Joke gets Santa Claus fired from Macy's

[Kadie]

Joke gets Santa Claus fired from Macy's
Kevin Fagan, Chronicle Staff Writer
Monday, December 6, 2010



John Toomey has been known as "Santa John" at the Union Square Macy's for more than 20 years -- but no more. He was fired this weekend after a couple complained that they didn't like his light-hearted comments to adults that he hopes they were naughty all year and that "Santa is jolly because he knows where all the naughty girls and boys live."
Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The Chronicle

(12-06) 18:28 PST SAN FRANCISCO --

Santa Claus has been canned from Macy's, and he's anything but jolly about it.

His fans aren't happy, either. And there are many.

John Toomey, known for 20 years at the Union Square Macy's in San Francisco as "Santa John," was told Saturday he'll have to take his "ho, ho ho's" elsewhere because an adult couple complained about a joke he cracked.

The joke has been in his Santa bag for decades. But after thousands of tellings, the 68-year-old retired caretaker for the elderly finally hit the wrong recipients - apparently an older woman and her husband, who considered it inappropriate.

Toomey - who stays in Oroville most summers and winters in San Francisco while he does the kiddie-on-the-knee gig - said he'd never had complaints before about the joke, which he saves for the occasional grown-up who visits him.

"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," Toomey said Monday.

"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."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/12/06/MNC91GML7O.DTL#ixzz17OYnl7sp

[Lint Head]

1. Miracle on 34th Street Redux.

[JI7]

2. why are adults going there to sit on Santa's lap ?

usually it involves adult jokes.

[bluestateguy]

3. That's kind of like the way it works in the public schools

Offend one parent and a whole policy as to be changed to appease one person.