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Philadelphia's War On Santa Continues

The suburban cops beat has turned up a local skirmish in the War against Christmas - or let's just call it Philadelphia's War On Santa.

Headline in the Colonial newspaper of Fort Washington:

Philadelphia man swears at Santa at Plymouth Meeting Mall.

The paper reports: Parents standing in line with their children to see Santa Claus reportedly covered their children's ears to avoid hearing a man allegedly yell obscenities at St. Nick and others Saturday at Plymouth Meeting Mall.

According to police report, a Philadelphia man felt slighted after being told to go to the end of a long line of people waiting to visit the Santa exhibit after he'd waited in the wrong place.
The agitated man was at the mall exhibit with his wife and a child. The man reportedly was upset and cursed at the man dressed as Santa Claus and at an employee selling tickets for the exhibit.

Reportedly he was asked to stop swearing in front of the children. Mall security rushed to the scene. Santa tried to set the tone.

Santa reportedly told the man, "You know, you are not being fair to these children," and the suspect began cursing loudly at him. The man was reportedly pointing his finger in close proximity to Santa's face and "repeatedly screamed" a common profane insult at him.

First Eagles fans. Now all of Philadelphia.

This echoes another unfortunate event that caused parents to have to cover their childrens' ears - although that was a case of adults in the suburbs corrupting city kids.

At Philadelphia Will Do I read that on Dec 1, about 20 fifth-graders from the MaSt Community Charter School in Northeast Philadelphia were led out of a Bucks County Playhouse performance of Big, the Musical - remember that Tom Hanks movie? - after their elders objected to swear words.

The Intelligencer wrote:

"I never would have allowed him to go had I known," said Lisa Coyle of Northeast Philadelphia.

During the show, she exchanged worried looks with another mother and watched the six boys she was chaperoning squirm in their seats as "a suggestive hand reference to a girl's chest was made" and actors used language such as "a—," "son of a b——" and "god d——-."

Den
Posted 12/14/2006 10:56:17 AM
Just what Philly needs: Another incident to make people think the ciy hates Santa Claus.
daniel rubin
Posted 12/14/2006 11:01:07 AM
you are so right. i have changed my headline accordingly. thanks
TrekMedic251
Posted 12/14/2006 12:50:56 PM
It was just the guy from Verizon getting back at Santa for that commercial!

;-)
Joe Coughlin
Posted 12/14/2006 02:01:33 PM
Thumbs up to Santa for being professional about it. At least he didn't have to take a punch like Cookie Monster did a few years ago at Sesame Place.

Thumbs down to the people who organized the field trip. They expect their kids to do their homework, so why didn't they do theirs? The show is based on a movie that's not rated G, it's a PG movie. I think what the theater offered was more than fair. 
Sierra
Posted 12/14/2006 10:49:43 PM
Being a BCP regular, I have to say that I had no problem with the show.  Some of my friends were even in that, and while some things WERE not "children's theater" appropriate, the actors knew where to draw the line.  I agree with what has already been said: It's based of a movie that's rated PG, you have to expect SOME language and references... however obscure.