Please Tell Me This is a Joke

And I thought the Australians were sensible people. Sigh.

THERE'LL be no ho, ho, ho this Christmas. Aspiring Santas have been told not to use the term "ho" because it could be seen as derogatory to women.

Thirty trainees at a Santa course in Adelaide last month,
held by recruitment company Westaff, were urged to replace the traditional festive greeting with "ha, ha, ha".

I'm hoping this is just a bad joke that some idiot newspaperman took seriously.