Thursday, November 15, 2007

Leave Santa Alone

"Now I have seen it all".... that seems to be a familiar quote that I have caught myself saying for years now... usually in response to the some news story or the latest rumors around the coffee pot at work... well today I want to share another one with you.

I came across this article on Yahoo! this morning as I was make the usual clicks to check my two email accounts...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/wl_asia_afp/lifestyleaustraliachristmasoffbeat

In a nutshell, some city in Australia has instructed all of the employees playing Santa that this year they must not use the traditional "Ho, Ho, Ho" when talking with the little ones.... They must use "Ha, Ha, Ha" instead... And their reason for the new change to Santa's 2007 vocabulary? They do not want to "offend" women with this "US slang term for prostitute". Considering that this is in Australia... why would it offend Australian women? Unless it is also an Australia slang term too? I do not understand how in 2007 that the term "Ho" as used in Santa's traditional greeting would ever be misconstrued as him calling out to a prostitute... why would Santa be near a prostitute in the first place? Prostitutes don't tend to "work" near any Santa's that I have ever seen. And besides, the term "Ho" has been around for YEARS. I can remember throwing that term around in my middle school years (early-mid 80's)... so why is it just now being changed?
Like the article concluded and I agree.... "Leave Santa alone".

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