If we’re being honest, we still believe in Santa Claus. Yes, we am sure that you are laughing at that statement right now, but let us explain. We believe that Santa Claus is a feeling – a feeling of hope and giving and child beliefs. It’s a feeling of finding ones self.
And so for us, we love movies about Santa Claus. The movies, The Santa Clause, were some of our favorites. And as we have to separate the way that we feel about peoples political views an remember the joy that the franchise of movies brought me.
When I am reviewing something I always watch it twice. Once for first impressions and again to catch anything I missed. And TBH, something in this episode pissed me off. This isn’t Last Man Standing, so tell me why there are comments that are geared towards trying to push an agenda.
In a scene Santa is like, saying ‘Merry Christmas to all’ has suddenly become problematic.
No.
Look, I am not a fan of Tim Allen‘s due to his political beliefs. They are very right wing to me and he’s very close minded. And look, you can say whatever you want to me, but The Santa Clauses isn’t the place to push an agenda. And that line – to me – is a backhanded way to do just that.
Am I aware that many of the people that watch this series are not going to be children? Absolutely. But I also know that I watched this episode then was asked after by an eleven year old, what that line means. Disney, it wasn’t a line that furthered anything.
Showrunner Jack Burditt, who also is behind Last Man Standing, did say to Deadline, that “This is something that I just think is silly but then I’m like, I don’t know.”
He also said, “I mean, look, we also had a joke at one point where Santa is on his rounds, they’re going in for a landing and somebody’s shooting something up at him. And Noel the elf [who rides with Santa], says something like, ‘A war on Christmas!’ I’m like, yeah, I don’t wanna go that far.”
I just feel that they carelessly tried to take this franchise and turn it around to something it’s not supposed to be.
And that is what I call the Tim Allen affect.
But I guess I should get back to the show and look through my fingers at emails for the next few days as I am sure someone will again tell me I am too liberal.
We pick up in the series on Christmas. Santa is delivering gifts with Noel, his main elf. The two are going about their business, delivering toys, having a great time. No one loves Christmas like Santa.
If you’ve seen the original movies, you may remember Santa visited a little girl named Sara. Sara left him soy milk, because he said he was lactose intolerant. He believes that he has extra time, so he stops to visit her. She’s not a kid anymore, she’s a grown ass woman living at home with her family. She’s sleeping on the couch and she doesn’t believe in Santa Claus anymore. But Santa is able to remind her of the magic of Christmas, with a gift that she loved as a kid.
But the thing is, when Santa went to leave, he couldn’t. There wasn’t enough magic.
Santa looses his magic when not enough people believe in him anymore. He knows that people will be worried and the elves definitely are, when they loose him on the radar. It’s so bad that they have to get Mrs. Claus.
Santa does make it home, even though he plays a bad joke, making people think that he’s missing, by hiding in Santa’s bag. Look, I am all for some jokes, but I just have to wonder how some of this is funny. To me, it’s just like not. Seeing all the worry in peoples faces and then it’s as if nothing happened? What? Like where is the joke here?
Yes, a lot of these things are falling short on me and no, I don’t believe it’s due to my dry sense of humor. But I do believe it’s because it’s not funny.
And then when Santa admits what is happening, he sees the elf doc and their concern is that Santa is loosing weight. Now, again, I get the idea that we all have of Santa, that his tummy needs to shake like a bowl full of jello, but I also think that the show is taking the opportunity to make as many back handed comments on the world today as it can.
And that’s annoying.
I can deal with those things on a show that isn’t about a holiday and honestly, that children will watch. I just feel like this isn’t the best place to put all of these back handed comments on society as we know it. Can’t we escape for a minute and just live in the magic of Christmas? Is that too much to ask?
While the show moves forward, we see Santa continue to loose weight while doing nothing. We see him and the elves preparing for Christmas, and we get insight to the naughty or nice list. The whole conversation is – again – backhanded comments on society.
I get that there are a lot of things that are “PC” now a days, and that we need to change the way that we say things. But this isn’t a bad thing. This is a positive thing. However, the way that the conversation goes, and where the elves and Santa seem to annoyed over the way that things are said? Come on. There is nothing wrong with being inclusive and kinder in the way that things are said. So, seeing the show take the opportunity to poke at things is quite frustrating.
I know that some people will say that I am reading too much into it and I could be. I have no problem with shows like Last Man Standing making comments like these. I do however, have an issue with shows that are geared towards kids and young people taking the chance to talk about things like this.
I respect that people have different opinions and that there are a million different ways that things can be taken. I can respect that your opinion may be different than mine.
When Christmas comes around again and Santa heads out with Noel, there is an incident and he falls off the roof, just as Santa did when he visited Scott Calvins house. Is he alive? We’ll find out in episode 2.
OTHER THOUGHTS
- Kal Penn‘s character of Simon isn’t really that likable – he seems like a good dad, but Simon seems to be like he worries more about work, so I am interested to see the redemption arc.
- Santa’s kids being isolated and not knowing how to relate to people is well, relatable
- What is Mrs. Clauses first name?
- Really like Noel, but I miss Bernard
The Santa Clauses is streaming on Disney Plus.
