A department store in the US has fired its Father Christmas after he told a risque joke to two "older" shoppers.
'Bad Santa'
Fired For Telling Risque Joke Enlarge photo.
John Toomey, a veteran Santa at Macy's for 20 years, was dismissed after the couple made a complaint about his brand of humour.
But 68-year-old Mr Toomey, who worked at the San Francisco Union Square store, claims he is no
"bad Santa".
He says he only tells jokes to the grown-ups who visit him - none of whom have ever complained before.
"When I ask the older people who sit on my lap if they've been good and they say 'yes', I say 'Gee, that's too bad',
Mr Toomey told the San Francisco Chronicle.
"Then, if they ask why Santa is so jolly, I joke that it's because I know where all the naughty boys and girls live."
Mr Toomey, who is called Santa John by his fans, insists he would never use inappropriate humour with the many children who visit the store.
"With the children, it's important to listen carefully to them and make sure they're doing things properly, like brushing their teeth and helping Mom around the house, things like that,"
said Mr Toomey.
"Then when they tell you what they want, repeat it loudly enough so the parents can hear, and tell the child you'll talk it over with Mrs. Santa and the elves. That way you leave it up to the parents."
The sacked Santa, who boasts his own white beard, was a big hit with customers who returned every year to see him.
Macy's has refused to comment on the incident, although employees have described the sacking as
"devastating".
Mr Toomey need not be too worried, though - is sacking has given him celebrity status and he has received calls from all over the country to appear as Father Christmas.
The co-owner of Lefty's sports bar, which hired Mr Toomey to head up a toy collection, has likened the rally of support to the film
"Miracle on 34th Street".

good for toomey, a potential victim of pc who instead became a victor

Just goes to show you the minority disgruntled that get a person fired can turn the public against them...........wonder what the profits will be like at this store this year.........bet they show a drop in sales........shame on corporates around the world

So, that's what they call risque???

I tell the women,"Come sit on Santa's lap and feel what I'm gonna' give you for Christmas."

Is Granny Spry?!

Maybe he said
'Come and sit on my lap and let's talk about the first thing that comes up.'

Modern day "grinches"? Sounds like it to me.What goes around comes around is what I say. I am sure he is not hurting for support.

in a society where it has been taught that nearly all feelings are to be embraced as good one's, ooh, there is so much more irratic fun to come, as self feeling validator's cry about their insulted feelings, even wishing vengence and some even death on any that trespass their own feelings.

loon lunacy of lunatics run amock.

such is what is created when the logic of a society is but to protect the feelings, some even saying of all.

it is a sheer mathematical impossibility to accomplish such, since each human hath totally individual one of a kind feelings, since each hath had their feelings created by their own unique view of their own environment since birth, no two eyes of insight seeing the same path of life since birth.

to protect the feelings of all humans, is only but going to create more unsane delusions of reality each day, or the lack of insight of any true reality of the logistics it would actually take to embrace all individual feelings as good.

but, since the corporate world has it's eye on but one thing, money, and it can't stand the thought of losing even one customer, their logic has become no logic at all, just plain unabashed greed and company self interest rum amock.

to continue on the proposed path of feelings validation for all equally, there will have no choice but to increase the trigger happy negative conundrum that is being fueled and created more each day.

welcome to the modern world of childlike feelings in grown ups validated as good morals.

pure and utter unsanity.

no wonder the myans had 2012 as some end of a past way.

this surge of feelings validation, of anyone accused as guilty, no matter the evidence, will be lucky to make it all the way to 2012 without major mob mentalities effecting normal day to day life.

just one threat to the singular self feelings, for many, is enough to reduce them to primitive dog eat dog mentality.

too bad humans forgot that "human feelings" could be felt by other's.

there are too many people embracing hate and other's unlike themself as totally worthless, for those feelings not to consume the masses more each day, as each human is subjected to such feelings collectively being created.

I think firing was extreme, what happens to warning?

IF there had been some previous WARNING about the behavior, I could agree with it. But it seemed like an immediate overreaction(unless there is something written in the mans contract about how he is to behave, sometimes media likes to leave things out to create more sensationalism)