Nothing says, “Remember me!” quite like a whimsically posed shot of your entire family… in the buff.
Naked Christmas cards, not exactly the reason for the season, but noteworthy nonetheless.
I heard about this Christmas card controversy a few days ago. For the first time in the history of sending out Seasons Greetings, I missed my December 22nd deadline, and was forced to join the ranks of post-Christmas card senders.
I typically send out our Christmas cards the first week of December, so I can cross it off my list. I enjoy such a sense of relief when they’re finally inserted into the mail drop-off at the post office, but alas, this year my multi-tasking skills failed me and the cards didn’t get mailed until December 28th.
Following my better-late-than-never card drop-off, I phoned a friend to lament about the guilt brought on by my tardiness. Her reply: “At least you’re not Robert Cringely. His cards weren’t going to go out at all.”
Robert who?
Technology writer Robert X. Cringely apparently has a long-standing family tradition of sending Christmas cards featuring his clan buck-naked.
According to my pal, the Cringelys pose nude for their annual Christmas card… because that’s how they roll.
The only problem is that this year the Cringely’s cards almost didn’t make it to the post office because a Kinko’s employee refused to print them.
Supposedly, the Kinko’s clerk thought the Cringely’s photo, which included his young children in the nude, was “obscene.”
Cringely retorted by saying that his family’s holiday photo didn’t feature any more skin than a picture taken at the beach would.
Take a look at the Cringely’s card and judge for yourself.
It features Cringely, his wife and three young-ish kids posing in the kitchen in Santa hats and little else. The family’s naughty bits are covered, but there’s no question that a lot of skin is showing.
There’s also no question that the card is a joke. Only the Kinko’s clerk didn’t find it funny.
According to reports, the Kinko’s employee felt it was inappropriate for the Cringely children to be posed so provocatively, and didn’t want to be responsible for having a hand in disseminating what some would consider “porn.”
Cringely admits on his blog that posing nude for the holiday card photo is not exactly the kids’ idea of a good time. However, papa Cringely adds that his kiddos were willing to take it all off for right price. This year’s bribe was $2 worth of sour gummy worms per kid.
Long story short, after Cringely’s plight went viral, some guy who owns a printing website offered to print the family’s controversial Christmas cards for less than Kinko’s would have charged.
I know for a fact that I would NEVER be able to coerce anyone in my family to strip down and pose naked for a Christmas card, so I doubt I will ever be in Cringely’s position. So, fear not local Kinko’s employees.
What do you make of the Cringely’s Christmas card controversy? Do you think the photo is obscene?
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