First Lady of the United States Jill Biden tried to spread some Christmas cheer by sharing a festive performance that took place at the White House. Conservatives are unsurprisingly suggesting that it’s somehow “anti-Christmas” and are melting down over it.
The things conservatives melt down over are always perplexing, especially around the holidays. A few years back, conservatives lost it when Starbucks unveiled its holiday-themed cup, and it was *gasp* just a red cup. They invented a narrative that Starbucks was trying to erase Christmas, and therefore Christianity, through its neutral holiday cup. There are a lot of reasons to dislike Starbucks, but reading that much into a cup design is ridiculous. This is just one example of conservatives getting unhinged over the fictitious “war on Christmas.” Essentially, conservatives believe that Christmas is solely a religious holiday, and if anyone celebrates it as a non-religious holiday, chooses not to celebrate it, or acknowledges that other holidays exist, it’s an attack on Christianity and an attempt to expunge religion from Christmas.
The truth is we should all be able to celebrate the holidays however we want. Although we don’t infringe on Christians’ right to celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, conservatives frequently try to control how everyone else celebrates the holiday. We can’t say Xmas, shows and movies can’t feature holidays like Hanukkah, we can’t drink out of red cups, and now, apparently, the White House can’t have festive tap dancing performances.
Conservatives melt down over Jill Biden’s Christmas video
Biden took to X, formerly Twitter, to share a performance that took place at the White House. The short video features the award-winning tap dance company Dorrance Dance giving a Nutcracker-inspired performance through the halls of the White House. Not only is it a festive dance sequence, but it also shows off the White House’s holiday decorations, complete with numerous Christmas trees, candy cane pillars lining the hallways, and ornaments and candy hanging from the ceiling.
There really isn’t anything to dislike about the video. It’s a fun, energetic, and Christmas-themed performance from a group of very talented tap dancers. However, because they are always desperately looking for things to criticize about the Bidens, the video quickly sparked vitriol from right-wingers. The incensed reactions are nothing short of bizarre.
One major complaint is that it’s “anti-Christmas” and “blasphemy” for failing to mention the birth of Christ explicitly. Why the birth of Christ should somehow be worked into a Nutcracker-inspired performance is unknown. Don’t many Christians put Christmas trees, candy canes, and other non-religious decorations in their homes? Are they also anti-Christmas if they do so? Do we need to abolish every Christmas decoration, song, or performance unless it’s a nativity scene or retells the birth of Christ?
Users described the video as “bizarre,” “cringey,” and a “holiday horror show.” They insisted that Melania Trump’s Christmas was more “classy” and “elegant.” However, the videos they shared of Melania’s “elegant” decorations looked a lot like the same decorations the Bidens have. The candy cane halls are a nice touch the Bidens added, but otherwise, the trees, ornaments, fake snow—they all look the same. After all, Christmas decorations do tend to be reused at the White House. Apparently, the decorations just look better to conservatives when the Trumps put them up. Conservatives also claimed that the performance was paid for with their taxpayer money, even though it’s usually donations from each President’s respective parties that foot the majority of the holiday bills.
Many of the conservatives were also unnecessarily cruel about Dorrance Dance’s performance. However, none of them could specify what, exactly, was wrong with the performance. It’s imaginative, festive, and energetic and is bound to raise appreciation for the art. The real problem that conservatives have, and that several racists were bold enough to voice, is that not all of the performers are white. Some of the conservatives are also assuming the gender identity and sexual orientation of these performers. Anytime conservatives witness a hint of inclusion or merely suspect it, it leads to disgusting and hateful responses like these.
To summarize: conservatives are once more manufacturing controversy and trying to raise hysteria over nothing. For one to be so enraged over an innocent Christmas video shows these people are just desperate for things to be angry about. (And Joe Biden is doing plenty of things you should be angry about, just not this.) The White House is doing what it does yearly—putting up decorations and holding holiday events. It’s not any different from what the Trumps did during their stay at the White House. As for those claiming it’s anti-Christmas, their hypocrisy is showing. Unless they are clearing out their Christmas trees, nutcrackers, presents, and ornaments this year and only celebrating the holiday with a nativity scene and by reading the story of Jesus’ birth, they have no right to criticize anyone else for religiously neutral holiday celebrations.
(featured image: Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images)
