Some People Think Santa Should Be Female Or Gender Neutral
A recent poll shows some people think it's time for an update on Santa Claus.
A logo creation company called Graphic Springs conducted the poll to find possible ways to modernize Jolly Old St. Nick. More than 25% of respondents said it's time to change the way we present Santa by making him female or just by removing gender references altogether.
Obviously, the world we live in today is far different than it was 30, 40, or 50 years ago. Society's view of gender roles and gender identification is drastically different than it used to be, but is anyone really going to suggest that referring to Santa Claus as a 'he' is somehow politically incorrect?
For starters, just think about all of the Christmas songs referring to Santa's gender that we would have to ban from the radio.
The Christmas Song - "He's loaded lots of toys and goodies on his sleigh...."
Here Comes Santa Claus -"He's got a bag that's filled with toys
for boys and girls again..."
The Man With All the Toys
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Santa Claus is Coming to Town - "He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake...."
Aside from all of the Christmas songs, we would have to completely redo the classic TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - and every Santa Claus movie that has ever been made.
Then there is the fact that the idea of Santa Claus is based on a real man, St. Nicholas, who was born in the 3rd century. He became known for his love for children and his generosity to those in need.
The bottom line is this. It's okay for Santa Claus to be referred to as a man - because he is - and has always been a man. It's not politically incorrect. It's not sexist. It's not a portrayal of male superiority. There have always been great men and women in history. There have been countless male and female fictional characters throughout literary history - and it's always been okay for them to be one or the other. There is nothing even slightly amiss about that.
For the 25% or so in the Santa Claus survey who feel we should stop gender references to Santa Claus I just want to say one thing. Really? Seriously? Are you kidding me?
Maybe I am the crazy one here, so let's put it out there and find out what western Colorado thinks about removing Santa Claus gender references, or even making Santa Claus a female.