{"id":2520049,"date":"2025-12-11T09:44:01","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:44:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shes-back-for-the-holidays-former-msnbc-host-joy-reid-claims-jingle-bells-is-racist\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T09:47:35","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T14:47:35","slug":"shes-back-for-the-holidays-former-msnbc-host-joy-reid-claims-jingle-bells-is-racist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/shes-back-for-the-holidays-former-msnbc-host-joy-reid-claims-jingle-bells-is-racist\/","title":{"rendered":"She\u2019s Back for the Holidays! Former MSNBC Host Joy Reid Claims \u2018Jingle Bells\u2019 Is Racist"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fshes-back-for-the-holidays-former-msnbc-host-joy-reid-claims-jingle-bells-is-racist%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2520049&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses a controversial claim recently shared by former MSNBC host Joy Reid in a holiday Instagram special. Reid reposted a video asserting that the popular Christmas song &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/exclusive-poll-majority-of-americans-less-likely-to-support-disney-over-woke-politics-firing-of-gina-carano\/\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE POLL: Majority Of Americans Less Likely To Support Disney Over Woke Politics, Firing Of Gina Carano\">racist origins<\/a>. The video features creator Khalil Greene,who alleges that James Lord Pierpont,the song&#8217;s purported composer,was a racist Confederate soldier and that the song was originally writen for minstrel shows meant to mock Black people. it also suggests that some lyrics, like &#8220;laughing all the way,&#8221; reference racist comedic routines of the era. while these claims draw from a 2017 academic paper hinting the song may have been part of minstrel performances, the song&#8217;s true origins remain unclear and disputed, with <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >multiple locations claiming credit<\/a> for its creation.<\/p>\n<p>The article points out that such theories are speculative and far from established fact, describing the video&#8217;s interpretation as &#8220;cheerful revisionism&#8221; lacking strong evidence. It also notes that Joy Reid&#8217;s career has included various racial controversies, and she now shares her views on YouTube with a smaller audience. The piece concludes that while this provocative theory might not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/comedian-nathan-fielder-spars-with-faa-over-shows-hypothesis-of-pilot-communication-theyre-dumb-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Comedian Nathan Fielder spars with FAA over show\u2019s hypothesis of pilot communication: \u2018They\u2019re dumb\u2019 - Washington Examiner\">gain widespread attention<\/a>, it serves as a reminder that Reid remains as controversial as ever.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Joy Reid&rsquo;s back, baby! And just as insane as ever!<\/p>\n<p>In a holiday special from the canceled former MSNBC host, Reid reposted a bizarre theory that &ldquo;Jingle Bells,&rdquo; the song we all know and love, is actually racist.<\/p>\n<p>According to a Wednesday report from the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2025\/12\/10\/media\/jingle-bells-is-racist-claims-video-d-by-joy-reid\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a>, Reid d the video with her 1.3 million followers on Instagram. It begins with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/kahlil.greene\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Khalil Greene<\/a>, a creator with pronouns in his bio and a mission to expose &ldquo;historical injustice,&rdquo; in front of the plaque in Massachusetts where James Lord Pierpont is purported to have composed the song in 1850.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This is where a racist Confederate soldier wrote &lsquo;Jingle Bells&rsquo; to make fun of Black people, and has its origins in bigoted minstrel shows that were popular at the time,&rdquo; a caption reads as Greene looks in disdain at the plaque.<\/p>\n<p>From the New York Post:<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>  The video captions go on to claim Pierpont &mdash; whose nephew grew up to be legendary financier J.P. Morgan &mdash; was hard up for cash when he composed &ldquo;The One Horse Open Sleigh,&rdquo; and did so expressly for its use in performances in which white actors put on blackface to &ldquo;mock and caricature black people trying to participate in winter activities.&rdquo;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>  It alleges that the lyrics &ldquo;laughing all the way&rdquo; in the song &ldquo;likely&rdquo; is a reference to a racist comedic routine of the day known as the &ldquo;Laughing Darkie.&rdquo;<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>  Pierpont patented the song in 1859 and changed its name to the familiar &ldquo;Jingle Bells&rdquo; before the start of the Civil War, at which point the video claims he &ldquo;abandoned his family&rdquo; to join the Confederate Army, and wrote Southern fight songs to &ldquo;rouse men defending slavery.&rdquo;<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>This claim, such as evidence may exist for it, mostly comes from a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/core\/journals\/theatre-survey\/article\/story-i-must-tell-jingle-bells-in-the-minstrel-repertoire\/D42C78950A58BDB88290954F73B195B2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2017 paper<\/a> by a Boston University professor in which it was asserted the best evidence for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/dancing-97-year-old-wwii-veteran-warming-hearts-across-america\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the song&rsquo;s<\/a> origin story &mdash; which is indeed quite hazy &mdash; involved it first being performed in a minstrel show.<\/p>\n<p>Whether or not this is accurate is anyone&rsquo;s guess; the pair notes that both Medford, Massachusetts, and Savannah, Georgia, still claim to be where the song was written, which complicates any narrative regarding the context of its composition.<\/p>\n<p>To the extent that this may or may not be true, the rest of the Instagram video is cheerful revisionism dressed up as serious thought.<\/p>\n<p>If I were to assert that the original lyrics to the song were actually about Batman smelling and Robin laying an egg, this anachronistic theory would only have slightly less correlation to the known facts as Greene&rsquo;s Instagram video did:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DSAiR8dDgge\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\">\n<div style=\"padding: 16px;\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 19% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding-top: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;\">View this post on Instagram<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\n<div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-left: auto;\">\n<div style=\"width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\">\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;\"><a style=\"color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/DSAiR8dDgge\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A post d by Know Your Caribbean (@knowyourcaribbean)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s not pretend that this is an outlier for Reid, either.<\/p>\n<p>This is a woman whose tenure on MSNBC was marred by controversies, usually of the racial variety. This included up until&nbsp;<em>after&nbsp;<\/em>she was dismissed from the network that would soon become known as MS NOW <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/joy-reid-canceled-horrible-ratings-lara-trump-just-blew-ratings-away-new-show\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">for low ratings<\/a> and a high price tag; fellow host Rachel Maddow used the occasion to imply that the decision to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/msnbc-drama-maddow-uses-air-time-call-joy-reids-firing-racist\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">dismiss her colleague was a racial one<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The 57-year-old Reid has been hosting her show on YouTube, where some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/playlist?list=PLrWqoAKJyPGWdNye3RbPNwXlNK6PW3rCo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">episodes<\/a> barely clear 10,000 views depending on whether she has a guest worth watching or not. (An episode last week with Rep. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/beyond-pale-ilhan-omar-says-somalis-actual-victims-massive-somali-fraud-scandal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ilhan Omar<\/a> got over 114,000 views as of Thursday, but an episode this week without guests didn&rsquo;t even manage 6,500 views.)<\/p>\n<p>And now she&rsquo;s back, amplifying a dubious influencer theory that &ldquo;Jingle Bells&rdquo; is a racist tune.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, I guess the good news is that the outr&eacute; theory won&rsquo;t reach too many ears via Reid. However, if you needed a holiday card from the former host to inform you that she&rsquo;s still every bit as crazy, now you have one.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Joy Reid is back and just as controversial as ever! In a holiday special from the former MSNBC host who was canceled, Reid shared a strange theory claiming that the beloved song &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; is actually racist. According to a New York Post report, she posted the video to her 1.3 million Instagram followers. The video features Khalil Greene, an activist focused on exposing historical injustices, standing by a plaque in Massachusetts where James Lord Pierpont supposedly wrote the song in 1850. The caption claims Pierpont was a racist Confederate soldier who created &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; to mock Black people through minstrel shows popular at that time.<\/p>\n<p>The video further alleges that Pierpont wrote the song while struggling financially and intended it for performances where white actors wore blackface to ridicule Black people engaging in winter activities. It suggests that lyrics like &#8220;laughing all the way&#8221; reference a racist comedic routine called the &#8220;Laughing Darkie.&#8221; Pierpont patented the tune in 1859, renamed it &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; before the Civil War, then allegedly abandoned his family to join the Confederate Army and composed pro-slavery fight songs.<\/p>\n<p>These claims mainly stem from a 2017 academic paper proposing that minstrel shows were likely involved in its origins-though evidence remains unclear and contested since both Medford, Massachusetts and Savannah, Georgia claim credit for writing it.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of accuracy, much of this Instagram video reads like revisionist history presented as serious analysis. If I claimed &#8220;Jingle Bells&#8221; was about Batman smelling or Robin laying an egg, my theory would be almost as disconnected from facts as this one.<\/p>\n<p>This isn&#8217;t surprising coming from Reid-her MSNBC career was marked by racial controversies until her dismissal amid low ratings and high costs (which fellow host Rachel Maddow suggested might have been racially motivated). Now hosting on YouTube with modest viewership except when featuring notable guests like Rep. Ilhan Omar (who drew over 114K views), Reid continues promoting questionable theories such as this one about &#8220;Jingle Bells.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>So while this outlandish idea probably won&#8217;t gain widespread traction through her platform, if you needed proof she&#8217;s still stirring controversy during holidays-you&#8217;ve got it now<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2520050,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-12-11T085352.541.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[68636,32137,3746],"class_list":["post-2520049","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-jingle-bells","tag-joy-reid","tag-msnbc"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-12-11T085352.541.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520049","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2520049"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520049\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2520053,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2520049\/revisions\/2520053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2520050"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2520049"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2520049"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2520049"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}