# Prickly City Weighs in on "Happy Holidays" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 7, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445 "2005-12-07T02:17:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/1 "2005-12-07T02:17:33Z")
[Monday’s strip here.](http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20051205/cx_prc_uc/prc20051205) Now let me get this straight. The Right is angry because the Left doesn’t say, “Merry Christmas”, and to illustrate this, the artist _pretends_ that the Left gets angry because the Right _does_ say “Merry Christmas”. :dubious: Someone ought to look up the meaning of the word, “Holiday”. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/2 "2005-12-07T06:35:38Z")
> [@AtomicDog](#): > > [Monday’s strip here.](http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20051205/cx_prc_uc/prc20051205) > > Now let me get this straight. The Right is angry because the Left doesn’t say, “Merry Christmas”, and to illustrate this, the artist _pretends_ that the Left gets angry because the Right _does_ say “Merry Christmas”. > > :dubious: > > Someone ought to look up the meaning of the word, “Holiday”. I don’t really know if you can correlate ACLU with “the left”. Although those of a more liberal persuasion tend to stand with the ACLU more often than the more conservatively inclined, the ACLU occasionally defends the rights of those the left finds intolerable like American Nazi’s, the Klan etc. The notion ACLU=Left isn’t quite accurate. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/3 "2005-12-07T06:47:33Z")
> [@astro](#): > > I don’t really know if you can correlate ACLU with “the left”. Although those of a more liberal persuasion tend to stand with the ACLU more often than the more conservatively inclined, the ACLU occasionally defends the rights of those the left finds intolerable like American Nazi’s, the Klan etc. > > The notion ACLU=Left isn’t quite accurate. Nor can we assume that “the artist” = “the right”. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/4 "2005-12-07T06:49:58Z")
Oh… and what was the debate supposed to be? It’s not like there isn’t already a thread about this in GD (and at least one in the Pit). ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/5 "2005-12-07T13:15:34Z")
And it’s not like lefties who object to the ubiquity of the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ aren’t _vastly_ outweighed by hysterical righties who _insist_ on the use of the phrase to the exclusion of all else, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![AtomicDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@AtomicDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AtomicDog)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/6 "2005-12-07T13:51:30Z")
> [@George Kaplin](#): > > And it’s not like lefties who object to the ubiquity of the phrase ‘Merry Christmas’ aren’t _vastly_ outweighed by hysterical righties who _insist_ on the use of the phrase to the exclusion of all else, anyway. That was the point I was trying to make in my poorly worded OP. The artist is using a Strawman argument. _No one_ I know of objects to “Merry Christmas”. All of the objections I hear of are to “Happy Holidays”. ---
**Author:** ![George\_Kaplin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3e96dc/32.png) [@George\_Kaplin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/George_Kaplin)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/7 "2005-12-07T14:11:46Z")
That’s because the whole issue is a divisive right wing strawman around which to rally the grassroots troops. Same as that bullshit about Kerry banning the Bible if elected. It’s juts an annual reminder about how unbearable life would be under the repressive, autocratic, atheistic left :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/8 "2005-12-07T16:28:35Z")
It is even less than a strawman. It is a complete non-issue. The same “usual suspects” revive it every year - O’Reilly, Falwell, Robertson, etc. There is no “war on Christmas” except in their minds. They “borrowed” the concept from the John Birch Society, another bunch of loonies. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/9 "2005-12-07T16:47:01Z")
What I don’t understand is why they would even give a shit what non-christians call the holiday. If you’re not a christian, it’s insignificant. The fact that its not even the baby Jayzuz’s real birthday makes it even more bizarre. It’s kind of like Jerry Seinfeld being forced to call Elaine’s boyfriend “Maestro.” ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/10 "2005-12-07T20:14:01Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Nor can we assume that “the artist” = “the right”. You haven’t been reading _Prickly City_ very long, have you? It’s not as blatantly biased as _Mallard Fillmore,_ and it does get in a decent non-partisan joke about 40% of the time, but when it wants to get political, _PS_ is unabashedly on the right side of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/11 "2005-12-07T20:39:01Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > You haven’t been reading _Prickly City_ very long, have you? > > It’s not as blatantly biased as _Mallard Fillmore,_ and it does get in a decent non-partisan joke about 40% of the time, but when it wants to get political, _PS_ is unabashedly on the right side of the aisle. I’ve **never** read it. But note that I didn’t say that the artist wasn’t on the right, but that the artist wasn’t “the right”. Read post #2 and post #3 (my post) together and you should see the point I was trying to make. Neither of the parties in the OP can be considered either “the right” or “the left”. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/12 "2005-12-07T20:39:59Z")
[Even their beloved George W. Bush is not immune.](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10355980/) Bush committed the sin of sending out cards reading “Happy Holidays”. > [@](#): > > Bush “claims to be a born-again, evangelical Christian. But he sure doesn’t act like one,” said Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative Web site [WorldNetDaily.com](http://WorldNetDaily.com). “I threw out my White House card as soon as I got it.” In this case I am 100% in Bush’s corner! These tighty righty Christians put this chip on their shoulder every year and beg for it to be knocked off. Saying Happy Holidays isn’t going to make it impossible for anyone to be Christian, it simply is a way to be inclusive of minority religions. If you want to say Merry Christmas, go right ahead. If you want to say Happy Holidays, go ahead. Neither one threatens anybody. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/13 "2005-12-08T01:42:26Z")
> [@AtomicDog](#): > > [Monday’s strip here.](http://news.yahoo.com/comics/uclickcomics/20051205/cx_prc_uc/prc20051205) > > Now let me get this straight. The Right is angry because the Left doesn’t say, “Merry Christmas”, and to illustrate this, the artist _pretends_ that the Left gets angry because the Right _does_ say “Merry Christmas”. > > :dubious: > > Someone ought to look up the meaning of the word, “Holiday”. Have a Happy Happy Holy day!!! ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/14 "2005-12-08T02:52:32Z")
I’m sorry, but are there really enough imbeciles out there that actually take this non-issue seriously for the likes of Bill O’Reilly (R - Loofah) and John Gibson (R - 5 Shots to the Head) to keep fanning the flames with this crap? I would say no, but then I am reminded of that freaky “Warrior for Christ” lady who was featured on \*\*Trading Spouses \*\* a couple of weeks ago. That is EXACTLY the kind of moron who would get her extra-large panties in a bunch over the “war” on Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/15 "2005-12-08T12:34:23Z")
For centuries Christmas wasn’t celebrated,the early Christians didn’t need everyone to agree with them they just believed and lived their beliefs. The right wing (in my opinion) really aren’t sure of their faith so are afraid if everyone doesn’t recognize their beliefs they are afraid they may be wrong. They should thank the businesses for keeping Christmas alive because it is the commercial part of Christmas that keeps it going as so big a holiday. There are many hoildays in the month of December. Christians started celebrating (what they call) Jesus birthday to compete with the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/16 "2005-12-08T15:28:08Z")
“Prickly City” is actually funny in its occasional apolitical strips (just a girl and a coyote commenting on life). But when it gets political, it almost invariably uses some ridiculous straw man, or a gross misrepresentation of political enemies. For example: > [@](#): > > Winslow (liberal coyote): “Why do you dislike Howard Dean so much, Carmen?” > > Carmen (world’s youngest black Republican): “Believe it or not, Winslow, I want a two-sided debate of ideas. An adult voice to thoughtfully and vigorously challenge the majority party. Not some freak-show monkey boy who throws his own poo.” > > Winslow: “You don’t watch a lot of cable news, do you?” You can imagine how long Carmen would last in a debate on the SDMB. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/17 "2005-12-08T15:31:28Z")
Incidentally, letters to the editor in my local paper (_Atlanta Journal-Constitution_) would indicate that Christians in Georgia, at least, somehow manage to feel that they’re being oppressed by some anti-Christian conspiracy. Also, they seem to be saying that department stores and large discount centers are where they celebrate their religious holidays. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/18 "2005-12-08T18:45:03Z")
> [@monavis](#): > > For centuries Christmas wasn’t celebrated,the early Christians didn’t need everyone to agree with them they just believed and lived their beliefs. The right wing (in my opinion) really aren’t sure of their faith so are afraid if everyone doesn’t recognize their beliefs they are afraid they may be wrong. > > They should thank the businesses for keeping Christmas alive because it is the commercial part of Christmas that keeps it going as so big a holiday. There are many hoildays in the month of December. Christians started celebrating (what they call) Jesus birthday to compete with the pagan celebration of the winter solstice. > > Monavis There was an OpEd piece in the New York Times last week that said this as well. It said the Puritans hated Christmas (among other reasons, that it’s not in the Bible), and that it originates in a pagan holiday. As of the Civil War, according to this piece, only 18 states recognized Christmas and it was the Visit from St. Nicholas poem that popularized the holiday. I’d think the truly pious would be horrified by the materialistic aspect of the holiday. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/19 "2005-12-08T19:41:24Z")
> [@Baldwin](#): > > “Prickly City” is actually funny in its occasional apolitical strips (just a girl and a coyote commenting on life). But when it gets political, it almost invariably uses some ridiculous straw man, or a gross misrepresentation of political enemies. Here’s my take on _Prickly City_: it’s a comic strip that’s written by someone who’s absorbed contemporary media conventions concerning ‘balance’, i.e. that you’ve got to find ‘balance’ even when there is none. (“Shape of Earth: Views Differ.”) _Prickly City_ does take frequent potshots at very real Republican idiocies. But in order to create ‘balance’, it takes potshots not at real Dem idiocies, but it will rather accept at face value the GOP/Fox/etc. caricatures of the Democratic party, and take potshots at those strawmen rather than the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Apos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@Apos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apos)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2005, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445/20 "2005-12-08T20:29:12Z")
An organization that has defended the right for people to say a lot more openly religious things than “Merry Christmas” in public deserves better than this sort of smear. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/prickly-city-weighs-in-on-happy-holidays/334445.md?page=2)