John Stossel and PLYMCO_PILGRIM agree on Christmas

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

He sounds about exactly how I think in regards to the whole Merry Christmas/Happy holidays thing in public.

Skip up to 1:45 if you want to see exactly how I feel. He also gives the situation in which I personally say Merry Christams to a retail associate instead of Happy Holidays

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeI5CraQfU0[/ame]



For John Stossel's common sense

Full Transcript (Excerpt i'm referring to below)

STOSSEL: Except sometimes they do say, "Merry Christmas," but some customers complain that it wasn't being said enough.

O'REILLY: Enough.

STOSSEL: But that's the beauty of the free market. If you don't like their presentation — some of these companies are more sensitive about wanting to appeal to non-Christians — the market will sort it out. If you don't like it, you won't go there. If enough people don't like it, they'll lose business and probably change their policy.

O'REILLY: Now, as a libertarian, you don't really care whether people say, "Merry Christmas."

STOSSEL: I do not care.

O'REILLY: So you walk in and somebody goes, "Happy Holidays," that doesn't bother you at all?

STOSSEL: Doesn't bother me.

O'REILLY: Do you say, "Happy Holidays" back, or do you say "Merry Christmas"?

STOSSEL: Sometimes I say "Merry Christmas," just to — if I think they're being politically correct, I say, "Merry Christmas"...

O'REILLY: Just to annoy them.

STOSSEL: ...just to annoy them.

O'REILLY: OK, that's the kind of guy you are.

STOSSEL: Yes.

 

[kwc57]

Some of us can't play streaming media at work. What does he say?

 

[Oddball]

He said that it's up to the business to decide if they want employees to say "Merry Christmas" or not.

And he's right....Again.

 

[bodecea]

Some of us can't play streaming media at work. What does he say?

Guessing here: Something about using "Merry Christmas" as a challenge?

 

[Sarah G]

Why is that surprising, Stossel is a wingnut.

 

[Oddball]

You don't even know what he said, do you?

 

[Sarah G]

You don't even know what he said, do you?

No.

 

[xotoxi]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

 

[Meister]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

 

[xotoxi]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

That is true...but is it really appropriate or necessary for a Jewish sales representative to say "Merry Christmas" to a Jewish customer?

I would have a problem with the government (local, state, or federal) making laws that ban companies from saying "Merry Christmas"...but I have no problem if a company has a written or unwritten policy that the term "Happy Holidays" be used by their employees. O'Reilly should be able to understand this. A company may choose to do this for the simple fact that all of there customers may not be Christians...I see no problem with this and I am not offended by it either way.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

Some of us can't play streaming media at work. What does he say?

searching for a transcript for you....will rep you a heads up when i edit it into the OP

 

[Meister]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

That is true...but is it really appropriate or necessary for a Jewish sales representative to say "Merry Christmas" to a Jewish customer?

I would have a problem with the government (local, state, or federal) making laws that ban companies from saying "Merry Christmas"...but I have no problem if a company has a written or unwritten policy that the term "Happy Holidays" be used by their employees. O'Reilly should be able to understand this. A company may choose to do this for the simple fact that all of there customers may not be Christians...I see no problem with this and I am not offended by it either way.

Agreed.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

You don't even know what he said, do you?

No.

that was obvious sarah

edit: i forgot the H in your name, sorry

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

That is true...but is it really appropriate or necessary for a Jewish sales representative to say "Merry Christmas" to a Jewish customer?

I would have a problem with the government (local, state, or federal) making laws that ban companies from saying "Merry Christmas"...but I have no problem if a company has a written or unwritten policy that the term "Happy Holidays" be used by their employees. O'Reilly should be able to understand this. A company may choose to do this for the simple fact that all of there customers may not be Christians...I see no problem with this and I am not offended by it either way.

That was the very argument stossel was making.....oops you said o'reilly

 

[xotoxi]

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

That is true...but is it really appropriate or necessary for a Jewish sales representative to say "Merry Christmas" to a Jewish customer?

I would have a problem with the government (local, state, or federal) making laws that ban companies from saying "Merry Christmas"...but I have no problem if a company has a written or unwritten policy that the term "Happy Holidays" be used by their employees. O'Reilly should be able to understand this. A company may choose to do this for the simple fact that all of there customers may not be Christians...I see no problem with this and I am not offended by it either way.

That was the very argument stossel was making.....oops you said o'reilly

I meant to say O'Reilly...mainly because he is one of the most vocal people on this subject. He is essentially making a big deal about nothing.

 

[rightwinger]

I think the key to a greeting is you are trying to please the other person not yourself. If you know the person celibrates Christmas, Merry Christmas is in order. If you know they celibrate Chanuka or Kwanza or whatever you should acknowledge their holiday and let them reciprocate by acknowledging yours.

If you have no idea....A generic Happy Holidays doesn't hurt

 

[xotoxi]

I think the key to a greeting is you are trying to please the other person not yourself. If you know the person celibrates Christmas, Merry Christmas is in order. If you know they celibrate Chanuka or Kwanza or whatever you should acknowledge their holiday and let them reciprocate by acknowledging yours.

If you have no idea....A generic Happy Holidays doesn't hurt

How about "Have a nice day"?

But that might not work if it is evening.

How about "Don't slip and fall in the parking lot"?

It works not only as well wishing, but also as a legal disclaimer for the company.

 

[Immanuel]

This just is more proof how pointless O'Reilly is.

Who gives a flying motherfuck if a company says "Merry Christmas"???

Do you really think that someone who wants a great deal on a new TV and finds it for $100 less at Best Buy...but then upon checking out, the cashier says "Happy Holidays"...is there ANYONE who would void the transaction and walk out of the store?

If that person exists...they are a perfect person to watch O'Reilly.

It wasn't so much about the Merry Christmas, or Happy Holidays....what it was about with O'Reilly, was the P/C movement that was storming the country at the time.

That is true...but is it really appropriate or necessary for a Jewish sales representative to say "Merry Christmas" to a Jewish customer?

I would have a problem with the government (local, state, or federal) making laws that ban companies from saying "Merry Christmas"...but I have no problem if a company has a written or unwritten policy that the term "Happy Holidays" be used by their employees. O'Reilly should be able to understand this. A company may choose to do this for the simple fact that all of there customers may not be Christians...I see no problem with this and I am not offended by it either way.

I completely agree.

Although, if a company were to make a big deal about it or to fire an employee for saying "Merry Christmas", I would choose to take my business elsewhere. I'm not saying any company has done that.

One problem I have is that it seems like getting a cashier to wish me "Happy Holidays" is harder than pulling teeth without novicane! I don't know if that has anything to do with this so called "War on Christmas" or if it is simply the way things are now days, but I miss the good ole days when for a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving until after New Year's Day, whenever you entered a store everyone said either Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and would actaully smile.

I think the key to a greeting is you are trying to please the other person not yourself. If you know the person celibrates Christmas, Merry Christmas is in order. If you know they celibrate Chanuka or Kwanza or whatever you should acknowledge their holiday and let them reciprocate by acknowledging yours.

If you have no idea....A generic Happy Holidays doesn't hurt

I completely agree with this. I used to work for a Jewish Community Center and even they would wish me Merry Christmas.

Sometimes I say Happy Holidays. Sometimes I say Merry Christmas. Sometimes, if I know they are Jewish, I say Happy Chanukah trying to get the proper "gruffle" sound in the "CH". If you don't know what that sound is, I am told that you pronounce the "CH" as if you were preparing to spit a lugie! I know, I know, "Gross!"

Immie

 

[noose4]

What I dont get is these nutjobs thinking there is some kind of an attack on Christmas by retailers when retailers put up Christmas crap before Halloween even.

 

[Xenophon]

So, are you going to grow a 70s porn moustache like Stossel too?