Santy get a boyfriend...

I forgot how tedious boards can be.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239660#Comment_118239660

why would presenting Santa as " Trans " be a good thing in your view ?

Homelander

Would the main issue for most people not be that it could be slightly confusing for younger kids? Not the inherent fact itself, but more so the clash with already established portrayals of a specific character.

I don't necessarily mean one single ad but the concept in general. I think people sweeping all questioning away as homophobia are being disingenuous. We live in a time where cartoons have non-binary or gay characters, kids certainly do not care nor do a great many adults.

But, if in one instance kids see he's happily romantically involved with a man, but the next feature, he's back with Mrs. Claus - It's not that I think kids care one bit, but kids being kids would definitely be curious as to the lack of consistency in Santa's home life.

Assuming we are promoting the fact of there being a singular Santa....I mean if we teach kids that there are several Santa's, that's completely fine then, but if we are promoting that he's the one and same man at all points, it's a bit confusing.

I mean at the end of the day it's just one ad and well intentioned, I don't think it's seeking to smash any traditions but I wouldn't be a fan of Santa himself as a platform for anything really.

jim o doom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239715#Comment_118239715

Representation. Minorities, especially younger people in those groups love seeing their grouping represented publicly, so they don't feel invisible in society.

I saw a post on Reddit about a disabled child becoming extremely excited and happy about seeing an advertisement in a shop that featured a similarly disabled child in a wheelchair. I've seen other posts with children who have down syndrome being very happy to see other kids and adults with down syndrom featured in ads or TV shows.

All groups want to see themselves represented publicly in some fashion or another, and I suppose some people from the more widely represented groups (straight white etc) may become threatened when some of their widespread representation is replaced with that of other smaller groups.

In this day and age, various fictional characters are shown as all sorts of different things, female versions of originally male characters, or gay versions of originally straight characters.. these are all fictional characters, we can choose to show them anyway we want.

edit - I am not saying being trans is in any way a disability by the way, just pointing out that minority groups want representation and there's nothing wrong with that.

Gregor Samsa

Would the main issue for most people not be that it could be slightly confusing for younger kids? Not the inherent fact itself, but more so the clash with already established portrayals of a specific character.

Kids are very well used to reboots, alternate timelines, etc. Don't worry about the kids.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239821#Comment_118239821

So it's political then ?

Homelander

Yeah but young kids understand none of that stuff is real. They do however believe Santa is real, that's the crux of the conversation for me personally. They don't see it as some fictional representation of a person or thing, they believe there is just one Santa and that person is very real.

Which makes it a little bit challengning for big changes. People comparing it with James Bond or whatever is completely stupid as James Bond isn't real, no-one's ever believed he is real, and there's zero reason for him to "have" to be straight, or white, or whatever, for that reason.

The fact young kids see Santa as a real person is the only potential issue I see with it. Everything else being talked about or comparisons made - kids understood none of it is real which is a huge difference and I wouldn't ever be against inclusivity in these things.

It's a genuine question as well. People are very quick these days to accuse genuine questions of being screened homophobia or something. If you can explain to a kid that one Santa, whatever his differences, is an "alternative timeline" Santa and that explanation works then.....well, great.

jim o doom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239946#Comment_118239946

Is it political? I don't think so, I think it's allowing under-represented groups see that they are part of society, rather than buried like some sort of shameful secret.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239946#Comment_118239946

It's not politics. It's not a war. It's not us and them. It's not erasing your identity, or replacing anything you hold dear.

It's is just a little reflection that there's variety in life, and that it's perfectly normal.

I've been keeping an eye on Santa's village over the past few days and while everything seems to be in order so far, rest assured that I, and others, will be monitoring the situation closely until the Christmas period officially ends in Late June.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp4RRAEgpeU

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118238811#Comment_118238811

Im sorry but if that was a woman it would be a problem too.

Can people not just leave the whoile Santa thing alone. Its just not a nice thing to be fcuking around with for childrens childhoods, which has been fcuked enough already the last few years.

Sonics2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240215#Comment_118240215

Nah that's not true. We had a thread recently on Superman's kid being bi and there was outrage, but not a **** drop of complaint when Catwoman came out as Bi in the comics officially in 2015.

Let's be honest, a large of part of it comes to do "hot vs gross" to a lot of people.

JimmyVik

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240236#Comment_118240236

As someone pointed out above, we are dealing with a "real" person here. Making him fall in love with a woman he keeps visiting would be just as much of a problem. People are projecting homophobia here because they want it to be homophobia.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239949#Comment_118239949

“He can do all these things because Santa is magic”

Tends to cover a multitude of inexplicable and bewildering phenomena about Santa from children who tend to notice things like Santa setting up a Grotto in every shopping centre while the elves are back at the North Pole making all the toys for the children who Santa has on a list and he knows who’s been good and who’s been bad when he’s travelling around the world delivering toys at speeds that defy the laws of physics on the only night of the year he does any work, while children in Africa don’t appear to get any presents…

But yeah, I can totally see how Santa’s home life might be a real head scratcher 🙄

jim o doom

"Its just not a nice thing to be fcuking around with for childrens childhoods, which has been fcuked enough already the last few years."

So it's alright to consistently lie to your child about a magical creature like Santa existing and doing a bunch of made up stuff, only for the child to realise as they grow older that the person in life they trust the most has been lying to them every year up until that point? Seems pretty psychologically damaging to me.

If you spend that long lying to your child about one thing, I'm sure that child is wondering what else you've been lying to them about.

"Oh Santy is fake, well then all this church and god stuff has got to be fake too!" - the conclusion I rapidly came to.

Starfire20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240337#Comment_118240337

god is just santa for adults

Feisar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240337#Comment_118240337

I've been saying God is Santa for adults for years! But I think yer being a bit OTT on the damage that lying to a child has. Tooth Fairy/Easter Bunny needs to go as well I suppose.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240215#Comment_118240215

I quite literally left "the whole Santa thing alone" - in that I did not even bother implementing it with my kids.

Which led one user to say that my posts on the subject "shocked me more than any other i have ever read on boards". And I was not even recommending in any way that anyone do the same. Stop and contemplate some of the posts on boards before you parse that one.

So damned if you do and damned if you don't :) Leaving it alone is not enough for some - you have to follow it to the on high decree lettering and small print and do it right (tm).

But tongue somewhat back out of cheek - mine not Santa's phoar phoar - I am finding it hard to get emotional in any direction about the advert in the OP or pretty much any post on the thread after it. I think a decade of vicarious recreational outrage has finally desensitized me :)

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240422#Comment_118240422

It might be OTT but I err on the side of caution on it myself. Speaking only for myself - I decided early on that the relationship I wanted us to have with our children would be one of honesty where possible. Even where it might not be desirable or even painful.

Not the extreme that I would brook no exception - but just that if there ever was to be an exception I would be damn sure to justify it to myself. And I was simply not able to do that with the Santa thing.

Gregor Samsa

A lot of people on this thread having to paint themselves into the bizarre corner that a fictional character who's current common appearance was popularised by a soft drinks company for advertising purposes is an immutable, unassailable truth, just so they don't have to admit that they're a bit "icky" about men kissing.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240215#Comment_118240215

Who knew Dolly Parton fucked up childrens childhoods

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UPLSEdInOoE

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240276#Comment_118240276

He is not a real person, sorry to be the one to break it to you 🙄

Sonics2k

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240276#Comment_118240276

He is not real. He is as real as the Easter Bunny or god damn Lara Croft.

The only people projecting homophobia here are the people who are being clearly homophobic.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240525#Comment_118240525

Exactly. Saying there would be this much outrage if he kissed a woman is pure nonsense.

Strumms

Would the LGTB community rise up if...

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy was rebooted as straight eye for the queer guy ? Hmmmm

jim o doom

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240422#Comment_118240422

It's certainly possible I am overshooting the mark on any damage it may potentially do, I don't think there is a consensus among mental health specialists either, some say it's real bad, others say it's fine..

I just find it a bit mad that parents are happy to lie to their own kids for years on end about a fictional character, as Gregor Samsa says "popularised by a soft drinks company for advertising purposes" getting freaked out about santa kissing a man. He is fictional. Who cares.

TheValeyard

It's just one commercial in a country far away from here.

Relax lads, Mrs Claus is safe.

Feisar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240543#Comment_118240543

While on one hand I agree with you on the other I dunno. He's (Santa) like a grass roots movement at this stage, whatever about his origins. But then, arguing against myself here, if it's for the kids why can't it be for all the kids? So trans/gay/etc. I suspect (and I'm criticizing myself in this) that mild sexulization doesn't offend when it's hetero.

Gregor Samsa

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240539#Comment_118240539

Lol, The Guardian - of all things - are 18 years ahead of you on that idea! 🤣

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2003/nov/07/shopping.fashion

And no, there was no outrage.

Nor was there when they did it again 3 years ago:

https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2018/jun/12/straight-eye-for-the-queer-guy-owen-jones-gets-a-much-needed-makeover

This business of pretending that "the opposite" of what you disagree would somehow uncover a hypocrisy that would bring "wokeness" crashing down needs to stop.

EmmetSpiceland

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240987#Comment_118240987

But what if he was kissing George Floyd?

Yester

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118240555#Comment_118240555

Mrs. Claus may be safe but wait until she gets a hold of Santa!