My how times change!I’ve been listening to old Xmas radio shows.
A favorite of mine: Fibber McGee & Molly.
In one of them (not Fibber), Santa Claus comes to visit. A little boy’s mother tells Santa that the boy has been naughty. She then asks Santa to give him a good beating.
I don’t think that would be accepted in a program produced today.
I've seen all kinds of things that you wouldn't think would be accepted in this day and age, but they do them anyway.... :P
ReplyDeleteThat, however, doesn't seem unprecedented to me--I've heard of incarnations of Santa Claus (or Saint Nicholas, rather, I think) being accompanied by "Black Pete" who carried a whip to punish naughty children....
Oh, I'm well aware of Black Pete and the origins of Santa Claus. So, yes, not unprecedented. It's not so much that it shocked me - just that it seemed entirely out of place in a stream of Xmas comedy. And that since then we've made a squeaky clean Santa.
ReplyDeleteThe whole idea of a gigantic stranger invading your house isn't enough- now he's got a can of whupass, too.
ReplyDelete[wings]