“Ha, ha, ha….Happy Holidays!”

I have refrained from commenting on these posts for the past for few years, but this one pushes me over the edge. Firstly, “Ho” when used as a term to refer to a prostitute is not a general American slang term. It is more particularly an African-American slang term. And, even within that community it is more of a term used by persons in the lower African-American socio-economic stratum. I don’t think that too many middle-class or upper class African-Americans go around saying, “she be a ho”. Whether a term like “ho” falls into the category of slang or dialect is an interesting question; but for the purposes of this discussion not essential.

The idea that Santa Claus in Australia has to change his traditional greeting because “Ho” may be offensive to women is absurd. My first question is, “How does someone in Australia know that the same word/sound as the traditional Santa Claus greeting can refer to a prostitute? I have been to Australia quite a few times, but other than “G’day mate”, I could not tell you what their slang is. The answer, I believe is the American media such as the movies and MTV which prominently present inner-city Black slang in films and music. So, if someone needs to change behavior, how about this idea. Rather than it be Santa Claus, how about if the business powers that control the media control the language that is used such that traditional institutions can be protected. Or, if that infringes on the freedom-of-speech guarantees of the artists, how about we allow those same freedom of speech guarantees to Saint Nick and let him go on with his “Ho, Ho. Ho Merry Christmas” in peace.