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| 93 year old Shirley Campbell is suing the composers of The Christmas Song for a combined $18.6 million. |
For millions of people around the world, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Snow is glistening, bells ring out, and a feeling of goodwill emanates from even the most hardened stranger.
Christmas used to be Omaha native Shirley Campbell's favourite time of the year as well. Each year she would bake her famous fudge brownies and gingerbread cookies and have the family return to the farm during the holidays.
However, Christmas is shaping up to be completely different this year for the resident of Silver Memories Home on South 101st St. This year she has moved into assisted living, thrown away her Christmas aprons, and vows to not celebrate the holiday again until she "gets (her) fair share."
Campbell had been dreading this Christmas ever since turning 93 years young on August 14th, an event celebrated with family members and a few close friends. The still-active bridge player and knitter cites the popular Christmas carol "The Christmas Song," popularly known as "Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire," as the source of her gloom. In the song, penned in 1945 by Bob Wells and Mel Tormé, the last stanza states the following: And so I'm offering this simple phrase/To kids from one to ninety-two/Although it's been said many times, many ways/Merry Christmas to you."
"It was during the Christmas season last year when I was picking up a prescription at my pharmacy that those words came overhead the speakers. They really caused emotional trauma, because I knew that the composers were utilizing ageism and effectively saying that once I hit 93, I was not deserving of having a Merry Christmas,"
Campbell is suing the estates of Wells and Tormé for $9.3 million dollars apiece. Representatives for both families did not respond to requests for interviews by The North American.
From Our Omaha Bureau
1 comment:
Bah, humbug!
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