Is santa gay
Back in November 2015, the film Carol (starring Rooney Mara and Cate Blanchett) was released and millions of gay people everywhere fell in love with this very gay, Christmas movie. Fast forward to November 2021, and now I genuinely think that Norway’s gay Santa advert may just top it for me.
When Harry Met Santa is an advertisement for Posten, the Norwegian postal service, who is using the giving and spiritual time of Christmas to not only reveal a side of Santa Claus you’ve not seen before, but to commemorate 50 years of Norway decriminalizing homosexuality.
Norway’s option of expressing this through an advert depicting Santa as gay may appear like an odd option on the surface, especially if you just view it solely as a way to for organizations and companies to exploit Christmas in order to appeal to viewers, but I personally feel that the short film is more genuine and gentle than that.
If you haven’t watched the advert yet, let me offer you a quick summary: we meet Harry, an older gentleman who goes downstairs one night on Christmas Eve to identify that Santa Claus is in his living room. Santa rushes off assist up the chimney as Harry looks on. It’s
Gay Santa ad highlights enormous shift in Norwegian society
Nordic affairs journalist
Christmas ads have become an annual tradition, often appearing as mini-films with their retain festive story. But one Norwegian commercial, featuring Father Christmas kissing a guy waiting for him at home on Christmas Eve, has become a surprise hit.
In When Harry meets Santa, the four-minute ad by Norway's state-run Posten postal service, the bloke is seen writing Father Christmas a letter to the North Pole with the message: "All I want for Christmas is you." And he gets his wish.
"We wanted to celebrate the 50-year anniversary since the abolition of a law prohibiting lgbtq+ relationships," says Monica Solberg, Posten's marketing director. The ad has been watched well over two million times online.
"The magnitude of response took us a bit by surprise. We expected a reaction, but not to such an extent."
The ad raised few eyebrows in Norway or in neighbouring Nordic countries, but it has prompted some discussion beyond. As well as praise there has been criticism, with claims that it sexualised Father Christmas or that it showed Santa
A new documentary called “I Am Santa Claus” gives a peak into the lives of five Santa impersonators when it’s not the “most wonderful time of the year”—and one of the Santas is gay.
Jim Stevenson, in his 70s, is a Santa impersonator from Texas. Beard, who says he loves being Santa because he doesn’t have kids and it allows him the chance to provide back. The documentary features shots of Stevenson spending time with his partner and the couple sharing a kiss.
“I personally never have had a issue with a straight person about being gay and being Santa,” Stevenson says in the documentary. “I’ve never been admonished for that. I’ve never been questioned. I’ve never — it’s just never come up.”
The documentary touches on how Santa can be anyone who can supply the famous white beard and some holiday cheer. But not everybody feels that way when it comes to Santa being gay.
The mall Santa community doesn’t seem too jolly about Santa Claus being male lover with people on social media speaking out, many including homophobic slurs in their posts.
One YouTube comment:
“So, Santa Fag makes his film debut? How disgraceful! We, a
Santa Claus is gay in new Norwegian ad
It is a relationship that developed over the years, where the protagonists meet only every Christmas Eve and very briefly at that, as one of them always has to rush off to work.
In "When Harry met Santa..." — a nod to the 1989 romantic comedy "When Harry met Sally..." starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan — a romance blossoms between a man called Harry and Santa Claus.
This year's Christmas campaign by Norway's state-owned postal service, Posten, aims not only to mark the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Norway but also underscores Posten's pledge to a diverse workplace.
In the nearly four-minute ad, Harry bumps into Santa Claus delivering gifts to his home one year. They lock eyes and there is an immediate attraction.
A bond grows between the two over several Christmases, but their encounters are always fleeting, as Santa has a tight deadline to deliver gifts. That is, until he enlists Posten's services to facilitate with the deliveries, departing the two more period together, so they can finally kiss in the last scene.
The spot ends with the message: "In 2022, it will have been 5
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