All language subtitles for Santa.Camp.2022.1080p.WEB.h264-KOGi.sdh.en

[baby crying]

[Donna Summer's "I Feel Love"]

♪ ♪

[babies screaming]

[baby crying]

♪ ♪

♪ I feel love ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I feel love ♪

[baby crying]

♪ ♪

♪ I feel love ♪

♪ ♪

♪ I feel love ♪

♪ ♪

[serious music]

[indistinct chatter,
car doors closing]

♪ ♪

I got it. I got it.

It doesn't bend well,
that's all.

The right knee is the worst one.

There you go.

You skinny guys
will have to sit at the end.

[laughter]

Dick, you've been doing this

probably longer than any of us.

I mean, you must have
some stories about...

Oh, sure.

[hoarsely] This little boy
was waiting...

[clears throat] In line.

And he was just jumping,
and he held his hands,

and he was smiling
like crazy, you know?

And, like, he just could
not wait to get to see Santa.

And so, finally, it's his turn.

And I says,
"And so how are you?"

And he says, "I pooped!"

[laughter]

So I've got one.

A lot of times they'll say,

"All right, if you're the real
Santa, what's my name?"

Oh, I got that one.

And usually what I say is,
"Listen, I only know

"the names of the children
on the nice list.

I don't know your name."

[laughter]

So I got a call to book a Santa.

And she said, "Is he white?"

And I was like,
"Well, yeah, I mean

all the Santas
I have are white."

So I'm thinking about trying
to bring on people

who can...

So you can offer Santas

who aren't kind of
the cookie cutter,

white, 65 years old, fat.

Now, some clients will disagree

because they have
a very specific thing

they want in their Santa.

The way I explained it one time

when I got challenged on it was,

well, I started with
the history of Santa, okay?

Santa originated

in the European continent,

and the predominant
population was white.

So Santa would be white.

- Actually...
- That's wrong.

Jesus Christ and St. Nicholas

would have been brown,
not white.

I'm talking about trying
to explain

to a four-year-old child

why she can't have
a Black Santa.

It doesn't matter.

It just doesn't matter
whether they're gay,

they're white,
they're Jewish, they're Black.

Being the oldest member
of this group,

for my generation, at first,

this was a little difficult
to accept.

But God created no junk.

You know?

So it doesn't matter.

[light music]

[engine turning over]

♪ ♪

Oh, about ten years ago,

we created
the New England Santa Society.

And it's open for Santas
of all types,

Mrs. Clauses, elves,
and other holiday performers.

We have a lot
of really experienced Santas.

I mean, we have Santas who have
been doing it 30, 40, 50 years.

So we created a school,

which is now called Santa Camp.

It's starting to become
more visible

and we're starting to do
much more promotion of it.

So this is one of
the most popular top reasons

to come to Santa Camp.

We have some photos.
We have some videos.

We do have our kazoo band.

[kazoos playing]

One of the things
I think really sets

our Santa school apart

is that we have been trying
to reach out

to more and more types of Santas

and Santas
from different backgrounds,

just

people who are different.

But I think sometimes
the issue we run into

is that people just have a very

specific idea of what Santa
should look like.

And I think a lot of times,
it's their childhood Santa,

the one they remember as kids.

♪ ♪

Does Santa need to have a look?

Well, he's certainly got to look

something like Santa Claus.

It must be a red suit,
black belt, beard.

And it's much better
if they can pull it, okay?

You can get, like, a heat iron,

and you just kind of curl it
and roll it under.

The belly can be padded.

Mine is real. I can't hide that.

I think people definitely
have an expectation

of how Santa should look.

A few years ago, I understand
that they did hire

a Black Santa
at the Mall of America.

And apparently
it didn't go so well,

and there was a lot
of pushback about it,

and not everybody
was thrilled with the idea.

A Black Santa Claus
at the Mall of America,

the country's largest mall,

is causing a torrent
of hateful, racist comments.

With some people online
even calling for a boycott.

There was some talk
on the Internet,

not from other Santas.

Unfortunately, in America,
we're not quite at the stage

where everybody can be accepted
as Santa Claus.

I just don't know
why it's necessary.

I don't understand
why people feel

they need a Black Santa Claus.

Changing the race
is cultural appropriation.

For all you kids watching
at home, Santa just is white.

How do you just revise it,

you know, in the middle
of the legacy of the story

and change Santa
from white to Black?

I mean, you can't.

[dog barking]

♪ ♪

[lows]

- This is Rudy.
- This is our baby.

Look at how big he's grown.
See those antlers?

Santa has reindeer
all over the world,

in case he should have
a problem with the Elite Eight

on his special trips.

You all pooped and tuckered.

Oh, there you go.
You gonna take a little nap?

Santa likes to take a nap

in the afternoon, too,
sometimes, you know?

My role as Mrs. Claus
started in 2006.

I had just retired.

[chuckles] Yeah, I spent 40
years working in engineering,

which was pretty much
a male-dominated field.

So, yeah, so when I make up for
the character as Mrs. Claus...

[scoffs] She ain't being
disrespected, you know?

It's like, I am not
the warm-up act for Santa.

I come in on his arm.
I am his wife.

I am not an elf
doing all those things

that I think the elves do.

♪ ♪

Let's see.

Santa loves Mrs. Claus.
Mrs. Claus loves Santa.

There's no doubt about that.

But as the world has changed,
so has Mrs. Claus.

We've come a long way, baby.

♪ ♪

In a few weeks, I'm gonna be up
in Manchester, New Hampshire,

at the Santa Camp.

And I'm gonna be doing a program

with a couple other Santas
and Mrs. Clauses

about issues with Mrs. Claus.

♪ ♪

I think everybody wants to be
treated fairly and equally,

and, you know,
that's just the way it is.

But how pushy are you gonna be
about it, you know?

And it's like, "I'm pushy."

[reel whirs, water splashes]

[excited chatter]

♪ ♪

[people screaming]

- Merry Christmas!
- Hi.

- Yo, Santa!
- Hey, guys. How are you?

- Yeah!
- Good to see you.

- Say cookies!
- Cookies!

So today there's gonna be
a lot of Santas

running around the park.

Once we're away from Christmas,

we meet pretty much
every month as a group.

Hey, Santa.

Well, hello, there, young man.

We like to dress up,
have different outfits.

This is our summer Santa style.

[laughing]

That shit's going deep!

- Hi!
- [baby crying]

Okay.

I thought that
was a smile coming.

[laughs]

Hey, come on over.

Are you gonna get a picture,
or you just want to chat?

- Both!
- All right.

Let's get
a good background here.

We'll get
this banana background.

A real live Santa Claus.

You have the new kicks.

No! These were made by an elf.

[laughter]

So Santa was, like,
definitely my biggest idol.

That's why I'm, like,
kind of shocked right now.

He was like, my hero,
definitely.

Have you always seen Santa
as being white?

Yes. I wish there was, like,
a variety of Santas

that are willing to come
in different colors

to let people know
that they could come

in any different shape
and form, you know?

But that's not how the world,
like, is right now, so...

- But it could change.
- Yeah.

- Yeah, things are changing.
- Hopefully.

You just got to find 'em.

Yeah.

♪ ♪

Jolly.

Santa Claus is just an idea.

And the fact that a Black child

wants to have a Black Santa,
somebody who looks like them,

what's the problem?

I mean

that's it.

It's Santa. [Chuckles]

I mean... [scoffs, sniffles]

[voice breaking]
The look in the kids' eyes

when they meet you, and...

That's what it's about.

♪ ♪

[sniffles] Excuse me.

[blows nose]

♪ ♪

Here in New Hampshire,

we don't have
huge minority populations,

so we have been reaching out
to people outside New England.

"Black Santa Claus."

And there's a Santa named Chris.

He's Black.

And he has a heck
of a story to tell.

A North Little Rock man's
Facebook post is going viral

after showing a letter
he received in the mail.

He claims that he was
the target of a racist note...

Attacking him
for not having a white Santa.

I have never had any problems
out of anybody.

All of a sudden, we got
a problem with Black Santa.

But this man

he ain't coming down.

[dramatic music]

We moved to North Little Rock
specifically for our daughter.

We wanted to offer her
a great education

from the very beginning.

I'm drawing Santa.

No, I'm gonna do
a little bit of brown.

He's kind of chocolaty.

But, you know,
we're Black people

in a predominantly
white neighborhood.

- That is the Karen right there.
- Yes.

- She making blocks.
- Yeah, she is.

- And she's calling.
- Calling who?

- The police, I guess.
- Psycho.

When you're walking by yourself,

that's why I definitely feel
the need

that you need to be
in bright clothing.

Like, I prefer
that your cell phone case

be a bright, obnoxious color
so someone can obviously tell

that it is a cell phone
and not a gun.

♪ ♪

Representation is a big thing
for our family.

And I have a ten-foot-tall
inflatable Black Santa.

One day I checked the mail,

and there was a letter in there.

I opened it. I got mad.

I was definitely angry.
In fact, I was livid.

This is the type of people
that I live around.

This is the type of people

that I have to raise
my daughter around.

These are the type of people
that I have to worry about.

♪ ♪

This is what I got.

- Can I ask you to read it?
- I really don't want to.

Like, it just...

Yeah.

Because one of the things...
I start stuttering,

and that makes me
even more frustrated.

And so that's why I generally
don't read it out loud.

So, yeah.

♪ ♪

[humming]

It was 100% an attack
on who I am as a person.

♪ ♪

We, of course, thought,

"Did we pick the right
neighborhood to live in?

And should we be
looking to move?"

That's what we live
next door to.

♪ ♪

A stupid Confederate flag.

♪ ♪

It's the clear
and present danger for us.

I needed to channel the anger

into something
that wasn't negative.

So I went and rented
a Santa costume

and played Santa Claus
for my daughter.

Down and across.

I want to be able to be
Black Santa

for other families.

So I'm gonna be going
up to New Hampshire

to a Santa camp

to learn all the ins and outs
of being Santa.

This is what I created.

♪ ♪

How long have you been a Santa?

I've been a Santa
since I was 16 years old.

I'm 69 years old
in human years now.

So 53 years.

I have been to Santa Camp
three years in a row.

It helps me connect
with other like-minded people.

You learn techniques.

And you learn the business

'cause the business
of Santa Claus is very big.

I could easily walk away

with $2,000 a night.

There's a particular Santa
that comes from Rhode Island.

He's known
as Santa to the Stars.

I mean, he has a house in Italy.

I mean, he has a house
in California,

and he drives brand-new cars.

I think there's approximately

5,000 to 6,000
professional Santas.

And you know the whole reason
of having professional Santas

is to improve, like a guild.

You meet people and learn
from their experiences.

It's like a big family.

Santa Society is
like a brotherhood.

We quite often call ourselves
"The Brothers in Red."

[distant bell tolling]

[light music]

♪ ♪

Into your hands, oh, God,

we commend Your servant
Dick Marshall.

It doesn't matter.

God created no junk.

♪ ♪

All that he did,
Dick offered love

and compassion and faith

shared through joy
and a bit of hope and magic.

On behalf
of Dick Marshall's family,

you are welcomed here.

All are welcomed here

because as Dick
so amply enjoyed saying...

Perfect. Thanks.

That "God don't make no junk."

♪ ♪

Look at this one
with the wig flying back.

Dick looks like
he's terrified, you know.

In that one. Both: Yep.

♪ ♪

- It was just so sudden.
- It was heartbreaking.

Yeah. He was very supportive
of the move now

to try to expand the diversity
of the Santa community

and trying to brainstorm,

like, how do we reach out,
how do we find those people?

Well, you can't put an ad
in the paper, say,

"Any dwarfs out there
that want to be Santa Claus,

"particularly if you're Jewish

and of a different color."

There's no way for us
to ask for that

that I'm aware of
without offending.

There is that

conservatism sometimes in the
Santa community

that's very closed.

But I think that was
the nice thing with Dick,

is that it didn't matter
what you look like.

Being Santa is in the heart.

♪ ♪

All right. Whoa!

♪ ♪

Stay.

♪ ♪

How's this one?
Oh, this one's good.

- There he is.
- Ho, ho, ho!

- Hi.
- It's nice to meet you.

Now, I have a question.

Is there anything
that we need to do or

I mean, have you ever had
a nonspeaking person there

at Santa Camp
before or anything?

- This will be the first.
- Oh, okay.

[chuckles]
'Cause it's a little bit...

You know, going into a new
situation with lots of people

can be a little daunting.

Because Fin Barre's
a Santa with spin a bifida,

and I don't know
if that's a situation...

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

Doesn't have any problem with
the "ho, ho, ho" part, however.

- Yeah. That's right.
- [laughter]

In here is

the lair of Santa Fin.

And there he is.

- [grunts]
- [chuckles]

- [computerized voice]
- I love everything about Santa.

Really? I couldn't tell.

What's that device
that you're holding?

My iPad.

So Fin is what's called
a multimodal communicator,

meaning he uses his hands,
his body, his iPad,

and his voice to communicate.

Can it ever be hard
to communicate?

Yes.

Except when he has
the big red suit on.

The magic just...
[snaps fingers] Clicks.

What's the best thing
about being Santa?

♪ ♪

I fly around in a sleigh.

- Ho, ho, ho, ho.
- Your sleigh.

Anytime anyone sees anything
that says "ho, ho, ho" on it,

it ends up in this room somehow.

That's a gift. That's a gift.
That's a gift. That's a gift.

And he's got that whole
snow-globe thing

going on here, too.

So we need to do all sorts
of updates

on the Santa Fin website.

Okay. And maybe
we might have some giveaway.

I'm not quite sure
what that would be.

- T-shirts.
- T-shirts.

- Candy.
- [chuckles]

I want my elves
to give out stuffed bears.

- You want to do that?
- Cool.

So, on the homepage, it says,
"It all started with a dream,

"a dream to follow his passion
and be a real Santa,

regardless of any obstacle
that may have been in his way."

[both chuckle]

What are some
of those obstacles?

Well, what's happened a lot
in the past

when we've reached out
to places,

they're like,
"Yeah, a special... What?

"No. What?

No, we couldn't have
a special-needs Santa."

And, I mean, I've had people
that have said to me, you know,

"Can I catch what he has?"
It's like...

- What?
- "I don't know,

but you caught an awful lot
of stupid, like"...

Yeah, you caught stupid.

Fin, how did that make you feel?

- Sad.
- Sad? Yeah.

- Sad.
- Yeah, it's super painful.

[voice breaking]
I don't know, man.

[sniffles]

He's typing something.

Go ahead, honey.

I want to be a Santa
in a December parade.

Okay.

What is it about being
in a parade

that's, like,
so important to you?

I want to show everyone
that I am the real Santa.

- It's his dream, so...
- Yes.

All right, so...

Hi there, Kay. This is Suki.

I had texted you about a month
or so ago about the parade.

- Hello.
- I'm calling.

I know it's August, but
I've got a kind of wild idea.

- Well, maybe.
- I don't know who

[line beeps] Oh, no, I lost him.

Unreal.

[exhales deeply]

[keys clacking]

So we have been
reaching out to Santas

of different backgrounds...

Like this Santa named Levi.

He's trans.

Ho, ho, ho.

Santa Levi,
aka Trans Santa here.

Actually, he looks
pretty good as a Santa.

[mouthing words]

♪ I don't want
a lot for Christmas ♪

That's what we're looking for.

[laughter]

We literally went to Target
and bought a Santa onesie.

[laughs]

Look how cute we are.

Look at Levi with the babies.

- Most of the kids cried.
- [giggles]

I think the night before
and that morning,

I, like, practiced ho-ho-ho-ing

'cause that was, like, really

I was like, oh, wait.
I have to like,

talk to people in a Santa-y,

like, boisterous like,
"ho, ho, ho," right?

'Cause, you know, it takes
a while for your voice

to change when you're taking
testosterone.

But in a Santa suit,
everybody likes you,

so it's fine.

♪ ♪

- We met online.
- Yeah.

[clears throat] I was fresh
out of a relationship.

He was newish to Chicago.

Can I talk about you
for a second?

- Yeah.
- When we met,

Levi knew that he was a boy

but had no desire
to ever transition.

I just didn't want to be
an old white guy

having privilege and not
recognizing privilege and

I don't want to be that.

I like being other.

And part of that is being
Trans Santa

and being, like,
a super queer fat Mrs. Claus...

[laughs] And killing it.

Check that out.

- Oh, boo.
- Oh!

- Still have zero, by the way.
- Oh, I'm losing.

When Heidi found out
there was a Santa Camp,

she immediately was like,
"Yeah, we're going."

And I was like, "Why?"

What is not appealing
about Santa Camp?

I mean, come on!
That sounds amazing.

'Cause to me, I think like,

Santa in, like, big armchairs
that are cozy, right?

So that's what I visualized.

Look at all that wood paneling.

Yeah. And a lot of red.

- Oh.
- Oh.

They're all white.

Are they all white?

I mean

at a first visual capture,
they appear to be all white.

It's true.

♪ ♪

Are you still
as excited to go as you were?

- [exhales deeply]
- You okay?

Like, I genuinely want to go

and learn
how to be a better Santa.

Hope I'm accepted
by the other Santas.

Fuck 'em if you're not, babe.

- It's true, but...
- Like, come on.

[soft music]

People need to see themselves
in role models.

For sure.

Like, if I saw
a trans Santa when I was a kid

and I was like

you know, when I was a kid,
I didn't really know,

like, what trans was.

♪ ♪

It would be... comforting.
I don't know.

- Empowering.
- Definitely empowering.

♪ ♪

Yeah.

Now I'm starting to get, like,
choked up a little bit.

- I can tell.
- I don't know.

♪ ♪

- What are you thinking?
- [chuckles]

♪ ♪

- Sorry.
- [sniffles]

It would have made
a difference for you.

- Yeah.
- [scoffs]

Yeah. [Sniffles]

♪ ♪

[bright music]

The preparations have begun.

Here we go.

Starting with the fat suit.

So how are you feeling?

I am excited for Santa Camp.

Oops. Now it's just
totally coming off.

This needs to get fixed as well.

You gonna wear this
at Santa Camp?

Cool. It's gonna be perfect.

Fin is asking every day,

"Is it time to go to camp?
Is it time to go to camp?"

I think it's gonna be hot
at camp, so

no velvet.

- I get anxious.
- I worry, for sure.

I don't want him to get hurt.

I particularly don't want
anybody to call him,

like, the R word.

There could be some people
that would think,

"Oh, you know,

"shouldn't have someone like
that being Santa," you know.

I mean, there could be somebody
in a group of 100 people

that would feel that way.

I mean, the probability
is fairly high, I would say

particularly old white men.
[chuckles]

You gonna bring your beard, too?

Yeah.

It needs a good brush.

It's amazing, really,
the things that he can do

that they told me
he would never do.

The doctor said
he'd never walk and talk,

that he'd be a quadriplegic.

Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

When you have spin a bifida,
usually it's like

a lot of moms are told,
"Your son's gonna...

"Or your daughter's gonna be
a vegetable.

Find a good institution
and visit them on the weekend,"

which is what they told me.

And I went,
"This is not your decision.

And I am done
listening to this."

And I never looked back,

and I never, ever stopped.

What about that cool
"ho, ho, ho" vest?

Mom made this for you.

♪ ♪

It's a long journey.

[voice breaking] I mean,
30 years is a long time.

It's a big chunk of my life

that I've devoted
to this young man.

I'm 65. I'm tired. [Chuckles]

That will be good
for Santa Camp.

We are going to camp

to have Fin have the best
experience that he can

because this is his passion.

And oddly enough,
it's become mine as well.

♪ ♪

[animals chattering]

[indistinct chatter]

[Enya's "Only Time"]

♪ ♪

♪ Who can say
where the road goes?

♪ Where the day flows? ♪

♪ Only time ♪

♪ And who can say ♪

♪ If your love grows ♪

[camera shutter clicks]

♪ As your heart chose? ♪

♪ Only time ♪

All right, let's start.

Let's get to work.

♪ ♪

- All right.
- I'm taking this one.

A couple mosquitoes flying
around here.

♪ ♪

Good to see you, Santa.

Oh, and it's good to see you,
Santa, as well.

Ho! All: Ho!

Ho, ho, ho! All: Ho, ho, ho!

♪ ♪

Santa Camp is not something

that I had grown up
envisioning myself doing,

so this is definitely
a new one on me.

I mean, Black Santa
is not widely celebrated.

There's not very many of us, so

oh, it's definitely gonna be
a strange experience.

- This must be Santa.
- It is Santa.

- Has to be a Santa.
- We're glad you're here.

- I'm happy to be here.
- Yeah.

- You're close with your shoes.
- Orange is close to red.

I actually do not own
a lot of red.

Most of the things
that I own are green.

♪ ♪

♪ Who can say
if your love grows ♪

All right, we're gonna come
right up to the sign.

Half circle around.

Elves to the front.

Are you getting excited?

Santa's here.

- You with the white beard.
- [laughter]

Smile.

♪ ♪

[all cheering]

I say "Santa," you say "Claus."

Santa! All: Claus!

Santa! All: Claus!

I say "Missus," you say "Claus."

Missus! All: Claus!

Missus! All: Claus!

I say "Rudolph,"
you say "reindeer."

Rudolph! All: Reindeer!

I many times have,
in the past few weeks,

thought that this is
really nuts, really crazy.

[soft music]

- [balloon pops]
- Oh!

Oops.

Santa Camps generally attract

gentlemen of a certain age.

Older gentlemen who have
cultivated fat tummies...

[chuckles] And very serious
about their beards.

Usually God-fearing kind of,
like, Vietnam-vet guys

and Christian guys and

guys, you know?

Heads up.

We're going
into Santa world, and

I have no idea
how it's gonna go,

because we are very different...

[chuckles] Really different.

Are you nervous, Fin?

Got to do it for The Fin
because it's his dream.

♪ ♪

Oh, damn it.

- [moans]
- I know you're excited.

Please try to calm down, okay?

♪ ♪

[door opens] Hi.

Hi, everybody. I am Santa Fin.

Fin, your name tag.

We'll worry about Wi-Fi later.

Oh, yes. Yeah.

- Wi-Fi, where's the Wi-Fi?
- Yeah, right, right.

Okay, that's for Fin.

Okay, there you go, Santa Fin.

Yeah.

- This is my son Fin.
- I'm his momager.

Hi, Fin. Pleasure to meet you.

I'm Dave.
I'm one of the instructors.

I've been Santa for six years.

Awesome. Awesome.

- There you go, like that.
- Look right at me.

Now...

There you go.

All right.
Are you ready to go, Fin?

Your turn, dude.

All right,
and look right at the child

like the child is telling you
what's on their list.

I felt very nervous.

But he usually
wins everybody over

regardless
of all of the obstacles.

- All right, you're all set.
- All right.

And who's next?

Let me push the button here,
see if it goes on.

[device beeps]

[magical music]

♪ ♪

- Smile.
- [indistinct chatter]

Snow, let it snow, let it snow.

That's a good shot.

They won't believe that
in Rhode Island.

[laughs]

So what was Christmas like
down in Arkansas?

Well, I actually grew up
in Texas.

- Oh, you did? Okay.
- Yeah.

My mom's a lesbian.

So Santa was
a Black lesbian woman for me.

Okay.

I think

sometimes you just worry
that you're going to say

the wrong thing
and offend somebody.

You know, you're just not sure

how to deal with
those situations,

especially today, in today's
politically correct world

and cancel culture
and everything.

You're just so afraid
what to say.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you. I'm Suki.

- Hi. Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

We've tried to really work
on just making ourselves

more familiar
with what's going on.

And, I mean, you know,
we were talking today

on another topic,

but just
the whole pronouns issue,

that for us old guys,

it's like, "My pronoun?"
You know?

Things have
really changed recently

in acknowledging
the gender issues.

♪ ♪

- "Gender issues"?
- And I was like...

- Yep.
- They're trying.

But there's some
other verbiage we could use

other than, like, "issues."

♪ ♪

Grab a seat.

All right.

So we have a lot of new Santas.

[soft music]

Chris, who is a Black Santa,

he's from Little Rock, Arkansas,

and then Levi

is transgender, male.

So they're getting into this

in a very different way
than most of us did.

You know, there are things
we might have to think about.

We've got to get used to it,

because as
the last census bureau said,

we are a minority now.

So the biggest hurdle

that's embedded
in everybody's mind

is that Santa is a elderly,

older white male,

and it's the toughest thing.

When somebody sees
a Black Santa, they're like,

"Mm, oh, jeez, that's not
what we were raised with."

To me, it wouldn't be a shock,

but it would be different

because it'll be the first time
I've seen one.

Yeah, okay, let's move along,

'cause we still got a lot to do.

[indistinct chatter]

I hope it works.

- Yeah.
- [laughter]

[bell ringing]

♪ ♪

As a school for Santas
and Mrs. Clauses and helpers,

we try to cover

the whole gamut of being Santa.

All: Dasher, Dancer,

Prancer, Vixen...

You have to know the basics
of the Santa legend.

All: Rudolph.

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen,
Comet, Cupid...

But you develop your own Santa.

All: Dasher, Dancer, Prancer,
Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner.

We have people who have

20, 30 years of experience.

Always the first question is...

"You're not the real Santa.

I know you're not
the real Santa."

What's your answer to it?
What's your answer to it?

Anybody?

- Yes. I am real.
- Excellent.

It's exactly what I say...
"Of course I am. I'm Santa.

Ow, ooh. Ow, that hurt.
I'm real. Look, pinch me."

[excited chatter]

We've got a lot
of Mrs. Clauses now,

and they're looking
to figure out

how they can really become
part of the community.

Round ones on the front part.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[chatter continues]

♪ ♪

[object thuds,
cheers and applause]

We really try to make it
an interactive program.

Okay, so Santa loves
to laugh, right?

So what do you do first is
you start with a little giggle.

[laughing]

- No.
- Please join me.

[laughter]

- Can you say "ho, ho, ho"?
- Come on, Fin.

- Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
- [applause]

Good job, Fin.

The most common thing
we hear after camp is,

"I think my brain's
gonna explode."

Being the only person
of color here,

it was definitely lonely
and awkward,

to say the least.

♪ ♪

Does Santa have
a diversity problem?

Boy, that is a good question.

Why is he predominantly white?

Um...

Hmm.

I don't know
if it's a diversity problem

or it's just people accept
that Santa is a certain way.

- [sighs]
- It's probably historical.

Yeah.

And, actually, the first Santa
was from Turkey.

So he really wasn't white.

He was

olive, would you say?

Santa's an icon.

Coke was a big promoter
of what Santa looked like,

to the point
where you have customers

who come along and say,
"I want Santa."

And they know exactly
what they want.

They want the Coke Santa.

Over all the years
I've done this,

I have never been asked
by a child,

"How come you're white?

How come Santa
isn't Black like me?"

So kids don't see color.

Do you find that
the challenge of being a Santa,

when most of us look like this,
is tough,

or do you think it's gonna
become more and more accepted?

I don't think it'll be
as tough as most would think

because there is a request,
a need out there.

For us, the closest Santa

would have been
New Orleans or Houston.

- Yeah.
- Five to nine hours away.

- So I'm gonna be my own.
- [chuckles]

Are you looking to be
Santa elsewhere?

- Yes.
- In other words...

- Okay.
- Yes.

It's... that's

yeah.

So... yeah.

I don't necessarily think
that other Santas

were asked
those kind of questions.

There are definitely
a few Santas

that are uncomfortable
with a Santa of color

or, in general,
with me being here.

But it's not
a new experience to me

because I've gone through it
all my life.

It's not a ball, teddy bear.

[dog whimpering]

Santa, of course,
is the limelight,

but Mrs. Claus has been
coming up into that limelight

quite a bit in the last,

I don't know,
eight to ten years.

I needed an outlet
for the seriousness of nursing.

And now we're here.
So you just never know.

I think that the Mrs. Santas
tend to be overlooked a lot.

Sometimes you feel like,
"Ah, nobody cares."

Santa and Mrs. Claus
don't always get along.

No, because they're
two different people,

sometimes with two different
opinions about things.

Most of the time
they better, though.

[indistinct chatter]

Any of you who are Mrs. Clauses

it is a chore

trying to make sure
they're all dressed

and they look good
and they're presentable

and they have their white
gloves and they're all clean.

That's interesting.

After all these years,

I wondered how my stuff
all got put together.

[laughter]

Just a comment on that.

It's good for the kids to see
that they're married,

that they're married
like their parents are married,

that it's not that
much different,

except that he's Santa Claus
and that's Mrs. Claus.

[exhales deeply]

Santa is often considered
the lead performer,

and Mrs. Claus
is the support character.

How do each of you balance
your performances

to share that spotlight?

I have heard Santas
ask for the pricing schedule,

and it'd be $100
for me and Mrs. Claus.

And they said, "Well, you know,
that's a little steep.

How about if Mrs. Claus
doesn't come?"

And he says,
"Then it'll be $150."

[laughter and applause]

That's a good point.

We have another idea to that.

[crowd booing,
chattering angrily]

Let him have it!

Anybody know
how to spell "doghouse"?

Excuse me,
I'm looking for the real Santa.

[laughter]

It's like when you go to a show

to see the Rolling Stones
and they have a warm-up act.

[crowd chattering angrily]
[laughs]

- Boo!
- [dog barking]

No, that's not the way we do it.

- It's... it's...
- My turn.

I don't even know
where to start with all this.

But I will say that I think

that your pricing structure
needs to be rethought.

[laughter and applause]

- [clears throat]
- That was rough.

[sighs]

Can I help you, Santa?

Can you dress yourself?

- Stop it!
- Are you gonna be okay?

Do you need the fluff your fur?
'Cause... what the fuck?

- Yeah, it was...
- No.

During the Mr. and Mrs. Claus
panel, we, like,

had to, like, nonverbally
check in with each other.

There was a lot
of hand squeezing.

Like, "Let's hold this together.

Like, are you gonna
say something?"

- Breathing.
- Yeah.

And, like, the consistent
narrative through that panel

was, like, "Mrs. Claus'"
whole purpose

is, like, keeping
her Santa together.

- Yeah.
- Gross.

Like, we're not there anymore,
I hope.

I wish we would have said
something when the guy said

that it should be

this traditional
"husband and wife" thing.

It didn't feel like a space
where I could be like,

"I'm sorry. What the fuck?"

That was my...
Coming out of it, I really wish

that I would have said something

or stood up in that moment.

I think we're learning
what we can.

And in the moments
where we just, like,

are not getting any value
out of this,

we're gonna go
and make our own fun.

[dramatic music]

[laughter]

We're stealing this.

This is officially
our golf cart now.

[tires squealing,
engine whirring]

- Don't tip.
- [screams, laughing]

- Uh-oh. We're off-roading now.
- Floor it!

Don't "transplain"
driving to me.

- I'm sorry.
- [laughs]

[horn honks]

Birdie's in the tree.

[imitates horn honking]

- [horn honks]
- Merry Christmas!

- Santa Land.
- Santa Land.

[tires squealing] Oh. [Giggles]

[engine whirring, horn honks]

[laughter]

Oh, no, that's the hawk.

Is that the red tail?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

[coughs]

[imitates bird calling]

[bird calling]

[continues imitating
bird calling]

I'm not what you would call
a conventional Mrs. Claus.

I guess you could say
I'm not a dress wearer.

In literature and pictures,

I don't think I've ever once
seen Santa

with a woman with pants on.

[clicking tongue]

[bird chirping]

- [indistinct chatter]
- That looks awful.

And she's got
a really cool belt.

I think that ties
it all together.

- What do I wear?
- What does Mrs. Claus wear?

So I have, you know,
the little colonial bonnet.

Put a little holly in my hair.

- Oh, God.
- I know, right?

Oh, my God.

You can make any kind
of music you want.

Walmart, online, $18.

My view is Mrs. Claus
is Santa's wife.

When he's not there,
she's in charge.

She takes care of him
like any good wife, you know?

- I'm sorry. I'm Dr. Claus.
- Like, I am not the wife.

Like, I have my PhD. You're not
gonna call me Mrs. Claus.

I'm Dr. Claus.

My spouse is trans,
and I'm queer.

Like, actually,
when we come together,

I really want to not bring up
the fact that we're married

and instead really emphasize,
like, Santa's got a job,

and I've got a job,
and we work together

and really make
that space for folks.

♪ ♪

- Yay.
- Bravo.

[applause]

- I love... I don't know... doctor.
- That's, like, the best.

That's so great.

Yeah, I like the idea
that it can be fluid.

And I like the idea
of being a goddess as well.

Hey, you know,
Mrs. Claus is real.

She's here. She's a part of it.

And we get to define her,

and that's a great freedom,
I think.

- Let me ask... how about pay?
- Oh, absolutely.

Mrs. Claus
should have equal billing,

because then it's not even
about negotiating,

it's just knowing to have...

It's courtesy and respect

in terms of,
now we can set the tone.

One thing that I would like
to see changed is,

I want to see pant suits
thrown in there somewhere.

[laughter]

I'm just learning so much
just by what everybody says.

It's like a potpourri of ideas
and information.

It's like, "Wow."

I'm glad I didn't miss
today's get-together.

[applause]

[magical music]

♪ ♪

all: Ho, ho, ho! Ho, ho, ho!

Ho, ho, ho!

Nice job. We're getting there.

[applause]

We have a little presentation
and some information

we want to share
before we have lunch.

If you're a student
of Dick Marshall's,

would you stand up, please?

[bagpipe music playing]

Not yet. Not yet, Norm.

Not yet.

[voice breaking] Today
we're gonna recognize Dick.

Can we have a moment of silence

for Dick Marshall, please?

["Amazing Grace" playing
on bagpipes]

♪ ♪

[applause]

[indistinct chatter]

I just want you to think
about us

when you're doing your stuff
for this season.

And if there's something that
bubbles up and you're thinking,

"Wow, this might be a really
cool thing for those guys."

What do you want to do, Fin?
Why don't you tell us?

I want to be a Santa
in December parade.

That's not easy.

I mean, what happens is,

they get a Santa who's local,

and so he's there until he
takes his last sleigh ride.

That's right.

- No, it's very territorial.
- Yeah.

There's a little bit
of competitiveness

around stuff, I've noticed.

Well... [clears throat]

I, literally, as his mom,
was telling him,

"No, this is not going
to happen.

You need to let go
of this dream."

And he's like, "No, I'm not
letting go of this dream."

What about my sleigh?

So you want to be in your sleigh

when you're in the parade.

- Oh, there's an idea.
- Yes.

- Yeah.
- That's a big yes. Okay.

It's a Portland Cutter.

It was built in the early 1900s.

You could say,
"Well, we have a sleigh.

We have a flatbed."

Kind of put together
almost, you know, packages

- that you can offer to people.
- Oh, my God, okay.

Ho, ho, ho.

- Would you wave?
- Let me see your queen's wave.

Big waves, both sides, Fin.

You need to work out
every day during this.

All right, we're gonna
start working out

your arms there, Santa.

Left side, right side.

Left side, right side.

Great gigs can be hard to get.

And if it doesn't happen,
it's gonna suck.

It's gonna really suck.

All: ♪ Here comes Santa Claus,
here comes Santa Claus ♪

♪ Right down Santa Claus Lane ♪

♪ Vixen and Blitzen
and all his reindeers ♪

♪ Pulling on the reins ♪
[laughter]

So, Bob, you've got to tell
your Christmas Eve story.

[chuckles]

People are coming in
and telling me what they want.

This one teenage girl comes up.
She sat on my lap.

[imitates flatulence]
And I went, "Oh, my God."

They must have had
a chili cook-off

the night before or something.

[laughter and applause]

So who else has some stories
to share?

So the story

actually starts a long time ago.

I wanted my daughter to grow up
with representation

of our family.

So what I decided to do
was to get

a Black Santa inflatable.

Last year
I get a letter in the mail.

And the letter

is.

Right here.

[dramatic music]

"Please remove your Negro
Santa Claus yard decoration.

"You should not try to deceive
children

"into believing
that I am a Negro.

"I am a Caucasian,

white man to you,

"and have been
for the past 600 years.

"Your being jealous of my race

"is no excuse
for your dishonesty.

"Besides that, you're making
yourself a laughingstock

"of the neighborhood.

"Maybe you should move

"to a neighborhood with
the rest of your race's kind.

Yours truly, Santa Claus."

[indistinct chatter]

And

it came with a picture

Santa Claus with a thumbs-down.

Oh, my God.

♪ ♪

I brought this to do this here.

- Yeah!
- [applause]

♪ ♪

I'm gonna be the Santa

for kids that look like me
in my area.

And coming here
has given me the tools

to be able to do that
to the best of my abilities.

And I'm so happy
that I got to come

and spend this weekend
in New England.

- Welcome.
- [applause]

Who wants to follow that story?

[laughter]

- All right, everybody up.
- Let's go.

I don't know the words.

Let's all teach him.

- All right, ready?
- Ready?

Who do we start with?

- Dasher.
- Okay.

All: ♪ Dasher, Dancer,
Prancer, Vixen ♪

♪ Comet, Cupid,
Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph ♪

♪ Dasher, Dancer,
Prancer, Vixen ♪

♪ Comet, Cupid,
Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph ♪

♪ Dasher, Dancer,
Prancer, Vixen ♪

♪ Comet, Cupid,
Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph ♪

And you got to shake the tail.

- Right, yeah.
- There you go.

[laughter, cheers, and applause]

[light music]

♪ ♪

Next year I'm planning
to come back

- and bring my wife with me.
- Oh, neat.

She might as well go to
Mrs. Claus school, too, so..,

- Yeah, my wife is there now.
- Okay.

[indistinct chatter, laughter]

- Levi, step forward, sir.
- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Ho, ho, ho!

Ho, ho, ho!

♪ ♪

- Here's my card.
- Thank you.

I love that. Awesome.

Give me a high five.

This has been
a wonderful experience for me.

It has been. Thank you. Bye-bye.

Bye-bye. Come on.

♪ ♪

So I hope you're going away
with some good memories,

lots of information.

And make sure you grab
a snowball on your way out

and take that home
and put it up on your desk,

on your bedside,

or carry it with you
when you go out and do gigs

and remember that all together

we've really created
a special world here

and a special experience

that hopefully won't melt away.

♪ ♪

- We're fine.
- [laughing]

[cell phone ringing]

Oh, my God.

[cell phone continues ringing]

This is Suki.

- Hey, Suki.
- It's MK Monley calling.

MK Monley? Hello.

- Yeah.
- Hey, from the lantern parade.

Yes. Yes. Hi.

Yeah, so I just wanted
to let you know our team met,

and we would

love to have Fin participate.

[gasps] Oh, my God!

Oh, my God! I'm, like...

- Yeah, so we'll...
- Can I just tell Santa Fin?

Need to figure out
logistics and...

Indeed.

You guys, this is MK Monley
calling from Waterbury,

and you're gonna be
in her beautiful.

Festival of Lights Parade
this year.

- Oh, my God!
- Whoo-hoo!

- Oh, my God, Fin Barre.
- That's so exciting.

He is so excited.

I wish you could see him
right now.

He's jumping up and down.

Oh, oh, okay, no.
Be careful. Be careful.

He's actually
jumping up and down.

Well, MK, we'll be
in touch soon, okay?

- Okay, thanks.
- All right. Thank you.

From the bottom of my heart,
thank you.

- [chuckles] Bye-bye.
- Okay, bye-bye.

Ho, ho, ho, ho.

- Yes!
- Oh, my God.

Oh, Fin Barre,
you're gonna be in a parade.

Need a little Santa dance.

Yeah. [Giggles]

I just didn't think they were
gonna make space for us.

[Suki sniffles, cries]

And I'm so grateful
that she decided to.

So exciting!

♪ ♪

He's got plain black boots on.

And then the boots are going
to be completely black?

They'll be completely black,

but I will do
some little accents

to make him kind of have
a little shine.

No, it's great.

There's nothing like this
for me to buy.

- That's right.
- That is absolutely right.

So, after what happened
last year,

I decided to go ahead
and switch from inflatables

to having
a real-life representation

of our family.

We are definitely sending
a message here.

This is gonna be bigger,
better, Blacker than last year.

[laughs]

♪ ♪

[line beeps]

To review saved messages,
press 3.

[button beeps]

I am calling you

about your Trans Santa event

on Thursday.

That is disgusting.

It makes you look
like a pedophile.

Trans people have mental issues,

and they should not be
around children.

You are disgusting
that you are doing this.

It's Marxist. It's Communist.

It's a way
to bring down our society.

It's a way to lure our children.

You are disgusting.

Just letting you know.

[line clicks]

"Just letting you know."

There are currently
over 300 responses.

About three months ago,

we decided to host an event

with Youth Outlook and Illinois
Safe Space Alliance

for Trans Santa.

And this past week,

our church has been getting
emails and phone calls,

Facebook messages,
typical hate messages, right?

"Here's one..." This church
is inviting Trans Santa Claus

"for children
to interact and learn with.

"You should be ashamed
that you bowed down

"to the woke, liberal minority
in society.

All comment and post
about this bull crap."

Yeah.

The Proud Boys did send a video

insinuating
that they might show up

because of Trans Santa.

- How does that make you feel?
- Afraid.

[indistinct shouting]

You know, we know now that
The Proud Boys

played a big role in
what happened on January 6th.

We don't know
if they have weapons

or what they're capable of
and what their desire is.

So, yeah, kind of scary.

[soft music]

♪ ♪

So we're doing an event tonight.

I'm pretty excited about it.

I want to reach kids

that might need to ask Santa
for something

that they couldn't ask
regular Santa for.

I changed up my outfit.

Yeah.

Power suit needed to happen.

I'm not sure
this is a power suit,

except for the fact
that it's super empowering.

It's much more lounge wear.
[clears throat]

Although it was marketed
to be worn to work,

which I think is hilarious.

I did add the faux fur myself,

just to help
Claus it up a little bit.

And then for fun,

we just assumed that the
Clauses need corrective eye wear

'cause it feels
a little bit classy.

There's been some positive
and negative reactions.

Some people have been really
affirming and sort of like,

"This should have been
in place years ago.

Thank you
for filling this need."

And other people
reacted in fear.

[laughs] This one.

"The Devil
isn't even hiding anymore.

Disgusting."

Wow.

- I'm sorry. What?
- Are you the Devil?

You do look very good in red.

- I do look good in red. I do.
- [laughing] Yeah.

I'm more scared for other people

than I am for myself,
if that makes sense.

Like...

We really hope that people

still are able to come
and be jolly

and not have to worry about

feeling unsafe.

Yeah.

♪ ♪

Because of the threats
that we received,

we felt like it was the safest
for everybody to move venues.

We started looking

at hiring security
for the event.

And the only people who know

where this event
is happening tonight

are folks who registered
for the event.

- We were pissed.
- You know, we were mad.

Like, we didn't want
to back down,

and we wanted to continue
to host.

We had such a great space,
but at the same time,

we're never gonna compromise
the safety of people.

But it was also
really frustrating.

And sometimes
it feels like they won.

- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

Do you want to sit with us
and have your photo taken?

I'm Trans Santa. Smile.

- Everyone be jolly!
- Be jolly!

- Bye!
- Merry Christmas.

- It was nice meeting you.
- Thank you for coming.

Both: Bye.

You need to "ho, ho, ho" more.

Ho, ho, ho.

- Both: Hi.
- What's your name?

- My name's Ally.
- Ally.

- Pronouns?
- They, them.

- They, them. All right.
- I'm Trans Santa.

- I'm Dr. Claus.
- It's nice to meet you.

- Hi.
- It's nice to meet you, too.

Do you want to tell us
what you want for Christmas?

- Oh, we got to do photos.
- Oh, yeah. Photos, sorry.

I just always want
to talk to people.

- Good, good.
- Okay. Okay.

I want to be able to come out
fully to my parents

and get a binder,

'cause the last time I asked,
they weren't...

Like, they
didn't really understand why.

And so I want to be able
to tell them,

this year, like, fully,

and I want to ask them
for Christmas, so

I know, like, when I got
my first binder...

Yeah.

I was like... so

it changed me
because it, like, empowered me

to have the body of the person
that I wanted to be.

I hope to empower you in that
step as much as possible.

It's very empowering
being in your presence.

- Yeah. Aw, thank you.
- Merry Christmas.

- Binder, it's gonna happen.
- I can feel it.

- Yeah.
- Yes.

- Make it happen.
- [breathes deeply]

[car horns honking]

What is happening right now?

Hi, guys.

We came out tonight for
the Tranny Santa Claus meetup

'cause me and a few sisters,
we're like, "There's no way"

"that we're gonna allow this
to happen

without coming
and speaking the truth."

The enemy is not hiding,
and neither can we.

So we have to be bold.

Oh.

Camera crew's here.
[window whirring open]

- Hey, how's it going?
- Hi, it's going.

How are you today?

Wondering why you guys
turned up here tonight.

We're Christians,
and so we came out tonight

to just try to stand up
for the children.

This is a ploy to steal, kill,

and destroy somebody's identity

at a pivotal point in history
right now

where our country
is going downhill,

when they're trying to roll in
Communism and things like that.

We see Marxism,
and we just see them

trying to disassemble
our values.

The Holy Spirit told me
that I should just come out

and, you know,
represent the kingdom.

- Thanks, guys.
- Thank you.

[laughs]

Yeah.

- Yeah, it really was.
- It was?

- Yeah.
- That was the Holy Ghost.

- It was.
- [screams]

We will stand up for the Lord
no matter what.

We do not care. We are the news.

We are the revolution.
We are the children of God.

We are the remnant.
We are the patriots!

You won't even let us watch
what's going on?

Is this a secret?

We haven't threatened anyone,
attacked anyone.

- We haven't done anything.
- We're not leaving.

Yeah. We're not leaving.

- Are you the Proud Boys?
- Yeah.

- Yeah, I'm a Proud Boy.
- See our shirts, right?

- Can you read?
- Sure, here, take it.

That's what we're about.

Proud Boys have never
killed anybody, ever, ever.

This is at the heart

of the cultural problem
in America today.

You guys moved the location,
or there would have been more.

But there's gonna be
more here soon.

We have a lot of people
that live in Naperville,

so good luck.

It's okay.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

Ho, ho, ho!

♪ ♪

We are protesting
the indoctrination of children.

- We're elves.
- We're elves.

Yeah, we're Proud Boy elves,
and we're protesting

the outsourcing
of our jobs and our boss's.

This church is infected

with evil.

We don't even know
what a transgender Santa Claus

looks like.

You know, if you Google it,
this is what comes up...

A woman with a beard.

They're destroying Santa Claus.

And, really, the Bible that
I read says that this is a sin.

Okay.

[scoffs]
Santa's not in the Bible.

[chuckles]

- Merry Christmas!
- Merry Christmas!

- Hi. Welcome.
- Hi.

- Jolly.
- Say "jolly."

You're propagating division.

Even worse,
you're propagating division

to children.

I think it's horrific.

Say "cookies." all: Cookies.

That's what the Proud Boys
are... they're hate.

How did they find us?
Like, we kept this a secret.

So I don't know
how they got here.

And a little concerned.

What do you call a fear
of Santa Claus?

Claus-trophobia.

- Oh!
- Yes, that's a good one.

- I don't like Claus-trophobia.
- We're gonna steal that one.

Thank you guys
for coming out, yeah.

- Can I hug you or no?
- Yeah, for sure.

Yeah. Both: Merry Christmas.

All right. Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

- Take care.
- Yeah. Take care.

Yes.

[water running]

[light music]

The thing that camp
definitely helped me grow in

was my confidence level.

So I decided to bleach my beard

and truly become Santa Claus.

♪ ♪

Not too bad. Not too bad at all.

♪ ♪

- Okay, I may need help, Chris.
- Okay.

- Oh, yeah, that's my boy.
- [laughs] Yeah.

What do you think
a certain person might think?

- They're gonna hate it.
- [laughs]

Honestly,
I wouldn't be surprised

if you didn't get
another letter.

[laughs]

I love it. They're gonna go,
"What the hell?"

Eh, honestly, they already
despise my existence.

I'm on my property line.

♪ ♪

You don't like it, you move.

[laughing]

What you think?

- [laughs]
- It's so cute. I love it.

[laughs]

We're here, we're Black,
and we're proud of it.

- [laughs]
- And we ain't going nowhere.

[device whirring]

I don't know where the fourth...

- It was just right here.
- D-ring is.

When we heard
what happened to Chris,

my first reaction
was that I was really mad.

And then my second reaction
was, "Where can I get one?"

- Take off.
- Caroline, no, no, no, no.

- I do like this one better.
- I do, too. It's bigger.

- Yeah.
- It's better.

An update to a story

we shared
with you last holiday season.

Neighbors are putting out
their own Black Santa

to show their support.

They're calling them
solidarity Santas.

Black Santas popping up
everywhere.

- We need another rope.
- No, look,

I've got one in back and one
in front on the same rope.

On the same rope?

- Here we go.
- Go.

So I showed her the copy
of the letter, and she said...

Go get the biggest, Blackest
Santa you can find.

[laughs]

I anticipate there'll be

a lot more going up
over the weekend.

And I think people will go
to work Monday morning

with most of this neighborhood
covered in Black Santas.

♪ ♪

[saw whirring]

Got a cider doughnut?

Oh, these are still hot.

I'll put you on top
of the good-girl list.

Thank you.

♪ ♪

To be a good Mrs. Claus,
you have to have this talent,

have you, to be able to look
a small child in the eye

and lie your pants off to 'em,

you know, take them to that
crazy world where reindeer fly

and Santa goes up
and down the chimney.

[lows]

When their eyes are sparkling
and their mouth is going...

[gasps] "Ooh,"
you know you've got 'em.

You know that Santa's
has got reindeer

up at the North Pole, right?

- Both: Yeah.
- Well, do you know

that he also has
a couple of unicorns?

- What?
- He's got three.

And do you know that unicorns...

They lose their baby horn
when they're about six,

and then they grow
their big adult horn.

Come look at this.

This is a real unicorn horn.

If you touch it and make
a wish, it may come true.

Do you have a wish?

Mrs. Claus, what would you say

to young girls
about speaking up?

Absolutely.

You know how boys
speak up all the time?

They're very loud
and authoritative.

Well, young girls
need to speak up

and say what's on their mind.

So that's why I spoke up
to Santa and said,

"You know, I've been quiet
all these years

"and being the good little
wife, but now it's my turn.

See how you like
sitting at home."

[whistle blows, person shouts]

I've done my checklist.

- Okay.
- I got my hat.

I got my cane.
I got my candy cane.

I also checked
with the management

to make sure
that we have two Zambonis...

- Okay.
- One for you, one for me...

- All right.
- The same size.

As you know, Mrs. Claus,
with coming up in the world...

Is she? Okay.

You know, Mrs. Claus is not
the warm-up act for Santa.

- You know?
- Yes, she is.

How about this?
We all deserve respect, period.

I'm done.

Do we know where he went?

Where did he go?

- Respect.
- We're here to have a good time.

- Yeah.
- Not to piss Santa off,

'cause Santa's pissed off.

And you don't want
Santa pissed off.

This shit of equal pay
or equal rights...

You earn your rights
in this world.

I don't care if you're male
or female... you earn them.

- [elevator bell dings]
- Well...

[buzzer sounds]

[indistinct chatter]

Santa and Mrs. Claus...

It's a complicated relationship.

All Santas don't have
a Mrs. Claus.

So, when I work with them,

they don't really know
what to do with me.

Ooh.

Mrs. Claus is getting
a little fan base,

which is very exciting.

[cheering]

It's pretty clear, Mrs. Claus
is getting more respect.

We're getting more equal pay.

We're getting equal-size
chairs, equal Zambonis.

♪ ♪

All right, get me off the ice.

We're done. Move on.

♪ ♪

We still have a long way to go,

but we've come a long way, baby.

[scattered cheers]

♪ ♪

[indistinct chatter]

- Does he have long johns on?
- Yes.

We're gonna get you
all Santa-fied.

Look at that belly.

Can you give me a "ho, ho, ho"?

Ho, ho, ho!

Can you see okay and everything?

Okay, dude.

All right. You're welcome.

I love you, too, honey.

Come on. Come stand up.

- You know what?
- I'm really thankful

that you are thankful
for me, okay?

I think it's going to be
a lot of fun

walking down there.

It's going to be a lot, lot of,
lot of fun.

- Thank you for coming.
- Ready? One, two, three.

Go. Go, go, go.

♪ ♪

How are you reindeer doing?

Okay, Fin, we're going
around the corner now,

so you got to steer us
the right way.

Here we go, Santa!

Yes!

[cheers and applause]

♪ ♪

Ho, ho, ho!

[cheers and applause]

[all chanting]
Santa! Santa! Santa!

Santa! Santa!

- It's so beautiful.
- Oh, my God, I'm gonna cry.

It's, like, super emotional.

I'm just so happy.

[cheering]

Just all these people
out to see him,

and I just didn't know
it was possible.

[all cheering]

♪ ♪

[all cheering]

♪ ♪

Looking good, Santa.

There were doctors who said
he'd never talk or do anything,

just be a vegetable.

But I think
he's doing pretty good.

- He's up in the sleigh!
- He's flying!

He's flying
in his magical sleigh!

- Santa!
- Look at him. Look at him.

Look how happy he is.
Look how happy he is.

Oh, my God.

[chuckles]

- Whoo-hoo!
- [all chanting] Santa! Santa!

Santa! Santa! Santa!

- Santa Fin, we love you!
- Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

[all chanting]
Santa! Santa! Santa! Santa!

♪ ♪

I'll put it back here.

Here we go.

Baby.

- It does not smell good.
- [laughs]

It smells just like a perm.

♪ ♪

After camp, Chris definitely
stepped up his game.

You could see the joy
and the excitement.

The little kid inside of him
was having a field day.

In a few hours,
it's my first huge Santa gig.

Putting in a little bit
of conditioner

to get this prime time ready.

[bottle spritzing]

And it was just comical
'cause it's watching

your 30-something-year-old
husband now desire

to look like an older man.

[giggles]

My daughter is super proud
of me for becoming Santa.

She tells all her friends.

She tells anybody,
"My daddy's Santa."

Daddy.

This is my daddy.

It can't help but make
you feel just huge.

Ah. Daddy fell under the tree.

♪ ♪

I'm proud of the man
that he has become.

His father, my mother,
his grandfather,

all the people
that have gone on,

they would be real proud of him.

- Is it?
- Which is...

[laughter]

That's why you're Super Santa
with the cape.

- All right, get ready.
- Kids are coming.

Your first customers.

- Hey!
- No. No, no, no!

- No, it's okay.
- [laughter]

Oh, come on, Lennox.

This will be a souvenir
for Grandma.

Got to warm up. It's fine.

♪ ♪

I have no idea
how this is gonna turn out.

But I know that I have to do it.

People were

not necessarily enthusiastic
about him coming,

I guess,
is the best way to put it.

People were, like,
genuinely confused, like,

"Why would you have
a Black Santa?

Why would you...
He's supposed to be white."

I can assume that probably
some people didn't show up

because there was a Black Santa.

And

it's a little unfair,
but it is how it is.

Maybe I don't look like
every other Santa,

but I don't want to.

[indistinct chatter]

♪ ♪

We came out today
to meet Black Santa.

How are you doing?

Aw, thank you.

He may not understand it
right now, but one day he will.

So I want him
to experience that.

I just think it'll be
a good memory for her,

see that her mom,
like, really took the time out

to find a Black Santa.

Aw!

So precious.

She loves taking pictures, too.

Hey.

- [baby fusses]
- Hey, look at Grandma.

[cheers and applause]

- I've...
- both: Never seen a Black Santa.

- Well, I'm here.
- Hey.

I just know
I'm not on that naughty list,

- so that's all that matters.
- Hi, Santa!

Hey.

Well, I mean, I hadn't either
until I became Santa.

- All right, ho, ho to you.
- Bro, ho, ho.

- Bro, ho, ho.
- Yes.

- All right!
- Bro, ho, ho.

[fireworks exploding]

When I was little,
Santa was white.

It was whatever someone else
decided Santa to be.

I heard that there was
gonna be a Black Santa.

[laughs] I decided, "We got to
come here and see Black Santa."

- Hey.
- Oh. Hey.

It's important
that my grandson sees

that Santa can be someone
that's African American.

There were families
that traveled

over 300 miles to be here.

That was very rewarding.

Thank you so much.

[cheers and applause]

But it definitely also gave me
a bit of a sense of sadness

that there are not
Black Santas closer to them.

♪ ♪

Tonight I'll be doing what's
called a "sneak and peek."

It's a Christmas Eve visit.

And Santa sneaks into the house,

the parents wake
the children up,

and they get to come down
and watch Santa

as he delivers the presents.

[car alarm chirps]

♪ ♪

When I have a visit with a child

I want them to continue
to believe in Santa.

[door creaking]

[bells jingling]

♪ ♪

[chuckles]

I hear bells.

Who else can hear a bell?

[indistinct chatter]

♪ ♪

Santa.

♪ ♪

This is gonna be your new home.

It's not as cold here
as the North Pole, but...

Mmm.

Chocolate chip, my favorite.

[kids giggling]

I think there's
a creature stirring.

♪ ♪

I think Santas,
when they pass away...

They're... they're still here...

Three, two, one, cheese.

Because the memories
that families have of them...

Say "cookies." all: Cookies.

Children have of them,

their friends have of them

are still there, and they
continue to grow every year.

[all chanting]
Santa! Santa! Santa!

I'm so proud of what the new
Clauses have accomplished.

Ho, ho, ho, ho!

There's still a lot of work
to be done

and in opening the door
for more diversity.

But this year I think we made
a lot of progress.

- What do you see over there?
- Santa!

- Oh, my gosh.
- Is he really brown?

- Yeah.
- [giggling]

If whoever wrote that letter
truly has a problem

with Black Santas,

they're really gonna hate this.

♪ It was all a dream, I used
to read "Word Up!" magazine ♪

♪ Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D
up in the limousine ♪

♪ Hangin' pictures on my wall ♪

♪ Every Saturday Rap Attack ♪

♪ Mr. Magic, Marley Marl ♪

♪ I let my tape rock
till my tape popped ♪

♪ ♪

♪ Way back, when I had the red
and black lumberjack ♪

♪ With the hat to match ♪

♪ Remember Rappin' Duke?
Duh-ha, duh-ha ♪

♪ You never thought
that hip-hop ♪

♪ Would take it this far ♪

♪ Now I'm in the limelight
'cause I rhyme tight ♪

♪ Time to get paid,
blow up like the World Trade ♪

♪ Born sinner,
the opposite of a winner ♪

♪ Remember when I used
to eat sardines for dinner ♪

♪ Peace to Ron G, Brucie B,
Kid Capri ♪

♪ Funkmaster Flex,
Love bug Starski ♪

♪ I'm blowin' up
like you thought I would ♪

♪ Call the crib, same number,
same hood, it's all good ♪

♪ It's all good ♪

♪ And if you don't know,
now you know ♪

♪ You know, you know ♪

♪ You know very well ♪

♪ Who you are ♪

♪ Don't let 'em hold you down ♪

♪ Reach for the stars ♪

♪ You had a goal ♪

♪ But not that many ♪

♪ 'Cause you're the only one ♪

♪ And if you don't know,
now you know ♪

♪ I'll give you good
and plenty ♪

♪ Representin' B-Town,
in the house ♪

♪ Junior Mafia, mad flavor ♪

♪ Unh ♪

♪ Unh ♪

♪ Yeah, a'ight ♪

♪ ♪