Funny Christmas Cards.
Have a holly jolly Christmas!
I often send funny Christmas cards, when I can find good ones, to friends who are not religious. I also once sent them to co-workers who may or may not have been religious. All of these friends and acquaintances know I’m religious and they understand I take Christmas very seriously. Likewise, they were aware of my devotion and fidelity to the Church - hence they didn’t need me reminding them of it all the time. In other words - I can have fun with these people - they get my dysfunctional humor. We need to remember that Christmas is also a time for celebration and fun, and face it, some people are not all that pious about the holidays.
Having explained myself on the subject, I wanted to mention a card Polish people in the UK are upset about. Here is the report:
“Poles in the
UK protest against a Christmas card which features John Paul II and George W. Bush.
The deceased John Paul II is lying on a catafalque. George Bush is standing over him. The speech bubble next to his face says: “What happened to Santa?”. This Christmas card is selling like hot cakes in
Britain, causing outrage amongst the Polish community. Poles have already informed they would organise street protests.
“It’s appalling. Using the image of the deceased Holy Father is a scandal.” - The News
I’m convinced I ran across a similar card in the shops last year. Of course I thought it was inappropriate humor and would never have bought it. Pop-culture is usually inappropriate, and oftentimes gets laughs by being disrespectful of established traditions, morality, the government, what have you. Nevertheless, there are some things too sacred to exploit for a laugh, and the Pope card happens to be one of them. In fact, there are a few others which are downright anti-Christ - making fun of the Holy Family and so on.
Yet I continue to look for funny cards. In fact, looking for funny cards that make fun of ’secular’ Christmas is really tough this year - so I’m trying to make my own, like the one shown above. Yeah, I know, it’s derivative and not very funny. (And yes - I do send out beautiful traditional religious cards as well - to those who appreciate them.)
December 11th, 2007 at 11:02 am
Meh - I saw that on The Onion recently. (Or something similar.)
For 3 seconds, I thought, “Oooo, inappropriate.”
And then I moved on with my life.
I don’t like sacrilege any more than anyone, but I pick my battles.
FWIW, I think it’s pretty obvious the card is making fun of Dubya, and NOT PJP2.
And the getup he was buried in DID look like Santa’s suit.
I wouldn’t want to be forced to buy it, but I don’t care if Company XYZ makes it and sells it.
Never seen the ones that mock the Holy Family, though I don’t doubt they exist and would be MUCH more uncomfortable with that.
I would NOT, however, call for anyone’s beheading upon seeing such trash.
So there’s that.
December 11th, 2007 at 11:09 am
Ma - Yeah - when I first saw the card - I laughed out loud, and I was laughing at the Prez - the joke was indeed on him. And yep - JPII looked like santa. I had all I could do to keep from buying it though…
December 11th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
I just heard on the radio that, I believe it is the Catholic Church in Poland, they are upset with a commercial showing four wise men visiting the Holy Family. They give the usual gifts of gold, francincense and myrrh, AND a can of Red Bull. I just don’t know why advertisers do such stupid things that seem to alienate their demographics more than sell their product!
BTW: My dad was the same as you. Very religious cards to folks of the same ilk, but to others and even close friends, he had a wicked sense of humor.
December 11th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Swiss,
Yeah, why on earth would they do that???
It’s not as though it’s clever (like the Santa/Dubya card).
It doesn’t make any sense, isn’t funny or sentimental or enticing like a good ad should be - it is just stupid.
Red Bull doesn’t have anything to do with Jesus.
Now, if they had been carrying a nice new Martha Stewart Baby Blanket to advertise say, a new line of hers, it would have at least made sense.
Or a space heater, or a Snugli (ideal for carrying baby on those midnight escapes to foreign lands…)
Anything but Red Bull.
That’s just dumb.
December 11th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
I can take a jibe or two against our Church so long as it is done without malice. It’s callous disrespect and anti-Catholicism that I have no tolerance for.
If we have to extend - either out of consideration or political correctness - respect to other groups, I would like the same considerations extended to us.
You hear that Ted Turner!! (Hope he reads this)
Tom
December 11th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I meant to say “jab” not “jibe”. Sorry.
Tom
December 12th, 2007 at 9:04 am
http://thecrescat.blogspot.com/2007/12/uncle-kenny-christmas -card.html
he he. I was feeling cheeky.