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Me#1You#10
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Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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 Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 2:54 pm Post subject: Steyn: "Don we now our vague apparel" |
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In yesterday's "The Corner", Mark Steyn had some fun at the expense of the marketing department boneheads of Amazon.com who, apparently, remain tone deaf to a reality that the leftist-inspired, politically correct "War on 'Christmas'" has been decidedly engaged (see Bill O'Reilly).
Inre Amazon's "12 Days of Holiday" promotion (kinda rolls off your tongue, don't it?  ), Steyn writes...
| Quote: | 
Saturday, December 06, 2008
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Don we now our vague apparel [Mark Steyn]
I see Amazon (to whom I am generally well disposed, even though they grossly underestimated demand and have thus managed to sell out of my own Christmas single) are having a special sale called "The Twelve Days Of Holiday".
That's an even lamer PC rewrite than the one offered up by the Royal Canadian Mint a couple of holiday seasons back to promote their range of grisly commemorative coin sets - "The Twelve Days Of Giving":On the first day of giving, my true love gave to me... Etc. Even by the standards of the age, the ability of the marketing department to combine the reflex urge to eliminate all references to the offensive word "Christmas" with the savvy to exploit beloved old songs about, er, Christmas is impressive.
12/06 09:09 AM
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I'm dreaming of a sincere apology [Mark Steyn]
Further to my post below (ed: above) about Amazon's "Twelve Days Of Holiday" promotion, a reader complained to them about their decision not to use the word "Christmas" and received by way of response a canned e-mail apologizing instead for their use of the word "Christmas":Please accept our sincere apologies if you were offended by the use of the word "Christmas" on our website. Our intention in referring to Christmas is to give specific ordering guidance for a specific holiday, not to exclude other faiths. I wonder if it might be time for Amazon to crank up a computer-generated apology sincerely apologizing if you were offended by receiving the incorrect sincere apology.
12/06 09:52 PM |
Oddly enough (and just prior to reading Steyn's piece), I had made a small purchase utilizing Amazon's service. It was my last.
I e-mail'd Amazon investor relations ( ir@amazon.com ) and advised them that I had deleted my credit card information from my account and would no longer purchase through them...of course (being the season), closing with my best wishes to them for a...merry holiday. |
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GoophyDog
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Joined: 10 Jun 2004
Posts: 480
Location: Washington - The Evergreen State
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| Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 9:36 pm Post subject: |
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I have never understood this trend and how we call it PC. Its not.
The simple fact is, in this country, the majority of citizens (read that consumers) celebrate Christmas. Marketing had, until recently, focused on that majority hence the widely known Christmas holidays. At no time were those groups who do not celebrate or celebrate something different prevented from doing so. They simply lacked the numbers to take over market share (well, except the ones who do not celebrate at all, they are just out of luck).
Now we hear how sales are declining. While it primarily is due to the economy, it can also be pointed out as a confused market. Is it Christmas? Is it something else? Am I supposed to shop now or not?
Unfortunately at the end of the day (or holiday), probably the only thing that will come from this misguided trend is greater gun control. Yep, gun control. There will have been too many company execs that have shot themselves in the foot.
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Why ask? Because it needs asking. |
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 1:08 am Post subject: |
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| GoophyDog wrote: | | I have never understood this trend and how we call it PC. Its not. |
IMHO it is...and it's an aptly coined pejorative concept, predicated on a reality that politicians unwilling to publicly embrace (and, ultimately, LEGISLATE) a "correct" position, attitude or behavior (as defined by an intolerant minority) will suffer political consequence of a magnitude that will threaten their livlihood.
It is cultural extortion, and it preys primarily on our Republic's weakest foundation, the survival instincts of POLITICIANS and ELECTED OFFICIALS. |
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TEWSPilot
Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 1235
Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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| Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:11 am Post subject: |
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Well, let's look at some comparisons:
1. In February we say "Happy Valentine's Day", not "Happy Holiday".
2. In July, we refer to the 4th as "The Fourth of July" or "Independence Day", not "holiday".
3. At the end of October, we take an evening to run around saying "Trick or Treat", not "Happy Holiday."
4. In November, we say "Happy Thanksgiving", not "happy holiday"....
....so why do we choose Christmas as the one and only holiday in the entire calendar year to say, "Happy Holiday" or "Happy Holidays" instead of recognizing the actual holiday for which the day was set aside...and even declared a Federal holiday? Answer: Isn't it obvious?
Another question for which I would like an answer is what's with the "Common Era (CE)" time designation to replace Ano Domini (AD)? When did the "Common Era" begin, and what historical event 2000 years ago caused it to be initiated? Answer: (see above answer) |
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Me#1You#10
Site Admin
Joined: 06 May 2004
Posts: 6503
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| Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2008 5:43 am Post subject: |
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Well, it MUST have been my e-mail what done it...the "12 Days of Holiday" has been magically transformed...(same link as above mind you) 
In a post late this evening, Steyn gives Amazon some parting holiday punch...
| Quote: |
Monday, December 08, 2008
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Seven customer care representatives a-leaping [Mark Steyn]
Following my post yesterday on Amazon.com's bizarre "Twelve Days Of Holiday" campaign, an unseasonably intemperate reader wrote:Don't like Amazon? Don't shop at it then, you clot. Nobody really gives a damn if some online retailer is insufficiently Christian for your tastes. Nobody. Oh, I don't know. The "Twelve Days Of Holiday" promotion has now been amended to "The Twelve Days Of [click here for offensive C-word]". So, if I'm a clot, I'm Rudolph the Red-Nosed Clot in whose wake you run-of-the-sleigh clots follow.
To be honest, I mildly regret this instant corporate capitulation as sometime Cornerite Michael Graham has started up a poll to find out your favorite "Twelve Days Of Holiday" song. As I write, the runaway winner is "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Thursday".
12/08 11:25 PM |
...and don't miss the hilarious poll at that Michael Graham link |
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TEWSPilot
Admiral
Joined: 26 Aug 2004
Posts: 1235
Location: Kansas (Transplanted Texan)
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| Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| The only thing I have seen sillier than this is the calling in "gay" to protest the passage of Prop 8 in California. What would YOUR boss do if you called in "straight" to say your weren't coming to work today as a protest against the protest? As Rodney King put it, "Can't we all just get along?" ...you go first. |
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