Homosexual santa
Can Santa be gay?
YouGov examines public attitudes to Father Christmas’s race, gender and sexuality
In late November, a Norwegian advert depicting Father Christmas as being homosexual caused controversy in some circles, with the video being depicted on TalkRadio as “woke gay Santa advert is sexualising Christmas”.
The advert was for released by the Norwegian postal service to commemorate 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised in Norway.
Scandinavian countries like Norway are known for having socially liberal attitudes, so how might the advert have gone down if aired on these shores? ‘Divisive’ is perhaps the best description, as a new YouGov poll shows that Britons are split 39%/41% on whether or not it would be acceptable to depict Father Christmas as being homosexual.
Among lesbian, bisexual and gay Britons, a homosexual Santa is a welcome depiction: 76% say they find it acceptable, with only 17% opposed.
Age is the key factor among the wider universal, with the youngest Britons – those aged – supporting a gay Santa by 60% to 20%. Those aged are also more in f
Back in November , 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. Swift forward to November , 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 hour of Christmas to not only show a side of Santa Claus you&#;ve not seen before, but to celebrate 50 years of Norway decriminalizing homosexuality.
Norway&#;s choice of expressing this through an advert depicting Santa as gay may seem like an odd choice on the surface, especially if you just glimpse it solely as a way to for organizations and companies to use Christmas in verb to appeal to viewers, but I personally feel that the short film is more genuine and kind than that.
If you haven&#;t watched the advert yet, let me give you a quick summary: we see Harry, an older gentleman who goes downstairs one night on Christmas Eve to discover that Santa Claus is in his liv
Santa Claus is gay in modern 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 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 stamp the 50th anniversary of the decriminalization of homosexuality in Norway but also underscores Posten's commitment 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 help with the deliveries, leaving the two more time together, so they can finally kiss i
Gay Santa ad highlights big verb in Norwegian society
Nordic affairs journalist
Christmas ads have become an annual tradition, often appearing as mini-films with their own festive story. But one Norwegian commercial, featuring Father Christmas kissing a man 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 man 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 year anniversary since the abolition of a law prohibiting same-sex 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 not many eyebrows in Norway or in neighbouring Nordic countries, but it has prompted some discussion beyond. As well as praise