Alex
Is Santa White? Could he also be .....
Posted on: 12/24/2013 08:32
ANyone follow the debate over Santa ethnicity? Can Santa be Black,. or other colours in the rainbow.
It seems that among liberals and many others it is clearly acceptable that Santa being a fictional character (even one very loosely based on a Greek Bishop, it seems the only common factor between the two is that the Bishop gave away toys, while the fictional Santa name appears on gifts for children)
Before you dismiss those who object to Santa being black or displayed as a black man, I ask you too remember an old WC debate that raised similar issues.
Could Santa also be Jewish, Hindi, a Muslim or an atheist?
Could Santa have a disability, perhaps a developmental disability would explains why he arrives through a dirty chimney, instead of just coming through a door. For most picking a lock would be easier than coming down a chimney.
Now returning to an old and heated WC debate. Could Santa be heterosexual, bi, or gay? Does he have to be asexual because he is a fictional person popular with children?
And if Santa could be a gay black atheist, than could Bert and Ernie also be gay? 
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Mendalla
Posted on: 12/24/2013 09:24
Debating the race, sexuality, gender, etc. for a mythological figure who has nothing to do with any of those is pointless.
Those insisting he is a white heterosexual male are as wrong as anyone.
Santa, if taken appropriately, is the spirit of Giving at Christmas.
Santa, taken inappropriately, becomes a shill for the corporate marketing folks.
It is only in the inappropriate manifestation that anything about race... matters, because corporate marketing is all about image, not substance.
I would say, forget about all this and simply live in the true spirit of Santa by giving to others (and, yes, giving without regard for race, sexuality, gender, ...).
Mendalla
MikeBPaterson
Posted on: 12/24/2013 09:45
Check out:
The North American Santa is a descendant of the Durtch Sinterklaas, a decidely white guy with mischievous little black boys in tow. His big day is 6 December.
Then there's the commercialised Finnish Santa who lives in Lapland.
The North American Santa has sold out completely to retail interests and sits around in nice warn department stores and takes part in community Christmas parades which launch the stress and overspending season.
He's ditched the elves and his naughty little black boys who were probably an issue with the Immigration authorities. Whether he is still a racist is arguable. But, if you call ahead and have enough money, you can probably get to sit on the lap of a little green Santa. It's all about customer service.
None of this has anything to do with Peace on Earth, Goodwill to All… or wise men.
Alex
Posted on: 12/24/2013 11:54
Debating the race, sexuality, gender, etc. for a mythological figure who has nothing to do with any of those is pointless.
Those insisting he is a white heterosexual male are as wrong as anyone.
Santa, if taken appropriately, is the spirit of Giving at Christmas.
Santa, taken inappropriately, becomes a shill for the corporate marketing folks.
It is only in the inappropriate manifestation that anything about race... matters, because corporate marketing is all about image, not substance.
Really, syou do not believe that there are different ideologies underneath the Santa character and story, other than then the two opposing ones, marterialism and consumerism, and that of the "spirit of giving" you think that the shopping mails will hire someone who is not white, or a women or a male withoit a beard. Althrough someone once told me that The coka cola company invented the modern Santa, and his white and red colours are the same as Coke. I suppose the maleness and drhe whitness of the modern North American Santa is just a result of him being created during a time, where racism said you had to be both white and male to be trusted, loved. It is interesting how the dutch continue to use black face on the people playing his companon.
It also a cop out to continue to claim that Santa does not have a race, or a religion, and is just a spirit, when he is not a spirit but a fictional character to which most North American ascribe both a race and a religion.
I would say, forget about all this and simply live in the true spirit of Santa by giving to others (and, yes, giving without regard for race, sexuality, gender, ...).
Mendalla
Mendalla
Posted on: 12/24/2013 12:58
Did I say he was a spirit, Alex? I said "mythological figure" which just means a meaningful fiction; a symbolic figure. And, while the modern portrayal is fairly commercialized as I suggested, the basic image does go back much further than Coke (A Visit from Saint Nicholas was first published in 1823 for instance) and that was influenced by earlier ideas. I do agree that he has been badly co-opted but I also feel that he can be reclaimed by those who are interested in doing so and who are willing to dig back past the commercial nonsense, just as many Christian ideas and ideals can be reclaimed by those willing to dig back past both the orthodox and fundamentalist theologies.
Mendalla
Arminius
Posted on: 12/24/2013 14:09
Hi Mendalla:
It seems that St. Nicholas, like St. Paul, is "all things to all people."
In Bavaria, where I grew up, Saint Nicholas is celebrated on the Feast Day of Saint Nicholas, Dec. 6. On that day, Saint Nicholas ("Nikolaus" in German), looking very much like the American Santa Claus, brought us children simple presents like dried fruits, nuts, oranges, and apples. Then, on Christmas Eve, the Christ Child brought presents for everyone. This was during the poverty-stricken post war years in Germany, and neither the Christ Child nor Santa Claus were yet commercially exploited. It was mainly a "rubberboot Christmas" for us, meaning we got mostly practical presents, and were used to this. The only luxury I wished for as a child, and got every Christmas and birthday, was a book.