Thanks a-lot, TheCoolTV!!!!!

[MarcB]

So I was looking at my on-screen guide and see TheCoolTV is showing Holiday Videos. I thought okay this will be good. - WRONG!

I never knew that one of the Christmas songs I kind of liked was called "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon until this morning when I saw the "video" on TheCoolTV. The song playing in the background while scenes of war on the screen - bombed out buildings, injured people (some with missing limbs), people shooting guns, burning buildings. It kind of ruined the song for me.

 

[imhomerjay]

And it's their fault you didn't know about it? Um, sure. :

 

[FightingIrish]

So I was looking at my on-screen guide and see TheCoolTV is showing Holiday Videos. I thought okay this will be good. - WRONG!

I never knew that one of the Christmas songs I kind of liked was called "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon until this morning when I saw the "video" on TheCoolTV. The song playing in the background while scenes of war on the screen - bombed out buildings, injured people (some with missing limbs), people shooting guns, burning buildings. It kind of ruined the song for me.

I think that was the official video put out by the Lennon estate. I recall seeing it before.

And surely if you know the song, you know what it was written about.

 

[Silkie]

Yeah, that's one of those brand X "gotcha" deals, like a semantics game, Marc, but it isn't even Happy Christmas (War Is Over), it's Happy XMas (War Is Over). Sorry you got bummed out on Christmas morning.  Another one of those kind is Do They Know It's Christmas, by Band Aid.  No rivers or water in Africa, and no snow in Africa.  You need to think some things through, Marc, to try to avoid, when possible, some things that are simply meant to be "gotcha" type deals, no matter the apparent good intentions.  Not so sure about Yoko Ono's intentions, however.

Examples:

1.  War is never over.  What you saw is what war looks like.  You are supposed to be miserable at Christmas in some minds, and some mean to make it so.
2.  Africa has rivers and lakes - and war ravaged areas of ethnic violence against one's own people.  But there is a lot of water in Africa, when you consider that Lake Victoria is the source of the River Nile.
3.  It usually doesn't snow in the Sahara desert or sub Sahara and other equatorial regions, unless that year Mt. Kilimanjaro, in east Africa, got dissed.  There won't be snow in the Amazon this Christmas either, coincidentally.

Set your mind on what Christmas is about, the King of Kings, Lord of Lords of all that is made in all universes that are, born in a stable because of government regulations of the day that required a census to which one traveled.  They didn't even have a purple car to go in.  Be thankful for His provision, and enjoy Christmas.

 

[NHRadio]

Please explain how the TheCoolTV is at fault here. The video is 35-40 years old. What else would "War is over" use? Duckies and bunnies? ???

So I was looking at my on-screen guide and see TheCoolTV is showing Holiday Videos. I thought okay this will be good. - WRONG!

I never knew that one of the Christmas songs I kind of liked was called "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon until this morning when I saw the "video" on TheCoolTV. The song playing in the background while scenes of war on the screen - bombed out buildings, injured people (some with missing limbs), people shooting guns, burning buildings. It kind of ruined the song for me.

 

[notalkallstatic]

Next people are going to complain when the video "Christmas At Ground Zero" by Weird Al Yankovic is played. They will be saying it's inappropriate because of the 9/11 attacks, when in fact the song and video was produced way before 9/11, and the term "Ground Zero" was used decades before the media punned the 9/11 sites as a "Ground Zero." I've tried to explain that to people, but they still have a very blank look on their face.

Personally, "Christmas At Ground Zero" is my favorite Christmas song.

 

[w9wi]

I do find it interesting so many stations that would never dream of broadcasting an anti-war editorial put this song on heavy rotation this time of year. It seems that neither the programmers nor the audience really know what it's about, even though it's clearly sung throughout the piece.

One station this morning (I think it was WYNG-FM in Illinois) was playing a cover version that lacks the chorus in question.

 

[azumanga]

Another one of those kind is Do They Know It's Christmas, by Band Aid. No rivers or water in Africa, and no snow in Africa.

Examples:

2. Africa has rivers and lakes - and war ravaged areas of ethnic violence against one's own people. But there is a lot of water in Africa, when you consider that Lake Victoria is the source of the River Nile.
3. It usually doesn't snow in the Sahara desert or sub Sahara and other equatorial regions, unless that year Mt. Kilimanjaro, in east Africa, got dissed. There won't be snow in the Amazon this Christmas either, coincidentally.

This is one of those songs that are, more or less, a nit-picker's nightmare, especially as "Do They Know It's Christmas" was one of many all-star songs from the mid-1980s (including, of course, "We Are The World") that focused on the hunger problem in Africa, particularly Ethiopia -- the areas of Africa that have no snow and lack water.

 

[Silkie]

So what if they're stars? How about doing it every day? Or is it just supposed to be when Christmas comes?

 

[arnoldevns]

It's like playing "Born in the USA" on the 4th of July... There's nothing patriotic about the song. Many pop songs with Christmas themes are not happy or about the holiday and should not be played as such.

 

[visaman]

So I  was looking at my on-screen guide and see TheCoolTV is showing Holiday Videos. I thought okay this will be good. - WRONG!

I never knew that one of the Christmas songs I kind of liked was called "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" by John Lennon until this morning when I saw the "video" on TheCoolTV. The song playing in the background while scenes of war on the screen - bombed out buildings, injured people (some with missing limbs), people shooting guns, burning buildings. It kind of ruined the song for me.

It beats listening to the song over video footage of starving brown people (So, this is Christmas, andwhat have you done..). OK, I'm going to Hell for that, but still..  :

 

[ixnay]

[T]he term "Ground Zero" was used decades before the media punned the 9/11 sites as a "Ground Zero."

And 911 (the emergency phone number) was in use for +/- 20 years before a certain date started being punned in the same context.

BTW I've never heard/seen the Pentagon or Shanksville punned as a Ground Zero, just the WTC.
ixnay

 

[notalkallstatic]

[T]he term "Ground Zero" was used decades before the media punned the 9/11 sites as a "Ground Zero."

And 911 (the emergency phone number) was in use for +/- 20 years before a certain date started being punned in the same context.

BTW I've never heard/seen the Pentagon or Shanksville punned as a Ground Zero, just the WTC.
ixnay

That is a very good point, after thinking about it, I've only heard Ground Zero used for WTC. Hmm...

Also, when it comes to referring to "9/11" as "911," I always ask them: "What happened on "9/1/01"?" Just a pet peeve of mine.

 

[FreddyE1977]

just be glad they did not include those clips of John and Yoko naked in bed...

 

[DToTheJ]

We can always count on you for a silver lining, Fred!

 

[Al Timiter]

....another "message" Christmas song: "I Believe in Father Christmas" by Greg Lake. It's kind of an "anti" Christmas song that turns out to be one of the most heart-felt Christmas songs around. It's a beautiful song and one that causes some real introspection (not unlike "Happy X-Mas") but ends up hopeful. Peace.