It's almost Thanksgiving, and you know what that means: the deluge of Christmas carols is about to commence. This is the time of year when I dread turning the radio on, because I know I'll hear the same sets of songs over and over again, and the kind of uniform anti-eclecticism characteristic of Top 40 AM radio gets amplified and expanded and starts to spread everywhere. I'm always pleased to see something new, especially since it doesn't happen very often…Lennon's Happy Christmas (War is Over), Minchin's White Wine in the Sun?
Some people get cranky about anything that isn't sufficiently antiquated or sufficiently reverent, though. Now some people are freaking out over the inclusion of a song they don't like.
A Christmas CD aiming to raise funds for a Christian charity has been slammed for featuring an anti-Christian song.
Faith and family groups have labelled the song, which includes the lyrics "I get freaked out by churches," and "I'm not expecting a visit from Jesus", as "disrespectful" and a "sick joke".
But the executive producer of Myer's annual star-studded Spirit of Christmas CD has defended his decision to include the song, White Wine in the Sun.
The song, written by atheist entertainer Tim Minchin, features alongside traditional Christmas carols such as Joy to the World and Little Drummer Boy.
I don't know. I'm offended by both of those traditional Christmas carols — should I scream at WalMart and demand they be pulled from the store? Or, maybe, I should just look at the CDs and buy the ones with music I like, and understand that other people might want to buy Elmo & Patsy's Grandma Got RunOver by a Reindeer on the Country Christmas CD.
Minchin's song is quite nice. Here it is, if you hadn't heard it before:
There is one thing in this story I find objectionable.
Profits from CD sales go to The Salvation Army.
Uh, what? Tim Minchin's work is now being used to prop up a notoriously anti-gay organization? That sounds wrong.
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