Santa and Jesus Both White, According to FOX News

[jpchewy01]

A few days ago, Slate contributor Aisha Harris published this article regarding the need to change the race of Santa to reflect the changing racial climate of America.

FOX News' Megyn Kelly debated the article on her show a few nights ago, resulting in a controversy because of her declaration that both Santa and Jesus were white.

[YOUTUBE]7XYlJqf4dLI[/YOUTUBE]

So what do you guys think? Should Santa's race be changed? Was Jesus white? When will FOX News learn?

 

[Saul]

FOX is ridiculous, but so are these guys trying to change the race of everything. Who gives a shit about the Washington Redskins? Next thing, the Cowboys will be named the Herding Folks, the Saints will become the Morally Good People, and god forbid someone complain about the Patriots should we ever expand the League to London.

 

[Malon]

So what do you guys think? Should Santa's race be changed? Was Jesus white? When will FOX News learn?

Jesus was Jewish. Middle-Eastern. Self-explanatory.

Santa's race is irrelevant to anything of actual importance considering there are already depictions of the man in just about every nationality you could imagine. Pick one, get off my damn television about it. I can't believe that's even being argued.

Last point, MSNBC, NBC, CNN, and any other mainstream news outlet out, including Fox, there are all full of shit. I don't bother watching any of them. Inform yourself. Read stories from all perspectives, if you can find them, and form your own opinion on the issue. Blaming any one news station for idiocy, and not the others for similar offenses, or worse, is like pointing at the president and saying everything is his fault while ignoring the fact that Congress has been driving us over a cliff long before Barrack or George took the Oath of Office.

*sigh*

Rant over >.> I really shouldn't look at politically-related topics (this one being related to political correctness on the matter).. I get... fiery.

None of that was directed at you, personally, by the way. Just at the sheer... what's the word... stupidity of the fact that there are people on national television actually arguing about this crap. >_< /rant

FOX is ridiculous, but so are these guys trying to change the race of everything. Who gives a shit about the Washington Redskins? Next thing, the Cowboys will be named the Herding Folks, the Saints will become the Morally Good People, and god forbid someone complain about the Patriots should we ever expand the League to London.

This.

 

[Apocrypha]

Satire is the way to go, folks:

[video=youtube;OdkGA_rgHRY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdkGA_rgHRY[/video]

My personal favorite quote:

And who are you actually talking to? Children - who are sophisticated enough to be watching a news channel at ten o'clock at night - yet innocent enough to still believe that Santa Clause is real - yet racist enough to be freaked out if he isn't white.

EDIT: To actually weigh in on the discussion - I don't think anybody from the non-Megyn Kelly camp is insisting that Santa Clause MUST BE BLACK SUDDENLY. That's an idiotic and narrow-minded viewpoint to pick up about somebody else's opinion. Personally, I completely understand the outrage; insisting, on public television, that a fictional character absolutely has to be white, no discussion. First of all, who gives a shit if Santa is white? Second, what's with this weird white cultural thing that we're uncomfortable with the idea of any figures we perceive as Caucasian suddenly being portrayed as black? What does it change?

Oh, and I think "Redskins" is a pretty racist name to begin with, for the record. I mean, holy shit, seriously man. No, none of those other teams' names will be changed because they aren't clearly based on a racial slur.

 

[jpchewy01]

My personal favourite quote from the Jon Stewart sketch was "Oppression: Just because it's uncomfortable doesn't mean it has to change."

As for worrying about Santa suddenly becoming black, the original blogger suggested that Santa be depicted as a penguin so that's not even an issue.

 

[Icaro]

why does it matter?

santa is depicted as white, that's that. who cares?

 

[Kiro]

Jebus was Jewish. Middle-Eastern. Self-explanatory.

Santa's race is irrelevant to anything of actual importance considering there are already depictions of the man in just about every nationality you could imagine. Pick one, get off my damn television about it. I can't believe that's even being argued.

Well, the image currently used for Santa is based on the Scandinavian folklore image of our nisser, but the man on whom Santa Claus was based on, St. Niklas, was Turk, so honestly, if we wanted to be political correct (screw that, it's ruined British comedy), Santa should be a slightly swarty man with a grey beard...

And Jebus should be depicted as a short, Middle-Eastern Jew with a monobrow according to scientists whom wastes money on this sorta thing rather than trying to cure AIDS or Malaria.

 

[jpchewy01]

why does it matter?

santa is depicted as white, that's that. who cares?

Christmas is a holiday celebrated by many people all around the world and these people are not all white. Some people, like the original blogger feel left out when Santa is depicted as a white guy for no other reason than accommodation of the St. Nicholas myth for a northern European, and later American, audience. The myth, as all myths are, is malleable and has every right to be updated to reflect multicultural participation in the holiday.

Well, the image currently used for Santa is based on the Scandinavian folklore image of our nisser, but the man on whom Santa Claus was based on, St. Niklas, was Turk, so honestly, if we wanted to be political correct (screw that, it's ruined British comedy), Santa should be a slightly swarty man with a grey beard...

And Jebus should be depicted as a short, Middle-Eastern Jew with a monobrow according to scientists whom wastes money on this sorta thing rather than trying to cure AIDS or Malaria.

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say with this post but it sounds as if you're against the depictions that you are describing. They are, as you say, the more historically accurate depictions of these figures so I don't see the issue. Your point about curing AIDS or Malaria (hint: Malaria isn't really an issue and is easily preventable and treatable) doesn't really make any sense. Anthropologists and the like, the scientists responsible for determining the race of Jesus, don't really have a stake in curing diseases.

 

[Intratec]

I attribute stuff like that to people with having too much time on their hands and wanting to stir the pot for their own self-gratification and need for attention. And in the end it starts to boil and such things like FOX get involved.

 

[Kiro]

I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say with this post but it sounds as if you're against the depictions that you are describing. They are, as you say, the more historically accurate depictions of these figures so I don't see the issue. Your point about curing AIDS or Malaria (hint: Malaria isn't really an issue and is easily preventable and treatable) doesn't really make any sense. Anthropologists and the like, the scientists responsible for determining the race of Jesus, don't really have a stake in curing diseases.

I don't really care either way as to the depiction of Santa. Jebus I'd like to see done historically accurate just to stick it to Christian bigots, but that's mostly me. Other than that, I don't really care. And yes, I know anthropologists have nothing to do with curing AIDS and malaria (and I know Malaria is preventable and treatable, but it is a big issue across all of Africa where thousands die of it every year), but their archaeological digs and research and such still requires funding/money that I feel could be better spent on trying to deal with genuine real world problems, rather than investigating the circumstances of a random middle-eastern Jew that lived around 2017 years ago.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

This(the news story) is just sad for everyone involved(the newscasters who were told to report this story by management).

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

 

[jpchewy01]

I don't really care either way as to the depiction of Santa. Jebus I'd like to see done historically accurate just to stick it to Christian bigots, but that's mostly me. Other than that, I don't really care. And yes, I know anthropologists have nothing to do with curing AIDS and malaria (and I know Malaria is preventable and treatable, but it is a big issue across all of Africa where thousands die of it every year), but their archaeological digs and research and such still requires funding/money that I feel could be better spent on trying to deal with genuine real world problems, rather than investigating the circumstances of a random middle-eastern Jew that lived around 2017 years ago.

Anthropology actually does have plenty of "real world" significance. Not only does it connect us with our own past but it also gives us reference for studies of modern humans, especially those in primitive societies.

 

[Intratec]

This(the news story) is just sad for everyone involved(the newscasters who were told to report this story by management).

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Why isn't he really Santa? I wish he was.

 

[Kiro]

Anthropology actually does have plenty of "real world" significance. Not only does it connect us with our own past but it also gives us reference for studies of modern humans, especially those in primitive societies.

I know that. I have nothing but respect for genuine anthropology. I just don't see why they should waste money on Jebus based research, that's all.

 

[jpchewy01]

I know that. I have nothing but respect for genuine anthropology. I just don't see why they should waste money on Jebus based research, that's all.

Jesus was an intensely influential person in ancient Palestine. To study him is to study ancient Palestine. Reza Aslan's book, Zealot, is a great introduction.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

I don't think we should ignore a prominent figure in history just because he was the basis of a religion. If anything we should focus on it to find out the truth, if any exists, behind the events reported in one of the oldest and most known texts of ancient history and real world events.

Was there really a roman trial of a man claiming to be the messiah? Did Egypt really go through a massive period of strife in succession? Was there really a massive flood that occurred in the world that caused mass devastation in ancient times? I myself would like to piece together what happened and figure out more about the human history and how these events, if they even occurred, all got recorded into the bible in the first place.

But that is neither here nor there.

 

[Dóiteán]

Jesus was an intensely influential person in ancient Palestine. To study him is to study ancient Palestine. Reza Aslan's book, Zealot, is a great introduction.

If you go that route, them paganism would need to be studied since some ancient civilizations were based around it.

Now my comments to the ridiculous Santa/Jesus race change: as a (religion not to be stated) I find that article ridiculous. Everyone knows Jesus was Klingon and Santa was a Hutt.

 

[Dargeth The Hunter.]

Mmm, this kinda stuff in new's makes me laugh, i am glad i actually follow the ancient sumarian belief's and such, i got given a book that when i read, actually made me do a double take, it even includes various proof's about former civilization's on earth....even making suggestion's that dinosaur's were around closer to thouand's of year's ago rather then million's and former space and machine based flight, alot which are referenced to in sumarian text's not including the origion's of the Adam and eve tale.

 

[Cainhurst Crow]

If you go that route, them paganism would need to be studied since some ancient civilizations were based around it.

Now my comments to the ridiculous Santa/Jesus race change: as a (religion not to be stated) I find that article ridiculous. Everyone knows Jesus was Klingon and Santa was a Hutt.

We should. It could led to clues about all sorts of things. Environmental conditions, geography, natural disasters, etc, and give a snap glimpse into what was going on at the time. Things that could provide more clues or information, even as simply a starting point, shouldn't be ignored due to having ties to superstitious beliefs of people long since gone.

In my own opinion that may or may not be biased. I say we need a skeptical eye to look at the events and comb into the details, not a cynical one to wave it away as being nothing worth looking into.

 

[Cortan]

Back onto discussing the article itself...

Yeah I'm not seeing why its too big to alter the race as according to a person's preference. Heck for Europe, Father Christmas was originally just the folklore personification of Christmas without any concern for who this 'Saint Nick' fellow, just as he was separate from the deliberate gift giver that was Santa. But time has sort of amalgamated them, and whilst its resulted in a 'default' image, there's probably not too much harm to change his ethnicity as according to a person's presence.

Especially as since, well, news flash, they've done this for centuries with Jesus. The most notable obviously being where in the renaissance you suddenly had white, long flowing hair Jesus getting depicted by artists, but 'local' variants have existed for a long time as well, especially due to the sheer spread of Christianity, and the efforts of religious clergy, scholars, and sometimes just plain artists attempting to put the man they consider a saviour into a fairly minor and more relevant context:

And of course the figure himself, Bible or otherwise, being Jewish. From the Bible, born in Bethlehem, raised in Nazareth, according to his genealogy a descendant of King freakin' David, circumcised on the eighth day after his birth, hung out in the temple in Jerusalem from time to time. There is literally no basis for him looking white except based on a standard image people have grown up with.