Maximum Fun Forum

Marisa brings this week's case against her husband Jay. Marisa and Jay have a young daughter, and they've blended their differing religious beliefs and upbringings (Marisa is a "spiritual" person who was raised Catholic, and Jay is an atheist who is culturally Jewish) into a new tradition that they are both happy to share with her. The two disagree about one thing, however: whether or not to display a manger in their home around Christmas time. Marisa is in favor of the display -- she claims that because they celebrate Christmas, it is important for them to display a representation of the holiday's religious roots. Jay, on the other hand, objects to the display for religious and aesthetic reasons. Who is right? Judge John Hodgman decides.

Judge John Hodgman Ep. 89: Away With the Manger

Love the show as always, but I have to call a Christmas themed Nerd Foul on the Judge. The song "White Christmas" was indeed written by Irving Berlin. However, it was not written for the 1954 movie of the same name. It was written in the early 1940's and actually appeared in the 1942 film "Holiday Inn", for which it won the Oscar for Best Original Song, and it became a big hit in the ensuing decade. In fact, the movie "White Christmas" was created in response to the song, not the other way around.

It's weird -- I'm an atheist, but I delight in all the most religious parts of Christmas (specifically nativities, and the most old-school religious Christmas music). I guess this is because, unlike Jay, I am a highly sentimental person, and the story of Baby J appeals to me. I think Jay should do what I do and put all his favorite action figures in the nativity along with the molded plastic religious figurines, if his wife does not object. My nativity features Jabba the Hutt, Mickey Mouse, a dragon, Oscar Wilde, J.S. Bach, and Jane Austen, as well as full-grown Jesus looking down on the whole scene.