Santa Died for Your MasterCard

Posted by Trish , Pensito Review at 12:10 PM on December 24, 2007.

We at Pensito Review applaud the wit and toast the resourcefulness of Art Conrad, Bremerton, Wash. His Xmas display makes him a defacto commander in the War on Xmas.

Art Conrad, who owns the home and put up the display, said the commercialization angle is the number one impetus for the display, but he's also making a statement about political correctness. That he finds Santa on a cross a hilarious juxtaposition fits in the list of motives, too.

He got the idea a few years ago when he read a story about Japanese merchants mistakenly mixing up symbols in preparing for Christmas, putting Santa on the cross.

Conrad photographed the crucified Santa and created his own Christmas cards, one with the message, "Santa died for your MasterCard."

"Santa has been perverted from who he started out to be," Conrad said. "Now he's the person being used by corporations to get us to buy more stuff."

...Conrad thought the story was funny and decided that one day he'd have to put up a similar display. He created it by stuffing a Santa suit and borrowing the head off a motion-activated Santa that dances and sings Christmas carols.

The headless dancing Santa now carries a knife and sings and dances on Conrad's front porch.

Tagged as: consumerism, war on christmas, christmas, santa

Trish is a regular blogger for the Pensito Review.