Author Topic: Garrison Keillor Doesnâ€™t Like Jews Writing Christmas Songs (Read 5102 times)

roo_ster · « **on:** December 19, 2009, 03:55:45 PM »

Am I going to PC / pseudo-anti-semite hell for both laughing *expletive deleted*ss off at this and thinking, "He may have a point?"

FTR, GK is a "praire progressive" sort of guy.

http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/22606/garrison-keillor-doesn%E2%80%99t-like-jews-writing-christmas-songs/

Garrison Keillor, self-appointed cultural representative of regular old Americans, ruffled some feathers yesterday with a mildly xenophobic rant about Christmas. After lambasting a Unitarian church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for “spiritual piracy and cultural elitism”—tweaking the lyrics of “Silent Night” for a singalong, in layman’s terms—he turned his ire in a different direction:

Quote

And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year, Rudolph and the chestnuts and the rest of that dreck. Did one of our guys write ‘Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we’ll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah’? No, we didn’t. Christmas is a Christian holiday—if you’re not in the club, then buzz off.

The Baltimore Sun got some angry letters about this, and understandably so. Hating on Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” is, in a way, the same thing as the American Family Association’s boycott of the Gap for its “failure” to use the word Christmas in ads: both actions reject a dilution of Christmas by outsiders, just in slightly different ways. It certainly does not accord with the generous holiday spirit. And anyway: “Dreck?” Really? Who’s co-opting whom?

‘Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we’ll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah’?

There was a failure of beverage containment when I read that line.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #1 on:** December 19, 2009, 05:05:37 PM »

I would much prefer to listen to Bing Crosby crooning the original version of "White Christmas" or Tex Ritter (or was it Gene Autry?) doing the original version of "Rudolf" than hear any of the currently trendy renditions of traditional carols being massacred by hip-hoppers and rapsters. Which, unfortunately, is about all that's being played in stores and fast food joints around here.

As someone posted a couple of days ago, just because it's legal for a rapper to make a Christmas album doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #2 on:** December 19, 2009, 05:25:56 PM »

And I'm not so sure Keillor should claim to be in the club either. Not sayin' he isn't, but...

lee n. field · « **Reply #3 on:** December 19, 2009, 05:34:31 PM »

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Garrison Keillor, self-appointed cultural representative of regular old Americans,

Serial adulterer and raving leftist Garrison Keillor -- who pays attention to him? I don't.

Tallpine · « **Reply #4 on:** December 19, 2009, 06:35:31 PM »

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Tex Ritter (or was it Gene Autry?) doing the original version of "Rudolf"

Gene Autry

Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas · « **Reply #5 on:** December 19, 2009, 07:41:00 PM »

Quote

I would much prefer to listen to Bing Crosby crooning the original version of "White Christmas" or Tex Ritter (or was it Gene Autry?) doing the original version of "Rudolf" than hear any of the currently trendy renditions of traditional carols being massacred by hip-hoppers and rapsters. Which, unfortunately, is about all that's being played in stores and fast food joints around here.

Can't the rappers and co. just do Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer? They might improve it.

Boomhauer · « **Reply #6 on:** December 19, 2009, 08:14:06 PM »

Hell, I'd be happy if I didn't have to hear ANY Christmas music. Thank god it will be over next week...

Standing Wolf · « **Reply #7 on:** December 20, 2009, 05:24:42 AM »

His "humor" always sounded snotty to me.

Stand_watie · « **Reply #8 on:** December 20, 2009, 08:39:02 AM »

Agree with him about re-writing "Silent Night" to deliberately obscure the message, disagree with him about Jewish composers writing Christmas songs.

In the former instance you have a tacitly, explicitly religious hymn, written for worship. In the latter you have a "religious" holiday, that by the time Berlin wrote "White Christmas" was more cultural than religious to most participants.

CAnnoneer · « **Reply #9 on:** December 21, 2009, 11:32:03 AM »

That's the funny thing about culture - People that touch it, change it. It appears some believers don't like non-believers influencing what the former perceive as theirs. So, the question is: Is it theirs only?

If yes, then sure, don't break into your neighbor's house and rearrange his furniture.

If no, then the complaint is unjustified.

RaspberrySurprise · « **Reply #10 on:** December 21, 2009, 12:16:14 PM »

Quote from: Avenger29 on December 19, 2009, 08:14:06 PM

Hell, I'd be happy if I didn't have to hear ANY Christmas music. Thank god it will be over next week...

Amen brother.

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #11 on:** December 21, 2009, 12:29:44 PM »

I saw a picture of an altar at a unitarian church that features a garland & lights Star of David

That seems kind of odd to me...

Gewehr98 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 21, 2009, 12:58:34 PM »

I wouldn't pee on Garrison Keillor's teeth if his gums were on fire.

sanglant · « **Reply #13 on:** December 21, 2009, 01:40:23 PM »

Quote from: Harold Tuttle on December 21, 2009, 12:29:44 PM

I saw a picture of an altar at a unitarian church that features a garland & lights Star of David

That seems kind of odd to me...

better the star of David than a pentagram

i hate it when people do that

Antibubba · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2009, 06:33:43 PM »

We Jews have to write Christmas songs, because white gentiles have no sense of rhythm--you just can't swing it.

It took Mel Torme to co-write "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...)

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2009, 07:10:21 PM »

Keilor is talking as if Unitarian silliness is hurting him somehow. Up to now, they've always been good fodder for his comedy.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Unitarians are up to a whole lotta no good. I just don't see why Keilor takes it personally, or at least seems to think it's affecting his own Christmas observance.

As for the Jewish song-writers; I guess if Gentiles make Christmas a cash cow, non-Gentiles will try to cash in.

Angel Eyes · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2009, 08:40:04 PM »

"And that's the news from Lake Wobegon
Where all the women are strong
All the men are good-looking
And all the Jews have yellow stars on their coats."

"(Oh, crap, this mic isn't on, is it?)"

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2009, 08:47:01 PM »

Quote from: Jack Straw from Wichita on December 21, 2009, 08:40:04 PM

"And that's the news from Lake Wobegon
Where all the women are strong
All the men are good-looking
And all the Jews have yellow stars on their coats."

Please tell us you're not serious.

Angel Eyes · « **Reply #18 on:** December 21, 2009, 09:06:06 PM »

Quote from: fistful on December 21, 2009, 08:47:01 PM

Please tell us you're not serious.

I thought the last line indicated that, but just so there is no misunderstanding:

taurusowner · « **Reply #19 on:** December 21, 2009, 09:30:16 PM »

Quote from: Avenger29 on December 19, 2009, 08:14:06 PM

Hell, I'd be happy if I didn't have to hear ANY Christmas music. Thank god it will be over next week...

Agreed. Though I used to actually kinda like Christmas. This year however, all of my Christmas shopping reminded me or places I've been with/gifts I would have gotten my 4-year ex fiance who cheated on me in August.....So I've been done with Christmas 2009 since about midnight on Halloween.

Holidays where people are supposed to be happy just make me wish I was in Afghanistan that much more.

Tuco · « **Reply #20 on:** December 21, 2009, 09:36:51 PM »

And here's a little ditty that plays right into the premise presented hereto:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cwfrMIsNns&feature=related

Me and my drum.

Matthew Carberry · « **Reply #21 on:** December 22, 2009, 04:49:34 AM »

In fact the whole Christmas story bugs me, mixing Jesus up with a bunch of poor Jews and Zoroastrian elites.

See, if I were writing the story there'd be nothing but Lutherans in the manger, with maybe some Catholics and Presbyterians looking on from afar. You know, how G-d intended.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #22 on:** December 22, 2009, 05:19:55 AM »

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better the star of David than a pentagram Tinfoil Hat Smiley i hate it when people do that

Pentragrams are not originally Satanic.

seeker_two · « **Reply #23 on:** December 22, 2009, 10:19:28 AM »

There's only one way to answer this.....

....bring back PHC with new host.....

...Billy Crystal....

lee n. field · « **Reply #24 on:** December 22, 2009, 12:16:32 PM »

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And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year, Rudolph and the chestnuts and the rest of that dreck. Did one of our guys write ‘Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we’ll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah’? No, we didn’t. Christmas is a Christian holiday—if you’re not in the club, then buzz off.

I'm tempted to write up a rant on Christmas vs "Chrismuss". Heck, rabid atheist Ayn Rand liked Christmas.

News:

Author Topic: Garrison Keillor Doesnâ€™t Like Jews Writing Christmas Songs (Read 5102 times)

taurusowner