American comedian Whitney Cummings mentioned on the late-night talk show “Conan” on Wednesday that she was reported to human resources last year for saying “Merry Christmas” to an intern.
Speaking with host Conan O’Brien, Cummings said:
“Last year, I was working on a TV show, and got in trouble with human resources for saying 'Merry Christmas' to an intern.”
Responding to the host’s exclamation of disbelief, she said: “That’s true. I was leaving … I was like, 'Bye, guys. Merry Christmas.' Like just a formality, what you would say.”
The comedian continued:
“I come back, like, June 6th. HR calls me and they’re like, “Hey, we need to talk to you. One of the interns is pissed off that you said 'Merry Christmas'.”
The comedian said her greeting was just a “formality,” adding, “I don’t even care how your Christmas was.”
Cummings, 37, followed up by saying the human resources official had informed her that the intern was “agnostic”.
The response was: “I was like, no, no, no, no, no. You do not get to do that.”
“Because had I known that this person was agnostic, that would mean we were in a relationship, like, that would mean we were intimately connected,” said Cummings.
“I should not know who believes in God and who doesn’t,” Cummings added.
The incident sparked an immediate reaction on social media, as many echoed Cummings' exasperation with rampant “victim culture”.
Some netizens questioned if the incident had really taken place, as it was so “outlandish”.