Jon Stewart has issued an apology to Fox News’ Megyn Kelly for taking her remarks that Santa and Jesus are white seriously.
Watch it here
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Original Post:
Well that is not exactly what Fox News’ Megyn Kelly — ”inspired” by an excellent piece on Slate by Aisha Harris — said during her prime-time show last Wednesday when she was dreaming of a White Christmas.
She actually said, “For all you kids watching at home, Santa just is white.” Later she added:
Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change. Jesus was a white man, too. He was a historical figure. That’s a verifiable fact — as is Santa. I just want the kids watching to know that. My point is, how do you just revise it in the middle of the legacy of the story and change Santa from white to black?
You can see and hear for yourself here.
I have my own thoughts on all this, but that is neither here nor there.
One source writes:
While it is true that both Jesus and Santa Claus have been depicted by European painters as white for centuries, many scholars say the historical figures probably weren’t the kind of white that would have passed muster with a segregated 1950s golf club.
Jesus was a Jew born in Bethlehem, a Semitic town in what is now the West Bank.
And the New Testament does not describe his appearance.
The historical St. Nicholas is believed to have been a Greek bishop living in what’s now Turkey, two countries where fair-skinned blondes like Kelly aren’t as common as they are in, say, Sweden.
The jolly, red-cheeked figure we’ve come to know as Santa Claus appears to be a melding of the Father Christmas figure from England and the Dutch Sinterklaas.
Does this signal the beginning of a new, alleged “War on Santa” or, worse, a “War on Jesus”?
Does it really matter what the color of the skin of Jesus or Santa is or was?
Do little kids really care?
Only time, common sense and true goodwill will tell.
Image: www,shutterstock.com
The author is a retired U.S. Air Force officer and a writer.