. It is unlikely Christians invented the candy cane. This is from a article I read.
Thank you, Jane. Yes, I agree that the country is off balance.
Thanks for the information, Charlotte. And, how many school children would know what that candy cane was shaped to represent?
When I was a kid, they used to say banning something made it more attractive.
Makes it more attractive to me, Glen. And, you're right. Authors often hope their books get banned for just that reason.
Our local ABC station was taking a poll on Baby It Is Cold Outside and the results were heartwarming. 6% against and 94% for the song. I did not see the final vote but it was pretty much against the silliness of banning that song. And all the other bans concerning Christmas is just plain wrong. I am glad I do not have young children and that I lived in a much more sensible era.
I agree 100%. When I first heard that nonsense about "Baby, It's Cold Outside," I wanted to play it over and over…of course, now the song is stuck in my head and I hear it all the time. That probably wasn't the goal of the carol police. 😀
Lesa, all I can say is THANK YOU. Your post is excellent. I so agree with you.
Thank you for this. It's so silly to make a big fuss about a Christmas carol. If you're someone who is concerned about it, use it as a way to talk to your daughter, put it in it's historical context (it was written by a husband and wife team!) and then focus on the real problems in the world. You are absolutely correct!
I agree we do live in crazy times! I never thought I would see the day when candy canes were attacked! I had always candy canes were pretty canes made of candy! People are coming unglued. Why are people fussing about stuff that do not matter when they could be helping so many in pain and suffering from lack of food, clean water or human rights?