The Christmas party feud between CNN and the White House has officially taken a turn for the bizarre


It is officially the holiday season, which means it's time to deck the halls with boughs of holly, roast some chestnuts over an open fire, and passive-aggressively snub your enemies by refusing to go to their Christmas parties. This year's highest profile cold shoulder is coming from CNN, which announced earlier this week that "in light of the president's continued attacks on freedom of the press and CNN, we do not feel it is appropriate to celebrate with him as his invited guests" at the White House's annual Christmas party.
The White House party planners, though, learned a few tricks from their high school years, apparently — chief among them, the best way to make someone jealous is to become BFFs with their best friend. On Thursday afternoon, deputy press secretary Lindsay Walters wrote an invitation to more than a dozen of CNN's behind-the-scenes staff, The Washington Post reports:
The president wanted you to know that while the rest of CNN will not be attending the Christmas reception, if you're able to he is still happy to have you — the cameramen, sound, and other technicians, who work so tirelessly behind the scenes — to come participate. You and your guest will be on the list at the entrance. Please note this invitation is nontransferable.Best,Lindsay [via The Washington Post]
If there is any moral to this Christmas carol, it's that you never refuse a party where there's probably free food and drink. As former White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer resurfaced to say, CNN's attempt at a statement just means "that these individuals, who really probably look forward to going [to the party], can't go anymore." Read more about the strange feud at The Washington Post.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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