It wasn't really offensive, it was kind of humorous for a moment, but when you think about it--the
JC Penney's"Christmas promotional commercial" on television where portions of the song "Joy To The World (Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog) substitutes the traditional Christmas Carol, Joy To The World is tacky. If JC Penney wanted to use a secular song, that retailer could have chosen "Jingle Bells," "Deck The Halls," "Let it Snow," "Frosty The Snowman" or some other secular seasonal song. A song that evokes suggestive lyrics is not really suitable for a family Christmas commercial:

" You know I love the ladies

Love to have my fun

I´m a high life flyer and a rainbow rider

A straight shootin´ son-of-a-gun (oh yeah)

I said a straight shootin´ son-of-a-gun

"
The above are sample lyrics from "Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night
- written by Hoyt Axton
- lyrics as recorded by Three Dog Night (#1 for 6 weeks in 1971)

"Joy To The World" by Three Dog Night is a great song with a catchy tune, but it does not belong in a promotional television commercial containing traditional Christmas imagery such as the Christmas Tree because of some of its suggestive lyrics; the Three Dog Night song is more suitable for a summer picnic. The JC Penney commercial did not sing directly from the above lysrics, but the commercial was obviously using the Three Dog Night tune which does not really reflect Christmas values.