Gap Holiday Ad Isn't Good Enough For Religious Boycotters

The American Family Association appears to be under the impression that the Gap is stealing Christmas. Why? Because the Gap’s holiday ads use terms like "Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanzaa, Go Solstice!"

The AFA, the organization founded in 1977 as the "National Federation for Decency" by ultra-conservative Rev. Doug Wildmon, called for a two-month boycott of Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy:

Gap has refused to use the word Christmas in its television commercials, newspaper ads and in-store promotions despite tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas as well as repeated requests from AFA to do the same.

The new ad, above, was Gap's apparent response. Some might see the spot as a clever play on right-wingers' determination to make sure that retailers mention Christmas (rather than saying “happy holidays”), and one which goes about it in an inclusive way. The ads – as well as others, which say things like “Mo’ Mistletoe” - don’t seem to be disparaging Christmas, though they may be poking fun at retailers' concern about how to address it.

Of course, that concern may stem from groups like the AFA boycotting retailers that don’t directly address Christmas in their advertisements. In the past, they’ve boycotted the Gap for using terms like “Happy Gap-Mas.”

However, the AFA seems to feel it’s no laughing matter:

Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, go whatever holiday you wanukkah

AFA believes this ad to be completely dismissive and disrespectful to those who celebrate the meaning and spirit of Christmas. AFA asked Gap for a meeting to discuss the ad, but Gap has not responded.

If this is Gap's answer to recognizing Christmas, we are deeply disappointed.

Randy Sharp, a group representative claims “"It looks like an attempt to patronize people," he said, "What they did was almost make a joke of it." So, it looks as though, despite their efforts, as far as the AFA is concerned, the Gap is still more naughty than nice.