While I despise Keillor, I don’t like most of Bloom’s songs either. But that could apply to most Christmas songs, regardless of the writer.

Still, Keillor is even more annoying than Santa Baby.

Martin on December 21, 2009 at 12:39 pm

Guys like Garrison Keillor give Christians a bad name. Personally it’s not Christmas without hearing Bing Crosby sing White Christmas.

I wish there was an 11th Commandment just for Christians. This Commandment would be “Almost ALL of the people in your Christian Bible were Jews (most importantly Jesus & the Apostles, & St. Paul who started the CHRISTIAN Church). You cannot be a Christian without respecting the Jewish people.

jimmyPx on December 21, 2009 at 12:50 pm

I didn’t know Torme was Jewish. This was a surprise..at first I thought it was one of those George Carlin/Andy Rooney internet hoaxes, but apparently not.

What’s weird is that Keillor is a left-wing pro-abort, pro-wall of separation nutjob…can’t imagine he’d feel such proprietary passion for Christmas and object to some great songs…I always thought that with ‘christians’ like Garrison, we don’t need Judases, and now even more so…

Bigrich104 on December 21, 2009 at 12:50 pm

Debbie, how do you REALLY feel about this? (grin)
We can always count on the likes of Gary Kellior to say stupid racist things…and be lauded for it by their fans.
I recognize that “White Christmas” and “Holiday Inn” are secular Christmas items, not religious…but I enjoy them just the same. I watched Holiday Inn just the other night, for about the 20th time.
Debbie, look for an email from me soon.

Douglas Q on December 21, 2009 at 12:52 pm

If anti-Semites were logically consistent, they’d renounce the Bible, Christianity and everything the Jews have done since the beginning of time. But they won’t… and Jew-hatred knows no seasons and no borders.

NormanF on December 21, 2009 at 1:09 pm

Wait till he hears the ramadan tune I’m working on.

tempus fugit on December 21, 2009 at 1:10 pm

Kellior=typical Jew-hating lefty. And fugly to boot.

I will admit, I prefer the real Christmas carols–they’re beautiful. We learned them in school, Jewish or not. I hate the Mantavani (?) elevator muzak “Holiday” songs.

lexi on December 21, 2009 at 1:11 pm

Damned if he doesn’t look like a Dr Seuss character.

lexi on December 21, 2009 at 1:11 pm

The guy sounds like a total wack job. I am fond of “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” myself. Did Brenda Lee sing that? I wish the newspaper would fire him but I doubt that will happen.

JulieJ on December 21, 2009 at 1:26 pm

Debbie, those “trash and dreck” Jews Keillor finds fault with, have discovered a home in Nazareth dating to Jesus’ time. The Jews won’t get credit for it.

“The discovery sheds light on how people lived 2,000 years ago, when Christians believe Jesus was growing up there, Israel’s Antiquities Authority said.

A spokeswoman said Jesus and his childhood friends likely knew the home.

It was found near the place where angel Gabriel is believed to have told Mary that she would give birth to Jesus.

The archaeologists found the remains of a wall, a hideout, and a cistern for collecting rain water.

“The building that we found is small and modest and it is most likely typical of the dwellings in Nazareth in that period,” said Yardenna Alexandre of the Antiquities Authority, who directed the dig.

She said the 1st Century home, near the present-day Church of the Annunciation, is believed to have housed a “simple Jewish family” in two rooms and courtyard.”

That’s from the BBC News this morning. No Arab country is going to call attention to its pre-Islamic history. Only Israel shows to Christians the background of their own faith. Here’s a newsflash: if the Jewish State didn’t exist, this wouldn’t be a headline news story today.

NormanF on December 21, 2009 at 1:28 pm

It’s not ironic that some pretentious, anti-semitic asshole would be named “Garrison Keillor”. Too bad one of those dreck, Jewish Doctors/Surgeons that performed Open-Heart Surgery on this asshole didn’t bother to leave some infected gauze or sutures in his body after stitching him back up so he could suffer a slow death from Cepsis or other nasty infection. F@#& you, Garrison Keillor!! You have a lame, pretentious name and host a tired, lame program that NOBODY listens to.

Yiddish Steel on December 21, 2009 at 1:36 pm

his face!!!!!!!!!!

uglee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bob S. on December 21, 2009 at 1:38 pm

One more reason to hate this SOB. Prairie Home Companion is the one thing on NPR that gives me hives. I can handle the leftist chatter, but PHC is just awful. Bad jokes and mostly horrid music. Also PHC is a perfect example of why NPR should receive no government funding. This public network has made this ass clown a multimillionaire. Yet he has never had to pay any royalties to the network (the U.S. taxpayer) for any of his merchandise. In contrast, any show on a private network such as NBC has to pay royalties to the network on all merch sales. I really hate this SOB.

Fleiter on December 21, 2009 at 1:43 pm

Dear Debbie:

Thank you for responding to Keillor. I think you know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t have used the language you used in responding to his column. Nonetheless, I found it FAR more disturbing that some of my best internet buddies could NOT conclude that Garrison Keillor’s commentary was unambiguously anti-Semitic.

So let me take this opportunity to explain this so that people who presume to be philo-Semitic and pro-diversity can understand. Someone who hangs up a sign that says: “NO JEWS ALLOWED!” is by definition, an anti-Semite engaging in anti-Semitic speech. So when Keillor says that he prefers that Jews not be allowed to write Christmas songs, he is making a clear and concise statement of hatred and discrimination toward Jews.

It’s really just that simple. Unfortunately, I have had to witness people claiming to be philo-Semitic and “pro-diversity” who can’t bring themselves to confront Keillor’s overtly anti-Semitic rant. If we have to rely on these folks to survive another day in an anti-Semitic world, we’re in BIG trouble.

I was starting to feel a bit lonely confronting Keillor all by myself a couple of evenings ago. So thanks again for posting your response to Garrison Keillor. I genuinely appreciate it.

Regards,

There is NO Santa Claus (aka TINSC)

There is NO Santa Claus on December 21, 2009 at 1:47 pm

Hello Debbie Schlussel and All

If only “christians” would read what scripture say about celebrating pagan festivals. People should look up where the celebrations started.

Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy Elohim, I will also forget thy children.

Revelation 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and YHWH hath remembered her iniquities.
Jeremiah 10:2 Thus saith YHWH, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. 3 For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. 4 They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. 5 They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

To jimmyPx

Why make an 11th commandment when “christians” won’t obey the 1st 4 commandments

Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spake all these words, saying, 2 I am YHWH thy Elohim, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other elohim before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YHWH thy Elohim am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7 Thou shalt not take the name of YHWH thy Elohim in vain; for YHWH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the Sabbath of YHWH thy Elohim: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days YHWH made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore YHWH blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

jimmyPx if paul started the “christian” church then where are all of the celebrations that happen during a church service in scriptures? They are not there because roman emperor Constantine started the roman catholic church and took a lot of the roman festivals and changed their names to “christian” names.

INFINITE on December 21, 2009 at 2:14 pm

Greetings:

“PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION” is (or was? – – – didn’t that series end?) one of my favorite radio programs.

It’s where I first heard Alison Krauss and Iris DeMent, two of my favorite female Bluegrass folk singers.

I thought the movie, “PRAIRIE HOME COMPANION”, was great.

As for Christmas songs, I don’t care who wrote them.

If I like them, I like them – – – period, and I like most Christmas songs, especially Mantovani style elevator muzak.

But, I can’t STAND listening to ANYTHING sung by Mariah Carey!

As for Jews and Judaism, 2 NEPHI 29:4-6 in the BOOK OF MORMON is very plain about that, as are other scriptures.

Nollaig Chridheil!
(Pronounced, “Noll-eek Kree-yell”, it’s Scottish Gaelic for, “Christmas Hearty!”)

John Robert Mallernee on December 21, 2009 at 2:30 pm

“This is spiritual piracy and cultural elitism, and we Christians have stood for it long enough.”

“spiritual piracy?” “cultural elitism?”

Maybe he really IS a “comedian” after all?

Their ancestors stole andd change our religion, and told us we were then spiritually lost, and now clowns like Kiester accuse us of piracy and elitism?! And to top it off, he and his ilk hate us because we stubbornly refuse to validate their mistakes?!

“…stood for it long enough,” my Tuchas!

But he does have a point. We really don’t have any business there. Besides, the more we keep our distance from the errors they make, maybe the sooner they’ll realize and correct them. Most American Christians aren’t Mel Gibson clones, at least not the ones I know.

yonason on December 21, 2009 at 2:31 pm

I am a Christian and I like every song on the list!!
I do not care who wrote them… I like them!!

My husband’s uncle, was an Italian American and he wrote all sorts of music and won Academy Awards over the years too. He wrote some some songs with a Latin American beat and theme…like the LADY IN A TUTTI FRUITTI HAT. So what he was NOT a Latino!!!!

These Christmas holidays are supposed to happy, thoughtful as well as joyous. Not mean and bitter like old keillor wants them to be.

WHITE CHRISTMAS sung by that Irish Catholic, BING Crosby makes me tear up and so does I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS…everytime I hear them. Why, because I think of friends and family who loved the songs over the years and they are now passed away.

I think keillor is a sick and sad little villian. Grinch is too good a word for him.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to all who celebrate it! And Happy Holidays to everybody else.

Sewsalot on December 21, 2009 at 2:55 pm

Keillor is and plays to an audience of pseudo-intellectual types and that’s exactly what they are – pseudo. He can go jump in his idiotic lake woebegone.

Good on you Debbie for standing up to this creep.

dan on December 21, 2009 at 2:57 pm

Christians understand that Jesus was a born a Jew, to a very Godly and obedient Jewish girl named Mary. This is the celebration of Christmas. This guy is an idiot.

C on December 21, 2009 at 3:48 pm

Deborah, I used to work for an NPR station…part time. I WAS DRUG AROUND LIKE A RAG DOLL THERE! AND THIS IS HOW MY RADIO CAREER GOT STARTED ENDING UP WITH ME GETTING FIRED 10 YEARS AGO BY MY SO-CALLED HOMETOWN RADIO STATION!

KEILOR IS A PRIME EXAMPLE OF WHAT MICHAEL SAVAGE ALWAYS SAYS…

LIBERALISM IS A MENTAL DISORDER!

Bob Porrazzo on December 21, 2009 at 4:17 pm

Tried listening to Prairie, too boring. Tried the movie, a complete waste of film. Keillor to be gracious a boring boor (as in pig).

Michael G. on December 21, 2009 at 4:24 pm

Orin Hatch came up with this very good Chanukah Song the 8 days of Chanukah. And he is a Mormon.

adam on December 21, 2009 at 5:03 pm

Jesus has been spat upon and abused forever but when you attack the Jewish people you are slapping and spitting at his mother.

poetcomic1 on December 21, 2009 at 5:24 pm

I’m glad you added that update. Keillor is not part of any “club” that I know of.

salt1907 on December 21, 2009 at 6:26 pm

White Christmas is Christmas and
Easter Parade is Easter and
God Bless America is America and
Irving Berlin is a miracle and
Garrison Keillor, you’re one ugly geek!

demonneant on December 21, 2009 at 6:57 pm

I like how your rant about Garrison Keillor is justified, yet you decide that he is a Marxist at the end. Doing so invalidates and brings into question the rationality and thought process of your entire rant. How you can make the mental leap of stupidity from what Garrison Keillor said to Marxism is beyond me. You should be able to make your point about Garrison Keillor by simply quoting him and sticking to what he actually said instead of trying to conflate him with every group and ideology you dislike. I don’t understand how any thinking person can take you seriously when you are either intellectually dishonest or intellectually deficient.

humina on December 21, 2009 at 7:01 pm

I’m going to send this Prairie Goofball my recording of “I Saw Daddy Kissing Santa Claus”…but he’ll probably enjoy it.

Ralph on December 21, 2009 at 7:25 pm

humina:

While I don’t have any proof that Keillor is a Marxist, the accusation is plausible. For starters, he’s rejecting Jews participating in Christianity by writing Christmas songs. That’s not particularly Christian of him.

Christians I know proselytize their religion as commanded and they generally favor Jews taking “baby steps toward Christianity” in any way. If Jews write Christmas songs, this participation in Christmas is usually quite welcome, even encouraged. Rather than embracing Jews making these “baby steps toward Christianity”, Keillor rejects them in an overtly rude fashion. This is the kind of behavior I would expect from an atheist; not a Christian.

Keillor is known for his show on NPR. NPR’s editorial culture is extremely left-wing. So much so that there is every good reason to believe that Keillor embraces at least some aspects of Marxism (especially atheism).

As such, I believe that Debbie’s accusation is plausible even though she offers little direct evidence that Keillor is a Marxist. The prevalence of anti-Semitism amongst Marxists cannot be denied.

Keillor’s statement is CERTAINLY anti-Semitic and I find it quite deficient of you to avoid clearly acknowledging it. Rather, you have deliberately changed the subject; dwelling on the accusation that Keillor is a Marxist. Then, as if that isn’t good enough, you leverage the accusation to REJECT the basic thesis that he is an anti-Semite by telling Debbie: “I don’t understand how any thinking person can take you seriously….”. Nice try!

Unfortunately, Keillor’s rude rejection of Jews willfully participating in Christmas (and by extension, our American culture) is offered for everyone to see. It is an anti-Semitic statement regardless of whether Keillor is a Marxist, Atheist, or a practicing Christian. The statement stands on its own and frankly, I think you’re just trying to change the subject because anti-Semitism doesn’t seem to bother you.

Regards,

There is NO Santa Claus (aka TINSC)

There is No Santa Claus on December 21, 2009 at 8:50 pm

One thing which the above mentioned Christmas songs do not mention is THE REASON for the season – Jesus Christ.

ramjordan on December 21, 2009 at 8:59 pm

ramjordan:

Your comment is irrefutable. It is also irrelevant because Debbie’s thesis is that Keillor’s comments are anti-Semitic because he says that Jews are not allowed to write Christmas songs. Whatever the religious shortcomings of these songs, they are quite popular and well-embraced by American Christians.

I would have appreciated your supporting the basic thesis of Debbie’s article: Garrison Keillor made rude and overtly anti-Semitic comments that can only mean that he holds a strong contempt for Jews.

So what bothers you more? Jews writing popular Christmas songs (thus acknowledging the holiday) without mentioning Jesus or the anti-Semitic ravings of Keillor being published in the newspaper of a major U.S. city?

Just askin’!

Regards,

There is NO Santa Claus (aka TINSC)

There is No Santa Claus on December 21, 2009 at 9:23 pm

I remember a “Hogan’s Heroes” episode in which our intrepid POWs were burglarizing a safe while acting as the “help” at a German military Christmas party. To mask the break-in sounds, Larry Hovis announces, “And now we’d like to sing a song written by a man named after your fair city, Berlin.” And they sing, “White Christmas.” I honestly don’t know what Keillor is yapping about. If he doesn’t like all the “Jew Christmas songs” what are our youngsters supposed to sing in December in the public schools, since his lefty buddies have banned religious music? And c’mon Debbie, the chorus of “Don’t They Know It’s Christmas” isn’t that bad.

gmartinz on December 21, 2009 at 11:48 pm

If liberal Christians are now singing a mauled, politically correct version of “Silent Night,” (I read years ago that they mauled “Faith of our Fathers Living Still” and “Once to Every Man and Nation,” I don’t blame Keillor for being angry. I wish he’d provided the lyrics,
I said years ago, when the British academics voted to boycott Israel, calling it an apartheid country, that Israel should return the favor and stop selling the pharmaceuticals and medical technology used to treat Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis to Britain. Then I said “No. It’s not fair to punish sick people and anyone hateful and heartless and stupid to call Israel an apartheid country is so hateful and heartless and stupid, he wouldn’t care if his parents had Parkinson’s disease and his children had multiple sclerosis.

Miranda Rose Smith on December 22, 2009 at 2:16 am

Even Hitler didn’t complain that “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” was written by the Jewish composer Irving Berlin. According to Ernst Hanfstaengl, known as “Hitler’s pianist”, he sometimes played the song for Hitler to help him settle down & go to sleep at night.

Ted Gruen on December 22, 2009 at 2:18 am

I for one am not surprised that Keillor is a Jew-hater (all the signs are there – typical far Left uptight pompous ass), it’s scary though how (with the exception of Debbie S) he has not been called out on it.

Larry on December 22, 2009 at 2:54 am

With a neanderthal face and a creeoy personality, he chose a profession with hidden identity, lousy radio skits with little humor and all moods of sadness.

Global Ugling, the Documentary on December 22, 2009 at 9:05 am

My letter to the StarTribune:

20 December 2009
Minneapolis StarTribune
425 Portland Ave. S.
Minneapolis, MN 55415
http://www.startribune.com/opinion

Re: Garrison Keillor, “Some Things Aren’t Meant to Be Messed With”, Minneapolis StarTribune OP3, Dec. 20, 2009

Dear Sir or Madam:

I write to you with respect to Garrison Keillor’s, “Some Things Aren’t Meant to Be Messed With”, Minneapolis StarTribune OP3, Dec. 20, 2009.

And all those lousy holiday songs by Jewish guys that trash up the malls every year… Did one of our guys write, “Grab your loafers, come along if you wanna, and we’ll blow that shofar for Rosh Hashanah…

Christmas is a Christian holiday – if you’re not in the club then buzz off…. [Don’t mess with the Messiah.

Keillor’s rambling hatemail makes it possible for people to be very comfortable with anti-semitism.

In one swoop, Keillor managed to insult Unitarians, too:

Unitarians listen to the Inner Voice… If you don’t believe Jesus was God, OK, go write your own damn “Silent Night” and leave ours alone.

Congratulations, Kellor, for bringing back the good old days when Minneapolis was the anti-Semitic capital of the Upper Midwest, and proud of it. Keillor is a bigoted pseudo-intellectual whose Master Racist writing has no place in your paper. My wife Lynn and I are canceling our subscription to the StarTribune on account of Keillor – and notifying all your advertisers, too.

Respectfully yours,

/s/Peter J. Nickitas

Peter J. Nickitas

A postscript: Irving Berlin also wrote “G-d Bless America”. A man who will criticize the author of “G-d Bless America” for being Jewish does not know America, that great, imperfect country of ours, her values, or the ideals to which she and we must all strive.

Peter J. Nickitas on December 22, 2009 at 12:40 pm

I haven’t listened to Prarie Home Companion since that ass-hat Keilor got down on his knees and blew Al Franken for thirty minutes. Any dumbass that so admires Franken has got to be fucked up. Earlier, the Paul Wellstone suckfest had me ignoring PHC for the most part, but the embarassment the show became during the 2004 election did me in. And we learn he’s an anti-semite as well. Hmmm… really no surprise there… liberals are nearly all racist.

Mistercalm on December 22, 2009 at 1:44 pm

Perhaps his next collection of tedious, affectedly-homespun and patently unfunny ramblings will be entitled “Lake Jew-Be-Gone Days”.

oddiogawd on December 22, 2009 at 4:13 pm

He’s like one of the crotchety old dudes in his stories: cute until he starts talking about anybody that doesn’t look or think like him. Predictably, the best take down of the Christmas column comes from Keillor’s hometown paper, here:

http://www.minnpost.com/community_voices/2009/12/22/14492/cool_it_keillor_its_a_multicultural_world_out_there

Esther K Klein on December 22, 2009 at 7:24 pm

Dear Peter J. Nickitas:

I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Regards,

There is NO Santa Claus (aka TINSC)

There is NO Santa Claus on December 22, 2009 at 8:03 pm

There was a marvelous humor book by Michael J Nelson called “Michael J Nelson’s Deathrat” that came out a few years ago that skewered Keillor neatly. He has been a schmuck for a long time.

However, in his very limited defense, he did have a stroke recently, which may have increased his impulsivity. But he does identify with Charles Lindbergh, another Aryan type.

But, worst of all, his comments weren’t even funny. The guy should retire.

Occam's Tool on December 23, 2009 at 12:47 pm

Um, Keillor is a national treasure, and I think we understand the sarcasm in his statement. We really don’t need Xtian nutjobs providing defense- we Could expect them however to clean up their own house like cracking down on their own abortion doctor killers and other assorted extremists.

CallyWog on December 23, 2009 at 7:15 pm

Hi Deb, thanks for outing Mr. Non-Companion. I sent this to his email address of oldscout@prairiehome.net

Dear Garrison Keillor,

For your information, Christian churches have many Jewish converts in them.

I am going to have to not listen to your radio show now,
because of your anti-semitic remarks 16Dec09 in the Baltimore Sun.

You do not have to be in Norway, to grow up coming home from school,
and connect the tradition of salt cod boiling with its a rainy day, and
the wash is hanging on the porch. That’s the way I remember it, growing
up in Lowell, MA. The strong smell of that cod fish, and having to duck
wet laundry on a rainy cold day is not a fond memory. I am glad that
I never ate that cod fish and my right to not eat cod fish was respected.
My family never insulted the music that Jewish folks wrote for Christmas.
We included them with our family sing-a-longs.
Your opinion has nothing to do with being Norwegian.

As a Christian, who is also a Jewish convert, I am not impressed with your
musical judgment against Jewish musicians.

Mae on December 25, 2009 at 2:40 am

Marxism is “anti-Semitic”? That would be greeted with a horse-laugh in Moscow ca 1914. Brooklyn, too.

Must be why Lenin made antiu-Semitism a capital offense.

If you have a problem with Keillor, by all means let fly. But let’s not go crazy rewriting history. Wouldn’t want it to get out that Jews can do revisionism just as well as gentiles. Uh, I mean “neo-Nazis”, of course.

Just demonize Keillor into insignificance and off the radar the way you did to Solzhenitsyn when he miscalculated and acknowledged the obvious.

Ragno on December 28, 2009 at 11:47 am

Boy, that Garrison Keillor and his make believe Prairie Home Companion, is probably one of the most boring peices of dreck* ever created.

He obviously feels that those dirty Jews created Xmas songs to get in the WASP club that he belongs to. He also thinks that Jesus IS G-d. Would someone please tell him that Christ was a Jew and not God. Maybe a prophet–but not G-d himself. This seems to be an overlooked fact everytime someone like Keillor mouths off.

Anyone that can actually look at Keillor for more than a few minutes deserves a medal anyhow. He reminds me of that mean and arrogant guy you’d meet at the country club. (Just kidding. I’ve never belonged to a country club. He is an arrogant bastard though.)

(*Note the proper use of the word dreck).

Chopper on January 19, 2010 at 1:59 pm

He was joking, not unlike the ilk of Howard Stern.

D: Unfortunately, he was NOT joking. DS

Donna on November 14, 2010 at 12:36 pm

Nuts are not consistent, just nuts.

burt on January 25, 2012 at 4:03 pm