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Ho, ho, ho - no, no, no!

H

Hydrogen

Guest
You gotta love it for the sheer silliness.

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Santa ho,ho,ho gets heave-ho

RENATO CASTELLO
November 11, 2007 12:15am

THERE'LL be no ho, ho, ho this Christmas. Aspiring Santas have been told not to use the term "ho" because it could be seen as derogatory to women.

Thirty trainees at a Santa course in Adelaide last month, held by recruitment company Westaff, were urged to replace the traditional festive greeting with "ha, ha, ha".

A Santa veteran of 11 years who attended the course told the Sunday Mail the trainer was very clear in spelling out no to "ho".

Two Santa hopefuls reportedly left the course after the trainer's edict.

The term "ho" is also American slang for a prostitute. "We were told it (ho) was a derogatory term for females and can upset people," said the Santa, who did not want to be identified publicly.

"As far as I'm concerned, a hoe is something you dig the ground with.

"I don't think you'll hear too many Santas saying `ha, ha, ha'."

Critics have branded the instruction for Santas to use "Ha! ha! ha! Merry Christmas" as nonsense and madness.

University of South Australia communications senior lecturer Dr Jackie Cook said any banning of "ho, ho, ho" was "nonsense".

"Can we use a garden hoe anymore? Do we have to remove that?" she said.

"Ho, ho, ho from Santa is going to be everywhere. It's going to be in books, on Christmas cards and kids are going to come across it sooner or later.

"You could say that `ha, ha, ha' was dangerous because it was always tied to the villains in movies and horror films."

Family First MLC Dennis Hood described the "ho ho ho" ban as "plain madness".

"There is nothing wrong with `ho ho ho'," he said.

"That term has been used for many years and it hasn't seemed to have done any harm at all.

"This term would be of no offence to anyone at all, it is just the politically correct police trying to impose their views on society."

Westaff is the nation's largest supplier of Santa Clauses, providing more than 550 nationally. It has 60 on its books in South Australia. This year, it has won the lucrative contract to supply Santas at David Jones' Magic Cave in Rundle Mall.

Westaff national operations manager Glen Jansz said the company's Santas had been urged to "tone down" their use of the "ho, ho, ho" phrase – but he said it wasn't for fear of offending women.

"The reason behind that is we find that in some cases the little kids can get a little bit scared of the deep ho, ho, hos and we ask them to be mindful of keeping their voices to a lower level," he said.

"And kids are probably more inclined to understand `ha, ha, ha', than `ho, ho, ho'."

When Santa arrived at the Magic Cave after yesterday's Christmas Pageant, his only greeting to a crowd of hundreds of children was a wave and "Merry Christmas".

"I can say anything I like," he said.

The `ho, ho, ho' edict came as Santa's working conditions were also revealed. The Sunday Mail has obtained a copy of Westaff's "Santa Project" Australian Workplace Agreement.
 
i think they should get rid of the red nose reindeer part. the childrens could think that rudolph has a cocaine addiction.

how else do you explain flying deer?
 
Gotta admit it, have a weakness for such silly stuff.

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School drops red Santa in Coke protest
Wednesday, November 21, 2007

A school is forcing Santa Claus to wear a green suit this year – in case his traditional red costume reminds children of Coca-Cola adverts.

It claims Santa's image has become too commercial and want pupils to learn about his origins instead of sitting on his lap and asking for the latest toy.

The school's 200 pupils, aged from three to 16, will instead be greeted by a green-suited, slipper-wearing Father Christmas at its festive bazaar.

Sarah James, spokeswoman for the Steiner School in Brighton, said: 'The red-suited Santa was created as a marketing tool by Coca-Cola, it is a symbol of commercialism.

'We are not trying to be a spoilsport or anything like that. The children are bound to come across Santa Claus plenty of times in the run-up to Christmas and we're happy for them to. We just want the bazaar to give them a different experience.'

But some parents are happy for their children to meet the 'commercial' Santa. Mother-of-two Cheryl Williams, 24, said: 'What a load of nonsense. What are they going to ban next, snow? Once again the PC brigade has clamped down on everyone's fun.'

Early images of Father Christmas show him in a variety of coloured outfits. One early incarnation, dating from 1809, sees him in green.

But, contrary to legend, red and white became his familiar dress long before Coca-Cola used the image in an advert. A familiar version of Father Christmas was used on the cover of Harper's Weekly in 1863 but Coca Cola did not use his image until 1931.
 
So Santa will be replaced by one of his elderly obese elves? Why couldn't my childhood be this much fun...I was born too early!
 
How the word "ho" has evolved...

Everyone: Calling a woman of ill repute a "HO" is just slang for "whore".
That is the way that word has evolved. Telling Santa Claus NOT to say "HO HO HO" to me is politically correctness run amok! LI MIKE
 
This is what happens when people with no language expertise try to make language decisions. It is what gives political correctness a bad name.

I'd heard about the red santa suit being connected with Coke, but aren't they about 50 years late? Also, it's a moot point if no one associates santa with Coke. I never did. Does anyone?
 
Nah, coke was Rudolph's thing. It explains the excess energy and perpetually bloody nose.
 
Yeah, you have to be high on coke to appreciate the architecture of Paul Rudolph, all right...
 
I'm optimistic that the Brass Rail and the Zanzibar will become key sponsors- floats and all- of the Santa Clause parade!


The charter of rights lacks a Santa Clause- the courts must step in and fill the gap!
 
Many years back there was a fundraising effort put on (ha) by strippers called "Tits for Tots."
 

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