If you think "political correctness" has run amok here at home, check out what's going down in Australia.
Apparently, according to Agencie France Presse (AFP News), an employee recruitment firm reportedly instructed its "Santa Clauses" to refrain from using "ho, ho, ho" because the phrase might be misconstrued by female listeners. Here's the news report in its entirety:
Wed Nov 14, 11:04 PM ET
Santas in Australia's largest city have been told not to use Father Christmas's traditional "ho ho ho" greeting because it may be offensive to women, it was reported Thursday.
Sydney's Santa Clauses have instead been instructed to say "ha ha ha" instead, the Daily Telegraph reported.
One disgruntled Santa told the newspaper a recruitment firm warned him not to use "ho ho ho" because it could frighten children and was too close to "ho", a US slang term for prostitute.
"Gimme a break," said Julie Gale, who runs the campaign against sexualising children called Kids Free 2B Kids.
"We are talking about little kids who do not understand that "ho, ho, ho" has any other connotation and nor should they," she told the Telegraph.
"Leave Santa alone."
A local spokesman for the US-based Westaff recruitment firm said it was "misleading" to say the company had banned Santa's traditional greeting and it was being left up to the discretion of the individual Santa himself.
Such idiocy. (What's next? Banning crèches?)
To download a news.com.au version of the story, please use this link: Santa Claus outraged by 'ho ho ho' ban