Netflix Faces Criticism for Satirical Take on Nativity Story in Animated Holiday Film
- Milton Quintanilla Crosswalk Headlines Contributor
- Updated Dec 18, 2024
A new animated film on Netflix recently sparked controversy for mocking the Nativity scene, particularly having one of the characters portraying Mary sing about "keeping" her pregnancy of Jesus Christ instead of going for an abortion. In the scene, a group of children and a teenager named Bernadette participate in a school play about the Nativity story. They decide to modernize it with elements such as a "strictly vegetarian, multicultural fun fest" and a song about climate change.
At the start of the production, Bernadette refers to Jesus as a "cool dude," highlighting his beard and long hair, saying that he is "a hipster basically."
"He wouldn't have wanted us to do the same boring Christmas story year after year, right, parents?" Bernadette asks. "He'd want a strictly vegetarian, multicultural fun fest with lots of pop songs and stuff about climate change."
Additional changes in the production include shepherds herding vegetables instead of sheep, and the three wise men who came to honor baby Jesus were portrayed as three wise women instead. In one scene, the girl who played Mary sings the 1986 Madonna song "Papa Don't Preach, which is about a young woman who tells her father that she decided not to get an abortion amid an unexpected pregnancy.
As The Christian Post previously reported, Madonna argued in a 2019 interview that Jesus is in favor of abortion.
At the song's conclusion, the girl portraying Mary holds up a watermelon meant to represent the baby Jesus.
Another student, however, accidentally ruins the production by knocking the watermelon out of girl's hands, resulting in the the fruit falling into the group and splattering the audience.
After the show was finished, several adults were not pleased with the production, with one adult telling Bernadette, "I don't think Jesus and jokes go together, dear."
According to The Christian Post, the scene was criticized online for its mockery of the Nativity story.
"This film crosses the line by mocking the nativity scene and featuring Mary singing about keeping baby Jesus, promoting some seriously disturbing rhetoric. Not impressed!" Mary-Logan Miske, the Southeast campus formation coordinator at Students for Life of America, wrote in an Instagram post in addition to her reaction to the scene.
Meanwhile, Blaze contributor Allen Mashburn asked why parents are still subscribed to Netflix, accusing the streaming service of promoting "woke ideologies." Regarding the movie, he described it as "an uneasy watch that veers into absurdity from the very beginning."
"The movie also depicts a severe snowstorm as a Climate Catastrophe, repeatedly emphasizing the devastating effects of climate change," Mashburn wrote. "Additionally, the angel cookies are decorated with grotesque monster images, and one cookie even features a moment when the camera focuses on a child biting off the head of an angel cookie."
🚨Hey Parents, if you still subscribe to Netflix, WHY?
— Allen Mashburn (@Mashburn4NC) December 6, 2024
They hate you, your children, your minds, your country. They want to rewrite your convictions, morals, and worldview.
In their new Christmas movie, THAT CHRISTMAS— Netflix promotes woke ideologies, including climate… pic.twitter.com/9Ubl2Thx5A
"Overall, this movie seems to be driven by an agenda, urging viewers to be vigilant, wise, and cautious about the content they consume," he added.
"That Christmas", which is now available on Netflix, is based on a series of children's books by Richard Curtis, who directed the 2003 film "Love Actually." Curtis was also one of the writers for the film.
Photo Credit: ©YouTube/Netflix After School
