Christmas is a moo point

December 24, 2020 6:21 AM

The War on Christmas: A Measured Response
posted by Pendragon (19 comments total)

Fair enough, but the 2020 war on Christmas was led by the President of the US. No one in this country can eat together
posted by eustatic at 6:27 AM on December 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

But I do still enjoy these takedowns, which embody, via youtube, the incredible amount of energy it takes to dissolve these lies. The climate denial vid was an extraordinary relief to watch.
posted by eustatic at 7:08 AM on December 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

From the post title I was expecting Interrupting Cow.
posted by y2karl at 7:53 AM on December 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

post title is a Friends reference
posted by Kitchen Witch at 8:13 AM on December 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

Even though I celebrate Christmas (most years), I have to say that I really miss "happy holidays" (or nothing at all, bless those indifferent cashiers) from when I lived in New York. The omnipresence of Very Specifically Christmas, You Don't Have To Be Religious But You Definitely Have to Christmas, in Iowa, is... I mean, it wouldn't be that bad if it weren't for the general assumption that "we don't have to do diversity, diversity is for big-city people."

This year, I admit, the public presence of CHRISTMAS mostly seems galling because I don't get to see my family, I don't get to see friends, lots of us are mourning someone, lots of us are unemployed, and can we just...chill a little bit with the obligation to be festive?
posted by Jeanne at 9:24 AM on December 24, 2020 [7 favorites]

My go-to remains, Happy Merry Whatever-It-Is-You-Celebrate-This-Time-Of-Year (spoken very quickly).

And I mean it.
posted by philip-random at 10:25 AM on December 24, 2020 [3 favorites]

As a secularist I welcome the ascension of my new lord and savior, Aquaman.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 10:41 AM on December 24, 2020 [9 favorites]

If you can pull off "Merry Thingy and Happy Whatever!" in the same earnest and jolly tone of voice you'd associate with Burl Ives, I recommend it.
posted by seanmpuckett at 10:45 AM on December 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

well I just watched this whole thing, and then the climate denial one. entertaining and informative rabbit hole!

also: SEASONS GREETINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by supermedusa at 10:51 AM on December 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

Seasons greetings
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:52 AM on December 24, 2020 [6 favorites]

maybe for 2021 we'll get the COVID denial: measured response video, but until then, we can laugh at this part of the climate vid, which, i think, is a broadly applicable emotional reinactment / catharsis to a few situations in which we find ourselves
posted by eustatic at 12:50 PM on December 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

Only one more sleep 'til the 300th of March*! Or whatever you're celebrating.

*: https://www.google.com/search?q=days+since+2020-02-29
posted by k3ninho at 1:39 PM on December 24, 2020 [1 favorite]

I'm a fan of all of hbomberguy's videos, but his flat earth video has a special place in my heart.

ALL HAIL LORD SOBEK!!!
posted by Pendragon at 1:46 PM on December 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

favorite bit
posted by eustatic at 2:06 PM on December 24, 2020 [2 favorites]

My favorite part, beginning at 38:25, on why it’s so important for far-right conservative Christians to believe the War on Christmas conspiracy:

This constant lying and misrepresentation of reality makes my point for me.

Because to get you to believe what they believe, they have to lie, because the truth simply isn’t enough to support these beliefs.

...And this is where the War on Christmas and similar conspiracy theories comes in. Because when a belief system is on shaky ground when it comes to the truth, it needs something else to maintain it — extra beliefs and fantasies to prop it all up. Otherwise, doubts and anxieties start to come in.

What if I’m wrong? What if I’ve missed something? What if other people are laughing at me?

What better way to put a stop to these feelings than to convince yourself that your enemies are trying to destroy your culture? Even your holidays! That they’re even doing it on purpose, and know they’re doing it. Because they’re the bad guys and you’re the good guys!

Instantly, all your doubts and fears that you’ve missed something, all the critical thinking, can be dismissed. Life stops being about reason or evidence and starts being about the war to protect your ways from the “bad” ways. Right and wrong don’t matter anymore; “they” are conspiring to destroy you. When you don’t say “Merry Christmas”, you’re stealing “my” holiday from me.

They even have an animation where a kid beats up Santa Claus. This is how persecuted the far-right need to convince themselves that they are, to escape from the much simpler conclusion that some of the things they believe aren’t true.

posted by darkstar at 3:59 PM on December 24, 2020 [6 favorites]

Mark Palko has commented on the fact that a traditional evangelical position was not in favor of Christmas sales at shopping malls and reindeers and Santa Claus. This was crass consumerism and had nothing to do with god. The link has a video of a preacher shooting Santa (in a skit, of course) the underline the point, but the meat of the comment is:

I grew up in the Bible Belt and spent all of my formative years arguing with fundamentalists so I feel comfortable with the following claim: in the past 40 years, the conservative movement has had a larger impact on the evangelical community than the evangelical community has had on the conservative movement. Obviously in these situations, influence always runs both ways, but the changes on one side have been greater and far more strategically useful.

I've also seen people on twitter making claims that this holiest time of the year for both Christians and Jews, which is laughably ignorant for the Jewish faith, but also completely wrong for anyone who is a an actual worshipping Christian. (Easter's the one that matters.)

When I was a kid we had the commercialization of Christmas, now we have it's politicization.

Glad I saved some nog for tomorrow.
posted by mark k at 6:45 PM on December 24, 2020 [8 favorites]

And some Rum...

Happy Holidays to everyone, whatever nonsense you believe. May 2021 be better...
posted by Windopaene at 9:23 PM on December 24, 2020 [4 favorites]

Cf. “The REAL War on Christmas”—Caelan Conrad, 25 December 2020
posted by ob1quixote at 7:38 AM on December 26, 2020

Fair enough, but the 2020 war on Christmas was led by the President of the US. No one in this country can eat together

Yeah, I'm starting to feel that way too. I had always dismissed the War on Christmas as right wing whining (because it is) but after having to do without so many Christmas traditions I personally feel are important because of covid while assholes still get to congregate in churches* and spread the plague makes me a little angry.

* Not all churches, though I think whether or not a religious community can put the health of it's congregation first and adapt their traditions to cope with a public health emergency is a great litmus test for the overall strength and reverence of that community.
posted by RonButNotStupid at 8:37 AM on December 26, 2020 [2 favorites]