Religiously offensive holiday card at Hallmark

I'm not surprised. I don't know who is composing the cards for
Hallmark anymore but I'm extremely disappointed. I'm not able to find
any heartwarming, since cards anymore. I couldn't find a nice one for
my granddaughter who just rec'd. her First Holy Communion and again, I
shopped for a nice b'day card for my 5 yr. old grandson. Again,
nothing with warm, loving sentiments. I can't even imagine who is in
charge of all this anymore. Sorely disappointed. I began searching
for American Greeting Cards but am having trouble find them. Are they
a part of Hallmark?

Very disappointed.

WHAT THE FUCKKKKKk has Christmass got to doo with religion you bunch
ov over sensitive prickks christmass is for kids to take the piss outa
there poor classmates who dont get good presents and peados dressed up
as a santa to touch the little spoilt shits so stop gettin worked up
about a card to be honest all religions are fucked upp why would god
put a man on the earth just to die why would Allah want to blow up
trains ?
none of it is reel your all stupid look at the big picture and join
together as a beautiful community and be as 1, joining hands to rid
the world of Scientology.

merry shitmas Xx

UM, how is this "offensive"...I'm Christian, and find nothing
offensive by it.

A "Goy" or "Goyim" is simply a Gentile, a person of Non-Jewish (or
Israelite) heritage.

You are WAY TOO SENSITIVE to be reading Cards if this has you bunched
up. !

If this card had a derogatory reference to Jewish people, it would be
ripped off the shelved immediately.

I'm not really all that offended by this one card. I am, however
offended by a society that allows groups to make fun of Christians,
but will be indignant if any other religious goup is made fun of.

That being said, I sincerely hope everyone enjoys their holiday
season, and has a happy healthy 2010.

When I find things offensive such as TV shows, I turn the channel.
When I hear things on the radio that I find offensive, I turn to
another channel. If I fiind a movie offensive, I don't go see it. Same
rule applies here. If you found it offensive, you should put the card
back where you found it and move on to another one. That would solve
the problem no? Not everyone has your sensibilities or sense of humor.
We are all different with different likes and dislikes.
BTW, I PERSONALLY think that card is quite funny. Perhaps I will go to
CVS today and try to find the card.
This world would be a better place if people would stop finding fault
and nit-picking over silly inconsequential things. This is the holiday
season. The message is love and peace - not finding fault with a silly
Hallmark card! Oh and btw, Happy Holidays to all!!

Goyim is totally offensive. And for all you Christians saying "Oh I'm
not offended." there's good reason why. That word would never be used
in front of you so you'll hardly ever hear it used against you. Jews
use it among themselves to refer to you, and 99% of the time it's not
in a good way. Gail-Ann was correct to be offended.

I understand that goyim can be used as a derogatory term as well as
simply non-Jewish. However, if it wasn't intended to be offensive, it
could easily have been omitted. It's redundant to say non-Jewish
Christmas music.

It's a shame. Would have been a cute card without it.

This reminds me of the letter sent by Angela regarding offensive
easter cards. I think a cards making fun of Jesus and ones that have
"Asshole" in large lettering at the top are offensive. Poking fun at
Christmas music and not using profanity is an acceptable way to make a
joke. While it may offend some, I do not think it crosses the line.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/ybzpoqp

I don't find that offensive and find it appropriate for the market it
was targeted for.

I also do not feel you are owed an apology by anyone because no one
was rude and nothing incorrect happened.

If you don't like the card, don't purchase it and the problem nicely
solves itself.

I'm Christian and I didn't find that offensive. Actually I thought it
was kinda funny. And I agree with it too, I LOVE Christmas music but
not when it is forced on me at every store all day every day starting
before even Thanksgiving. Then it gets REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY
old.

there are companies whose business it is to make fun of
people/political parties/religions/races...etc.

should they be shut down for offending someone?

there is a t-shirt company that sells shirts online (cafepress) that
would probably give you a heart attack if you read some of their
slogans. should they take their shirts/stickers/bags off the market
because they offend you?

absolutely not. what you should have done is put the card back on the
shelf, looked at another one, and moved on.

hallmark doesn't have a moral duty to christians. it's evident from
the comments here that a lot of people enjoyed the card and would've
bought it. just because you found it offensive and wouldn't buy it
doesn't mean they did anything wrong.

i don't like onion rings. i don't request that they be taken off the
menu. i simply buy french fries instead. i would suggest you take a
similar approach.

I have an idea..how about don't buy the card? If you don't like it
vote with your dollars and get something else instead.

Any card making such a remark about non-Christmas holidays probably
would be met with outrage by those of whatever theology at which it
poked fun. There is a rather big difference, though, regarding this
situation.

Christmas is far and away the dominant holiday of this season. We do
not hear Channukah songs blaring from every speaker in the stores or
on the radio like we do those of Christmas. The joke of the card,
therefore makes sense for those who so not share in the celebration of
Christmas, yet have no choice but to experience it wherever they go.
It is a statement of accepting the situation with some humor.

...that the word "goyim" is the ONLY Yiddish word for "gentile"? A
Yiddish speaker, using it, likely means no disrespect.

Did you know that "goy" (the singular) comes from a word meaning
"nation" and once applied to (the predecessors of the) Jews and
non-Jews alike?

Did you know that it shifted in meaning to apply to any non-Jew. As
in "there are Jews, and there's the rest of the world [nation,
actually]."

The question is: what's the intention of the author? The word "Jew"
is actually offensive, when used in certain contexts. Consider how
"Juden" was used in Germany in the 1940's.

Sorry, but I don't find this offensive at all. In fact I'm going to
look for it when I go run some errands tonight. I have a few Jewish
friends that would get a tickle out of this. I think you're looking
for offense where there is none. If it hasn't made the national news
as an offensive card, then I don't think you have much to complain
about.

If you don't like it, don't buy it and get on with your day, week,
whatever.

I was raised Christian, then converted to Judaism, and now I'm
neither.

This card wasn't making fun of CHristmas or Christians. It was making
fun of the EVERPRESENT OVERBEARING Christmas music that is getting
played everywhere, sometimes as early as the first week of November.

Christians aren't subjected to the Dreidel song over and over and over
again. If you were, you'd have a card expressing your angst over it.

Besides, Christianity is the dominant religion in this country. I
think it's good and healthy to make fun of things that are dominant
and omnipresent.

I think that card is very funny and not offensive at all. As a matter
of fact, I just contacted Hallmark myself and let them know that

God has a sense of humor.

My question is: What would Jesus do if he saw this card? Overturn the
register at the store or chuckle, roll his eyes, and mutter something
silly to himself?

If the card offends you, don't buy it.

I'm not Jewish, but I found the description of the card rather
humorous. I live in a part of the city with a heavy Jewish population,
and I've often wondered how Jewish people do put up with all that
Christmas music (not to mention a plethora of blow-up Santas on lawns)
during this time of the year.

I understand this is a disparaging term for Christians, and yes, I do
get why you're upset. However, I think it's important to remember that
this card is not intended for you. It is, I presume, intended, for one
Jewish person to give to another person. Is it offensive? I guess it
depends on your perspective. To you, it probably is. To a Jewish
person? Perhaps not so much.

Frankly there are many cards I find mildly or even outright offensive;
however, I've learned that as a consumer I have the option of not
bying that which I find inappropriate.

I'm not saying you have no right to give feedback; it's fine that you
are. I do, however, disagree with your interpretation of this.

I have to admit I smiled when I read what the card said. I celebrate
christmas and have friends who are Jewish and I'd totally buy that
card for them (in fact I may do that this afternoon).

What I thought about was if there was a christmas version of this
card:
"Decorated tree? check Eggnog? check Nativity scene? check The
fortitude to put up with all the Christmas music in the stores? Oy"

It was still funny to me. I think that they were making fun more of
the abundance of Christmas music and not Christmas itself.

In this day and age, we give up the rights of the seemingly silent
majority, to appeal to loud voices of the minority.




Good Day

I can see it now: a disclaimer on a greeting card.

"The views and opinions expressed on this greeting card do not
necessarily represent the views and opinions of Hallmark Inc. Hallmark
respects the diversity of our culture, but must also respect the free
speech protections of the author of this card."

I'm Jewish and, I admit that I'd chuckle if my Jewish relatives or
friends sent me this. However, I happen to agree with you that it is
offensive.

It's not nice to use someone else as a source of humor. But, alas,
many Hallmark cards do this. I've found a number of cards that offend
me for one reason or another.

In fact, a couple of years ago, I wrote to Hallmark because I was
offended by what I found in a particular store. Specifically, there
was music being played that not only praised Christ, but specifically
said that Christ was the ONLY way. As a non-Christian, the idea that
I'm a horrible terrible person for not accepting Jesus upset me. And
to hear it in a Hallmark store!

Hallmark's reply is that they license their name, but that they do not
control the store.

Anyway, I mention this because it sheds a little light on why an
offensive card, such as you describe, exists. Within the Jewish
community (perhaps others, but I cannot speak to them as they are not
my community), there is a sensitivity to everything from "missions"
that have no purpose other than to convert people to the idea that
American=Christian.

Why does the mall play "O' Holy Night"? As a non-Christian, should I
be offended that they've chosen to play a song that says that Christ
is the Savior (when that's not my faith)?

So, as an alternative to protesting that malls need to ban "Christmas"
(as some stores have done), we make jokes about it.

Which, by the way, has a long history in Judaism. When there's a
fairly successful attempt to exterminate your culture every so-often
for a few thousand years, you tend to have to develop a cultural
"sense of humor" as a way of dealing with it. Rolling our eyes at
Christmas music (being played in the public space) is one way to
dealing with the fact that we live in a Christian culture.

But, yes, using what's become a disparaging term for
non-Jews/Christians isn't nice.

One last note: a number of Christmas songs were written by Jews.

First off not all Christmas music is Christian, so how do you know its
not talking about jingle bells or grandma got run over by a
reigndeer?

Secondly, really? people cant even make a joke anymore? This world is
way too PC, freedom of speech is long out the window in favor of
freedom as long as no ones feelings get hurt.

Thirdly another poster was right, if it was a Christian card making
fun of say a Jewish song there would be an outrage, but again it
doesnt specify Christain Christmas songs, it says Christmas songs.
Which yes, after listening to them from before Thanksgiving til Dec.
26th they do get annoying, I dont care what religion you are.

That is one thing that is wrong w/ todays world. It seems to me that
people are offended so very easily in the "p.c." world. Just relax
and find the humor in life... not the "offended, mad, angry" side of
life! Politically (sp... early in the a.m.) correctness has gotten
way out of hand and is starting to "offend me". Have a great day
everyone and try to laugh at something today!

On one hand, the card made me laugh.


on the other hand.... i will point out this...
If it was reversed, if it was a Christmas card making fun of a
tradition from Hanukah, Eid, or Kwanzaa... I think there'd be a media
uproar.



do i still think the card is funny? yes.
sorry but it still made me giggle.

and it made me think of those poor employees stuck in the hardware
stores where the christmas decorations keep playing holiday songs
starting right after halloween. cos i bet they get sick of the songs
by the end of the season ...

I dont even know what any of those phrases you stated meant, so I dont
guess I would be offended!



Good Day

Just out of curiousity, you state you are Christian so why are sending
your daughter a Channukah card?

I'm a Christian myself. I find nothing offensive about this card. I
can take a joke, and yes Christmas music can get annoying after a
while *strike that* after a couple minutes. I think its kind of cute!
There is nothing there mocking Jesus, or God. Nothing casting a
negative light on Christianity, or Christmas. Last i checked, this
time of year is supposed to be about peace and harmony.

Christmas does tend to "dominate" the season, therefore has no need to
get a chuckle at the expense of the other holidays.

Im inclined to let it be.