Downtown YMCA Rejects Santa In Favor Of Snowman

The War on Christmas isn't just being waged outside the Lincoln Tunnel; it's taking place at the YMCA (oops, we mean, The Y) now as well. According to the Post, the 14th Street McBurney YMCA has kicked Santa Claus to the curb for their popular annual holiday luncheon, and instead turned to the religiously ambiguous duo of a a talking snowman and his sidekick, an anonymous penguin, to entertain kids.

But just as used cars are now pre-owned cars, executive director of the McBurney YMCA defended the decision to not use Santa Claus anymore with the finest doublespeak in the land: "It wasn't replacing; it was transitioning. We realized that change is sometimes good, and that Frosty is a great winter character who would appeal to a broader number of kids," said John Rappaport.

The decision enraged Bill Donohue of the Catholic League: "Christmas is not about Jack Frost; it's not about snowmen. We're not talking about some secular organization that has no religious roots. If they can't celebrate Christmas, then they should check out. What a bunch of cowards." And in a true Christmas miracle, the obviously pro-Santa Post even found a Jewish man to come to Santa's defense: "Santa belongs to all the people. He represents openness and an invitation for anyone and everyone to celebrate good will toward man," said Ed Bobrow, who has played Santa at Central Park's Belvedere Castle for years.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on December 12, 2010 6:05 PM

Comments [rss]

robingee

Get Billo in on this! He'll be so excited he'll bring his falafel!

Sandy Coleen Watson-Maddox

Seriously??

StedyRuckus

"The decision enraged Bill Donohue of the Catholic League: "Christmas is not about Jack Frost; it's not about snowmen..."

Donohue is totally right. Christmas is really about the pagan holiday of Yule, it is about the birth of of the Sun God on the winter solstice, and it is about the orgy of the Saturnalia. Where does the Y get off?

PaulaNYC

Do you think, say, 1,000 years from now, anthropologists an archeologists will be able to discern when it was, exactly, that "politically correct" morpehed into "just plain goofy"?

I think we should take this story an put it in a sealed titanium case so that some 31st Century Richard Leaky will find it and be able to place the approximate time.

handsomedevil

Because there's NOTHING goofy about telling your children a saint who lives at the north pole with a bunch of elves exists only to manufacture toys for them visiting every home in one evening in a flying sled etc.

Yep, future archeologists will be sitting around saying "but WHY did the YMCA abandon the santa legend? It was central to their entire economy!"

I would suggest it is more likely that they'll pinpoint the 70s onward as the period when Christmas became an oppressive load of commercialized horseshit.

PaulaNYC

Yes, much better that the kiddies be slapped in the face early on with the harsh realities of life so that they are just less intelligent, small-statured adults. Maybe we can put them to work in a coal mine somewhere?

robingee

Yes, it's the EXACT SAME THING! (because you are crazypants)

handsomedevil

Actually, maybe the talking penguin just tells kids about the need to stay competitive with China. You don't know.

handsomedevil

No, of course, what would life be without the yearly orgy of consumerism. And they get to learn that they are different from their little Jewish friends, too. It's really very educational.

Shame on the Y for abandoning this noble tradition in favor of the "harsh realities" of talking snowmen.