Santas warned 'ho ho ho' offensive to women

[Richard]

SYDNEY (AFP) -  Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.

Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.

One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.

"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.

"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.

"Leave Santa alone."

A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071115/od_...ijN0UDW7oF

[Octahedron]

Hmm.

I would say: "Hi, Hi, Hi"  as being defensive to women.

 

[Astrojewels]

That is just crazy, who would take offence to that? I do not go for the whole Santa charade but for those that do I am sure ho ho ho is not offensive. Next Santa might have to trim down due to his risk of diabetes, heart disease and obesity; the kids might question why it is ok for him.

[Polly]

Karen, I heard about this again on local news last night and one of the news announcers said whoever is behind this should get a life and find something better to do with their time.  Lol!  I agree.

[Astrojewels]

Polly, this is the first I have heard of it and it is on your news, how bizarre is that? Life is becoming so fragile toward offensive do’ and don’ts, and really it is the person who takes offence that has the problem. I think it is just a way to stop people connecting at work or wherever communication in groups is needed, say nothing and you will be ok? It is just a way to make people more isolated and robotic, less emotional.

[Polly]

Karen, I really think these kinds of ludicrous rules are made to make all of us think we are going nuts in a nutso world.  Lol!  Well, the newscaster made sure to say, "Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas!" after commenting on this news bit last night so he wasn't buying into it.

[Astrojewels]

Or it might be to put a little attention toward Christmas, as negative often creates more talk than positive. Who knows, it is just stupid but the world is becoming extremely politically correct, just ludicrous.The weird thing is that this article came from oz and the term ‘ho’ is very rarely used, it is a street word from the US.

[AndrewX]

The world's becoming friggen stupid... what next? 

Here, to all those goody two shoes out there, read my lips...

"Yo HO HO, can I have a go without the dough?"  "NO!!"  "Oh..."  :big grin:LOLOL 

I wish the world would get real and start worrying about the raping they're copping from those ruling them rather than a word that sounds like something else but isn't. 

What next??  Sheesh!!:discust:

[Sily]

Whenever  I think of Santa holding his big, round tummy and laughing "Ho, ho, ho", I never connected that action with women......... up until this point and reading this article.  It never even occurred to me.  Thanks a lot Yahoo News!

I don't call women hos -- I leave that to Imus -- and I don't call them the other heavy-duty words that are out there.  Surprisingly "ho" and the other words, we've all heard, don't trigger me.  My trigger word is "chick".  I can't stand to be called it or hear it.  Strange I know... but very much a part of my programming.  

[AndrewX]

Whenever  I think of Santa holding his big, round tummy and laughing "Ho, ho, ho", I never connected that action with women.........

I'm convinced that only a sick mind would do so Sily... which means that are now taking advice from sick minded people...  what a way to go I suppose.:discust: