Is anyone surprised that Santa Claus would be having a mid-life crisis at this point? It’s not just 2020 with the big guy though, since for years now the spirit of Christmas has been kind of waning with some folks and the commercialization of it all has become a serious issue for some people. But turning Santa into an angry white man that’s completely cynical and more than a little creepy according to the clip below is kind of extreme. It appears to indicate that even Santa isn’t immune to feeling used, abused, and opposed to the image that’s been given to him throughout the years. But this commercial is a bit creepy since it shows Santa being a bit awkward and even belligerent in a way that other shows and movies have depicted over the years since one has to imagine that the whole Christmas season has become a bit stressful for a lot of people, but has become even more so for the guy that still has the record for delivering the most packages in a single night. The fact that he might be outdone by the mail service is kind of funny really and would explain his breakdown in a big way considering that it would be one more thing to think about when it comes to his overall mood during the holiday season as people find that belief is coming harder and harder.
This isn’t the first time that Santa has been seen to suffer such a mental crisis over the years since movies and TV shows have made it clear that the big man does suffer from time to time with the belief in his own worth and existence. One movie that made that clear this year, and even pushed the idea of the angry white man, was Fatman with Mel Gibson and Walton Goggins. The movie featured Gibson as Chris Cringle and was pretty blatant about who he was and what he did. The only problem was that he was easier to find since he had a physical address that a person could find if they dug hard enough, and his Christmas cheer was in serious jeopardy since people were no longer believing in him as anything but a legend and were even taking potshots at him as a couple of teenagers were said to have shot at Chris and his sled with deer hunting rifles. It was a different look at Santa Claus to be certain, but it’s not the only one that’s been taken over the years since other movies have given different perspectives as well such as Fred Claus, Arthur Christmas, The Santa Clause movies, and many others.
The legend of Old Saint Nick, Father Christmas, Santa Claus, however a person knows him, is something that people have been embracing for a long time now, and the legend has changed only a little over the years, while the stories that have come from it have gone wide of the mark or have stayed as close to the source as possible while attempting to tell a tale that is keeping with tradition and the old tales that people are so fond of hearing. But of course, it wasn’t too much of a surprise to learn that Santa would eventually be subjected to the continual changes within each era since now global warming and the angry white man syndrome are being mentioned along with his name, which was to be expected. The crumbling iceberg that his home rests upon is kind of a drastic touch, as is the idea that he would ask for reindeer at dinner. Plus, an elf psychologist trying to sort out what’s wrong with Santa is another sign of the times since it’s obvious that our own troubles and issues are being projected onto the legend in a way that makes it evident that what happens to humanity is affecting this legendary character in a negative way. But the ending of the commercial was nice at least since it appeared to give Santa a bit of hope when he noted that the mail he was given included letters from children that restored his faith pretty quick or at least made it possible for him to hope again.
The problem with legends such as Santa, and I say this with respect, is that their mercurial nature is highly dependent on humanity. People tend to project their own fears, hopes, and attitudes onto legends that we’ve been told about since we were little, and as a result, those legends can shine or fade according to how they’re presented by each person. In this manner, Santa and every other legend that people believe in can be a positive figure, a light, a beacon of hope, or they can take on the general attitude of humanity as it continues to shift from one mood to another. But at least that means that hope is never too far away.
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