News Disney plans to include a black Santa Claus at Walt Disney World this year as the company continues its diversity and inclusion program

[Magicart87]

Claus not clause

 

[BuddyThomas]

Does this mean a guy can play Snow White? Asking for a friend...

Tell your friend that the answer is yes.

 

[SteveAZee]

I sure hope they don't cast Jesus as, I don't know... Middle Eastern.

 

[disneygeek90]

My daughter is now 10, but when she was much younger she always thought that the real Santa was at Disney and we would see him annually. There would be some obvious discontinuity that I would have a hard time explaining to her if she were still younger and we were still visiting. I am not so sure that at a certain point she would continue to believe in Santa if I explained to her that the magic of Santa allows him to change colors. She might have bought that and she might not have. Its also possible that I would have taken the approach that the real Santa is extra busy in the North Pole and that is why he looks different this year. I really don't know how I would approached it because she certainly would have asked why he looked different. Nevertheless, I am glad this happened later in her life so that now I do not have to go through mental gymnastics to try and convince her that Santa is real and hangs out at Disney.

If believing that the Santa they saw down the street at the mall was the “real Santa” and matched the others they saw around that season was an area of continuity concern, you could always just instill the fact that not all “Santa’s” in public are the real Santa. After all, he’s much too busy getting actual presents ready for Christmas Day, he can’t be attending every mall or theme park gathering. That’s what his friends are for, to help bring in the magic and the symbol of the holiday season while he’s busy at work up in the North Pole.

 

[Magicart87]

I sure hope they don't cast Jesus as, I don't know... Middle Eastern.

Who's they? This is a thread about Santa Claus.

 

[Lilofan]

I sure hope they don't cast Jesus as, I don't know... Middle Eastern.

But Israel is in that Middle Eastern area right?

 

[disneygeek90]

Wow, this thread certainly took off like a rocket. Over 300 replies in less than 7 hours.

It doesn’t even light a candle to the original Splash > PatF thread!

 

[Lilofan]

Who's they? This is a thread about Santa Claus.

Saint Nicholas is actually from Turkey.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

Call me surprised then coming from the company that always uses its many traditional and social media outlets to promote themelves.

That’s literally their job.

If they actually market this, feel free to criticize them.

Why?

 

[doctornick]

Saint Nicholas is actually from Turkey.

The area that is Modern day Turkey, yes. But not Turkish as that ethnic group wasn’t in the area until hundreds of years later. Saint Nicholas was Greek.

 

[ToTBellHop]

That’s literally their job.

Why?

You shouldn’t need a pat on the back for being inclusive. You should be inclusive because it’s the right thing to do.

“Look at me being decent! Give me money!”

 

[ToTBellHop]

The are that is Modern day Turkey, yes. But not Turkish as that ethnic group wasn’t in the area until hundreds of years later. Saint Nicholas was Greek.

What nationality were the first elves? Rivendellian?

 

[MurphyJoe]

Saint Nicholas is actually from Turkey.

Then why doesn't he visit on Thanksgiving?

 

[celluloid]

At the end of the day, this is going to be like Trader Sam gender bending in the Jungle Cruise Movie.

Some thought it was cool, most really did not care enough to have it be a profitable idea outside of its own device.

If a man is not as big of belly as usual and plays the part of Santa so well he nails the audition and fits what the company wants. Great. Hire him. If he is dark skinned and nails the audition and fits what the company wants, hire him.

Its not complicated and as said, tacky if it is marketed. Sad that it has to be "planned."

 

[celluloid]

Then why doesn't he visit on Thanksgiving?

He does at least in the states. Clearly you never watch the most famous American parade.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

There's one Disney Sandy Claws that will always be bone white:

 

[LittleBuford]

"Preserve" it for whom?

As others said, Santa Claus is a fictional character -- an amalgam of European traditions (the original Saint Nicholas having been a Turkish monk born in Greece), representing people of a variety of hues. He can be any color.

Totally agree with your point, but if you’ll forgive a pedantic correction, St. Nicholas, while from what is today Turkey, wasn’t Turkish. The Turkic peoples were still in Central Asia at that point, and Anatolia was culturally and linguistically Greek.

 

[bdearl41]

Man. I tell you what. I read the headline and skipped straight to the comments. Here to watch.

 

[Lilofan]

Totally agree with your point, but if you’ll forgive a pedantic correction, St. Nicholas, while from what is today Turkey, wasn’t Turkish. The Turkic peoples were still in Central Asia at that point, and Anatolia was culturally and linguistically Greek.

Its all interesting to learn. Also I learned that where Iran is was called Persia.

 

[networkpro]

He does at least in the states. Clearly you never watch the most famous American parade.

Oh you mean the one by the flagging retailer that also has a deal with the amusement park up the highway?