Catherine Lucy of the leftwing Philadelphia Daily News, or perhaps her editor, stamps their opinion right into the headline of a news story: “Let’s call it the German ‘Holiday’ Village.”
Let’s not.
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, when the culture war becomes even more visible for all to see. Funny how only one religion has to bend towards it critics’ complaints — and invariably will do so without pushing — let alone fighting — back:
It’s that season again, which means that for the third year in a row, the German Christmas Village has set up a cozy collection of wooden booths and tree vendors in Dilworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall.
But a few shoppers noticed something amiss yesterday on the tall metal archways signaling the entrances to the shops. The archways had just one word on top – “Village.”
Sounds festive, eh?
It turns out that the letters spelling “Christmas” were removed yesterday afternoon from the archways on the north and west sides of the plaza, at the request of Managing Director Richard Negrin. They will be replaced with the word “Holiday.”
City spokesman Mark McDonald said Negrin asked for the change after the city received complaints from workers and residents.
“As a city of great diversity, one shouldn’t be surprised that there’s a difference of views when it comes to symbols and words,” McDonald said.
One is also not surprised that there’s very little tolerance when it comes to those symbols, nor much spine when it comes to defending them. As the photo caption notes, “Crews remove the word ‘Christmas’ from the sign at Dilworth Plaza,” and the article contains this pathetic quote:
“People have to go to public buildings. They shouldn’t feel offended,” Bauer said, stressing that the name was not intended to upset anyone. “It’s been very successful the last two years. People like the name. We built it like a German Christmas market. We did not think a lot about it.”
McDonald said the city, which is billed as a “partner” to the event, didn’t have a problem with the word “Christmas” remaining on posters and fliers. He also said the city is working on an official policy to deal with such structures set up on city property.
Meanwhile down the Northeast Corridor a bit in DC, the War on Christmas enters its absurdest phase: “Smithsonian Christmas-Season Exhibit Features Ant-Covered Jesus, Naked Brothers Kissing, Genitalia, and Ellen DeGeneres Grabbing Her Breasts:”
The federally funded National Portrait Gallery, one of the museums of the Smithsonian Institution, is currently showing an exhibition that features images of an ant-covered Jesus, male genitals, naked brothers kissing, men in chains, Ellen DeGeneres grabbing her breasts, and a painting the Smithsonian itself describes in the show’s catalog as “homoerotic.”
You think you’re so “transgressive,” so “daring,” so “cutting edge,” you cheap-ass poseur pieces of shit?
I’ll show you daring. I’ll show you cutting edge.
Switch out your ant-drenched Jesus for an ant-riddled Mohammed.
Go ahead, you gutless, cowardly pussies calling yourselves artists. I dare you.
What, and risk facing critics who actually fight back when their religion is ridiculed?
Besides, do the curators who set up these sorts of exhibitions really think they’re being transgressive these days? This sort of stuff dates back to Marcel Duchamp’s urinal back in 1917, and has been played out in similar form ever since. As TV writer Anne Beatts once quipped, you can only be avant-garde for so long before you’re garde; and at over 90 years old, the poseurs at the Smithsonian are now the true reactionaries. No one is shocked these days, everyone sees through the game, but there are traditions — dating as far back as World War I — that must be maintained.
So why can’t the rest of us, whose traditions date back just a bit longer keep ours?
Related: “War on Christmas: FL School Bans All Things Christmas… Including Wearing Red Or Green Colors!”
Meanwhile, Yid with Lid quips, “TAKE THAT MENORAH AWAY FROM THE CHRISTMAS TREE ! (It’s that Stupid, Politically Correct Holiday Season Again.)”
(Hat tip: Caleb Howe.)
|
|
Join the conversation as a VIP Member