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Organizers of the annual Christkindlmarket have dropped New Line Cinema as a sponsor after a talking-to from the city, which expressed concerns of religious favoritism over plans to run an ad for the upcoming film The Nativity Story during the event at Daley Plaza.
Wow … where to begin?
We’re all for religious tolerance, especially this time of year. In fact, now’s the best time to get to know a religion other than your own since this is when all the good stuff is happening.
But if you come downtown to shop at something called the Christkindlmarket, you ought to expect a little Jesus mixed in with your holiday bargains. It’s like going to Burger King and getting upset because you object to monarchies as a form of government.
A city spokeswoman said that the city didn’t force the organizers of the market to drop New Line as a sponsor. Right. We’re sure they just suggested it very strongly, with absolutely no subtext at all.
The head of a local group of superchurches is predictably up in arms and notes that the city itself allows for the display of a nativity scene in Daley Plaza (along with a menorah and other religious symbols) put up by private groups.
Wouldn’t such a display — divorced from context and not so easily avoidable — be more offensive to someone who’s easily offended by religious symbols other than his or her own? As opposed to ads for a movie based on religious themes at an annual market that’s at least tangentially related to said religious holiday? Wouldn’t you just avoid the Christkindlmarket and save yourself the aggravation? Or are you the kind of person who walks into Hi-Tops and complains about the Cubs paraphernalia? Seriously, what’s with you? Why you always trying to start shit?
Somewhere in the back of our heads, there’s a little voice decrying the commercialization of religious figures, but we can’t quite hear it over the radio that’s blaring “Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You” by Billy Squier. Now, who wants Glögg?
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Religion these days seems the refuge of the stupid and insecure, and its effect on recent domestic and foreign policy has been just short of catastrophic. Recent religion has produced little or no art of note (unlike, say, the Catholic Church of olden times, from which sprouted the likes of Bach and others), but rather reactionary, half-assed "philosophies" that are barely disguised forms of political control and out-of-control patriotism.
Still, I don't get this movement to scrub clean from our society relatively harmless religious expressions. No, I don't want tax dollars paying for it, but I also don't want tax dollars paying for the Steele family employment program. Uber-liberals and their enablers need to realize how counterproductive their actions are when they attempt to push symbolic displays of religion to the fringes. No, there is no "war on Christmas" as the far-right nuts like to claim, but don't the uber-libs realize they produce a greater reaction when they engage in such petty and ultimately trivial actions? When the uber-libs and their enablers engage in such anti-religioius pettiness, they show yet again their unmatched talent for shooting themselves in the foot.
It seems this situation may have had as much to do with the place of advertising as religion, but still.
Just another example of how Christianity isn't tolerated the same as other religions such as the faith of Islam. This country was built on belief in the God of Christianity, and everyday the country as a whole seems to be kicking Christianity to the curb.
Yeah I bet there will be a giant menorah and and huge crescent but no cross or anything remotely related to jesus. I think that is pretty unfair. Either all or none, make up your mind, city.
It simply doesn't follow that a movie about a religious tale is a "religious movie." That's just silliness akin to vise77's first paragraph jeremiad.
Ben: You should study the beliefs of the Founders more deeply. I think you will find more skepticism toward organized religion, Christianity in particular, then your comment suggests.
By the way, who is the "God of Christianity"? Seriously, someone explain that trinity thing to me again.
Decency: Too bad you choose not to counter my silliness with countering examples. For instance, point me in the direction of Christian-inspired art (I'll give you U2, but I'm more interested in non-pop forms of art).
@matty: There are *privately* funded religious displays for various religions on Daley Plaza. This year there is a nativity, a menorah, and a muslim display (I think there is even an atheist symbol on display, whatever that would be). I imagine if other folks wanted to fund such a display, they would be more than welcome. The point is that they are private, not sponsored or promoted by the city or event organizers. They are merely allotted public space in the plaza.
I honestly think this is more about overt commercialization than it is about religion. The type of advertising the movie studio asked for was not something that had been done previously at the Christkindlmarket. It involved television displays running trailers throughout the plaza. They would have been highly visible, and probably would have been rejected regardless of the subject matter of the movie in question. The point of the Christkindlmarket is to create something like the traditional German Christmas market, large flat panels playing movie trailers would have been entirely out of character with the event.
This wasn't religious expression, it was commercial expression, and the movie study wanted a commercial presence that was inappropriate to the event. And yes, it might have offended some non-christians as well.
Joshv: You make a very reasonable argument. But the city's justification for the request wasn't based on commericalization of a tradition. Rather, it was based on the argument that someone would be offended because a religion other than "theirs" was being promoted.
But you raise another interesting question: where is the line between appropriate and inappropriate expression of holiday commericialization get drawn at a market for Christmas goods?
I would think the burden of proof would actually be on you, Mr. Vise, as your premise “Recent religion has produced little or no art of note” is horribly vague and ridiculously unclear. How “recent” is recent? What qualifies as “little” or, for that matter, “art?” What do you mean by “religion?” I assume, given the U2 example, you’re using it as synonymous with “Christianity.” What then makes something “Christian art” as opposed to art made by a Christian? But let’s put all that aside. The simply fact remains that there are millions upon millions of individuals around the world who consider themselves Christians and the idea that they have manage to produce a “little or no” notable “art” becomes a clearly ridiculous statement. One gets the impression if one hasn’t read about them in the most recent issues of Harpers then they don’t exist.
But if name dropping alone can squash this ignorance so be it. How about award winning authors like Walker Percy and John Updike? To name a very, very few modern philosophers take Alvin Platinga (whose accomplishments include defeating the logical problem of evil in the late 1970's using modal logic), William Alston (whose work on religious experience and sense perception is considered necessary reading in Philosophy of Religion) and Richard Swinburn (an Oxford Don, that alone is probably enough to impress you). Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about contemporary visual arts or music, classical or otherwise, so you’ll have to excuse my ignorance (something I readily admit to, you should give it a try) on this front, but I’m sure some out there in the gloriously refined Chicagoist universe have an idea where this is heading...
It's too bad the city had to present this in a religious light giving every "war on christmas" rightwing jackass a reason to squawk even though the market is already chock full of Christian knick knacks. Really it's just about having an obnoxious movie trailer on an endless loop distracting from the "Old World" craft fair type vibe I imagine people want to experience.
I mean art that comes out from religious and religious institutional tradition, decency, and may or may not reflect overt religious themes. (I would add to your list another important writer, Flannery O'Conner) and agree in general with your view about modern philosophy, if by modern you mean the early 20th century onward, though I think you do overstate the case for recent philosophy more than a bit.
Today, in general, what we seem to get most from religion--not just Christianity--is reactionary politics and social policy, mixed in with the usual superstition and its accompanying nonsense. In general, and perhaps this is oversimplied, most forms of bold thought and expression come from outside religion these days. Granted, the church, at least in the West, has a greatly limited role and reach compared to the past, and that is part of the reason. In any case, this was a relatively minor point on the larger theme the religion is basically bunk, is now almost wholly reactionary in nature (a change from centuries ago, I think, though it may just be a matter of degrees), and really has no value except as a means of social and political control.
I don't understand your fetish about Harper's, as I don't read the magazine, nor I am a fan of name dropping, despite your defensive assumption. I do, however, appreciate your ability to recall on demand what appears to be a grad seminar reading list.
Gee, I was actually hoping for a Planned Parenthood display next to the nativity scene, as the woman playing the Virgin Mary in the movie is pregnant and un-wed. That shows just how serious she is about Method acting.
If the Christkindlmarkt is meant to be authentically German, you shouldn't be finding "Glögg" there--that's the Scandinavian term for hot mulled wine. In German, mulled wine is "Glühwein."
Indeed. It was more of a "Oh who cares, let's just get pissed" reference.
I think that the liberals who do not want Christian symbols for the holiday season should also not celebrate Christmas! That means do not observe the holiday, don't go to the parties, don't exchange gifts, etc. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, and if you don't believe, then don't observe it period! But of course many of you liberals do observe the holiday.. isn't that a bit hypocritical???
kat, can you explain what parties and exchanging gifts have to do with the birth of jesus? jesus would be pissed if he saw what you christians have done to "his day". crappy music, cheap wal-mart gifts and lots of crying anytime someone chooses the phrase happy holidays.
Hmmmm, using Kat’s logic as a jumping-off point, then conservatives should ONLY give and accept three types of gifts: Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, as they are the basis for the Christian gift giving custom. And as far as the parties go – if they are called specifically a ‘Christmas Party’, then no liberals OR non-Christians should be allowed!
Jezz, our economy would fail dramatically if all that were to happen.
Actually, good Bible-literalist Christians shouldn't celebrate Christmas at all, as the date of the birth of Jesus isn't specified in the Bible, and last I recall, it's roots are pretty pagan.
"We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap, hap, happiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny fucking Kaye. And when Santa squeezes his fat white ass down that chimney tonight, he's gonna find the jolliest bunch of assholes this side of the nuthouse." -Chuck, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Kat,
I'm cool with Christian imagery I just don't wanted to be bombarded with movie trailers while I enjoy the brats at Christkindlmarket. Give the pathetic persecution complex a rest.
I agree with the point that it was less about Christianity and more about obtrusive promotion.
And while I've been a practicing Buddhist now for four years, I was raised in an Irish Catholic household. I still celebrate Christmas (not just the gifts, but the midnight mass... sans communion, the baking, and what I think is the most important part of the holidays: the charity and compassion for others through giving) not because of any major spirtual element, but because it's part of my culture and my heritage.
To turn my back on my family and our customs because my beliefs are different from theirs is pointless.
Wow - I'm really surprised that no one has noticed the hilarious hypocrisy of a government-promoted religious display rejecting a religious display. Daley Plaza should be cleared of any of this claptrap so we can use it for what it is - a secular, government plaza, made for the use of our secular government and the citizenry to deal with each other peacefully.
Let's see:
Christ.kind.l.markt: Christ (that's easy) kind (child) l (connector letter) markt (market).
So Christkindlmarkt is German for Christ Child Market. And the city gets upset about something relating to Jesus being promoted at the CHRIST CHILD MARKET. God forbid that this spring that someone like Trek or Schwinn does a promotion during Bike to Work Day. The irony is thick enough to reinforce the sides of a battleship.
as a 'christian' and a church-going catholic in spite of the right wing takeover of my church and my religion, i for one am happy the city rejected the adverts for the movie, because, you see, it was to be ADVERTISING for a MOVIE! New Line wanted to take advantage of a cute little christmas marketplace and place garish, big adverts for their movie all over the place! [or so the city's official explanation on the cityofchicago web site says].
I like the nativity scene -- i think the menorah is cool, too. But blatant, unsubtle advertising for a damned movie? C'mon, who are we kidding, the movie folks wanted to turn the plaza into a carnival for their product and the city in its all too rare wisdom, could not be bought, for omce. hooray!