Truly, our political elites and our media minions have spent most of 2020 ginning up fears about a virus in which the death rate seems to be on par with the seasonal flu.
However, one entity seems to have taken the fear-mongering a step too far.
A television commercial for the United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) Charities Together terrified children by showing St. Nick wheeled into the hospital, apparently dying from COVID19.
Here is the UK Daily Mail’s initial report, in which its intrepid reporter described the ad as…touching:
It’s the stuff of nightmares for children, as Father Christmas is rushed into hospital and nursed back to health in an emotional new appeal advert from NHS Charities Together.The touching film, entitled The Gift, which celebrates NHS staff and volunteers, features a dramatic opening, with a very poorly Santa wheeled into a medical ward by paramedics and given oxygen.It appears to be touch and go, with machines beeping and staff in full PPE as they do their best to resuscitate the elderly gentleman.
The NHS Charities Together removed the video from YouTube over the weekend:
In a statement, NHS Charities Together apologized to kids who had seen the ad, but also said that it “isn’t aimed at children and hasn’t been shown on TV.” The charity said it had at first received positive feedback, but chatter on social media quickly turned sour.”We worked closely with the team behind the ad to make sure it was produced responsibly and it was cleared for use by the relevant regulatory authority. However, we are sorry to the parents of any young children who have been upset by watching the ad and to the young children themselves, they were not the intended audience for it,” the charity said in a statement on Saturday.—In a statement, NHS Charities Together said: “We created our Christmas campaign to highlight the ongoing commitment and hard work of NHS staff and volunteers to keep us safe and well in what has been and continues to be a really challenging time for the NHS.”
The Daily Mail reported on the controversy the ad has generated.
Critics have slammed the NHS charity Christmas advert for showing medics battling to save Santa’s life, claiming it will ‘scare the hell out of little ones’….Viewers have interpreted the presence of oxygen masks and tubes as a sign that Santa was suffering from coronavirus – in a move branded ‘insensitive’ by concerned parents.Several feared young viewers would be traumatised thinking Santa was going to die and urged the charity to let children enjoy the festive season ‘without giving them adult problems to deal with’.
British viewers who watched this piffle gave the NHS the gift of their opinions most generously.
Ken Simpson-Hay wrote: “The NHS have now hijacked Santa and given him Covid to raise money for their charity.”Someone thought this was a good idea. Guaranteed to scare the hell out of little ones if they watch it.”Disgusting idea that targets the fears of the very young. Massive own goal.”Linda added: “Are you so deluded on your own hype you can’t see how disgusting this is NHS? Advert should be removed immediately.”Another Twitter user blasted the advert as a ‘miscalculation’ writing: “This is disgusting. Don’t children have enough to worry about at the moment?”What a dreadful, insensitive miscalculation on behalf of the NHS charity organisers.”How many children are going to be brought to tears thinking Santa is going to die?”
Other comments were examples of very dry, British humor.
It’s bad enough that many children didn’t get their traditional visit with Santa this year, or their parents are struggling with no work or limited hours this Christmas season. Whoever approved this garbage needs a pile of coal in his/her/xer stocking this year.
This ad is another in a long line of examples of the divide between the elite “haves” who COVID19 moralizers and the average citizens being forced to live with the latest, senseless coronavirus dictates.
My Christmas wish for this year is that American firms don’t try the same stunt.
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