File this one under #alternativefacts: former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer, author of the forthcoming memoir The Briefing, actually thinks that A Christmas Carol is a book of Christmas carols and not, you know, an extremely famous novel written by the iconic, well-known author Charles Dickens. It's comforting to know that some things will truly never change.
Let me take you back to the beginning of his latest gaffe. On Tuesday, Sean Spicer posted a picture on Instagram of a large red book imprinted with the title A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. According to his location tag, the book was on display at The White House. So far, so good, right?
But then, there's the caption: "FDRs book of Christmas Carols," Spicer wrote.
Yeah, hate to break it to you, but A Christmas Carol isn't actually a book of Christmas carols.
This is unfortunately not the first nor the most egregious time Sean Spicer has publicly announced incorrect information. During his tenure as White House press secretary, he inaccurately stated that Hitler had never used chemical weapons, falsely claimed that Donald Trump had the largest inauguration ceremony audience of all time, and once retweeted an article that spoke favorably about his tenure in the White House but was actually published by spoof news site The Onion.
In any case, this picture is ironic even without the caption mix-up, considering A Christmas Carol is the story of a despicably rich and greedy miser who is convinced over the course of one fateful night to amend his ways and use his riches to help those less fortunate than himself. It's not so much a story about Christmas as it is about the insidious affects of greed on both individual man and mankind. As Bustle writer Charlotte Ahlin explained:
Most importantly, though, Dickens gave us all Ebenezer Scrooge, a man who embodied the popular Victorian politics of the time. Dickens forced both Scrooge and his readers to face the consequences of greed: Tiny Tim will die and then you will also die, alone. Is that what you want, Malthusian economists? Do you want to die joyless, with no love in your life? Or will you allow these terrifying Christmas ghosts to remind you that poor people are also human beings?
Perhaps Sean Spicer — and all of Donald Trump's current administration — could benefit from cracking open the cover and reading this classic tale. It's a swell reminder that poor people deserve homes and healthcare and food, too. But if reading is too much work, they can always watch A Muppet Christmas Carol instead.
