Hello! Welcome to episode 96 of I’d Rather Stay In. This week, we’re talking all about Santa!

Quick links

• The history of Santa Claus
• Article: A Civil War Cartoonist Created the Modern Image of Santa Claus as Union Propaganda
• Delightful TikTok video

Episode transcript

Megan
Welcome to I’d rather stay in with your host Megan Myers and Stephie Predmore. This week we’re chatting about all things Santa Claus and Christmas. Stay tuned.

Stephie
Do you love listening to I’d rather stay in and want to support the podcast? Well, now you can visit our website or the link in our Instagram profile and click Buy me a coffee or visit buy me a coffee.com slash IRSI podcast. For the price of a cup of coffee, you can help us cover the costs of creating this podcast. There are no monthly memberships and you could support us at whatever level you like, whenever you like, whether you buy us one coffee, many coffees or simply continue listening as always, we’re so grateful for your support

Hello,

Megan
hi Stephie

Stephie
what’s new?

Megan
I have been so busy. Well today I was really busy. And I was really proud of myself. I was busy today. I mean, one day at a time, guys.

Stephie
That’s where we’re at.

Megan
I made like a bunch of things today a bunch of recipes. And I was like, Oh, I can get stuff done. Look at that.

Stephie
I can do it if I really really want to. Yeah,

Megan
it was just it was kind of sad that I was like, on the one hand, I was very happy with myself. On the other hand, I was like oh yeah, that’s, I’m just lazy. This is the rest of the time below. Yes. And then after dinner, I also had had to prep a bread none of the recipe. And then I like cleaned up the kitchen stuff. And I I threw some stuff in the trash. I need to get out because today’s trash night so lucky. Really on top of it. Are you feeling good? Yeah, I’m probably gonna be so tired tomorrow, though.

Stephie
And then we’re gonna get to Thursday, and you’re gonna be like, Why did I do that on Tuesday? It’ll be fine. It’s fine. Everything is fine.

Megan
What is wrong with you?

Stephie
I am so busy right now. I spent so my my two jobs ago. The holidays were always just like from October through like December 20 was always just absolutely banana pants busy. And then I spent the last four and a half years at a job where that like really wasn’t the case. And I’m back in a job where like, November and December are absolutely banana pants busy. I’m like, Oh yeah, I forgot what this is like. I was not mentally prepared for this. So I am very tired and very busy. And honestly just very excited to get to like December 20 or so when things will slow down a little bit.

Megan
And then you’ll have some time off.

Stephie
Yeah, I have a little bit of time off for Christmas and such and hopefully will sleep except I have a going on two year old so I guess I won’t.

Megan
I mean, you won’t take naps when she takes naps.

Stephie
I mean, I do I do do that. reliably take knock on which she still does reliably take a nice long morning nap. So like sometimes it’s like 11 o’clock, and I’m like, I’m gonna go take a nap. I know. It’s not really like a good nap time. I’d rather take one at like two. But that’s a nap. So we’re gonna nap at 11

Megan
Yeah, it was always the saddest for me when min max grew out of his nap time because I was like, but that’s when I take a nap.

Stephie
I know. I was really bummed when she like really gave up her afternoon nap. And I was like, damn it because that’s like the perfect nap time for me. I can like get things accomplished and then take a nap in the afternoon that she’s like, No, no. That is although I have discovered that it’s very exciting to make a blanket fort.

Megan
Hmm. Over the crib, huh?

Stephie
Uh huh. Yes. If you if I take a big quilt, and I put it over the crib, and I make a big deal about how we’re gonna have so much fun in our blanket for it and she gets so excited. And she loves going in the crib in the blanket for and then I pull up like bluey or something on my phone, and then I lay down with my head on her pillow, and she bounces all over me. It doesn’t really matter because I’m laying down and she can’t go anywhere. It’s great. I could sometimes the other day. I milked that for full hour. It was fantastic. So this is like the benefit of her still being in a crib is I’m like oh look. Yes, we’re gonna build up Blake. Get for yes, so fun. Although the other day when we were in there for a while, like we had the quilt over the top of the crib, and then she decided she didn’t want it over the top anymore. She just wanted to kind of like pull it all in and just like make it a nest. And at which point Cora realized like, Oh, I could jump in there with you. And so then Cora jumps in and Edie lost her shit. She was like, this is the best day of my goddamn life. She was like, Oh my god. Cora is at the crib with mom and I, this is the bass. She like went over to give the poor old cat hug. And it was a very enthusiastic hug. And Cora looked at me like, oh, shit, I made a mistake.

Megan
err, err. Yeah. And she was like, help me

Stephie
get me out of here. It was very funny. I was like, sorry, Cora. You should. She loves you

Megan
so much.

Stephie
Oh, man. So speaking of childhood, we thought we would reminisce about Santa

Megan
today. I mean, Christmas is coming.

Stephie
Christmas, Christmas is around the corner. Whoa, whoa, whoa. So we thought we would just you know, take a little walk down memory lane talk about our memories of Santa talk about why I think Santa Loki terrifying. And maybe a little bit of history of Santa now magazine, you, you did some research and realize that there is a lot,

Megan
there’s a lot I tried, I would have been writing a dissertation. Basically, on on the history and concept of Santa Claus. We were only talking about Santa Claus here. We’re not talking about the other parts of Christmas. Don’t come at me. That’s not we’re just we’re not doing that. Um but I was looking it up because I had heard a sort of like an urban legend sort of thing that basically Coca Cola had invented, like the modern Santa of what we know of Santa today how he looks. Sure. And that is not true. Is not Coca

Stephie
Cola. It was not capitalism all along. It

Megan
was not I mean, they did contribute to the long standing popularity of the imagery, because they did start putting him in all of their ads around Christmas time or, but they did not create the image. It was created actually by a political cartoonist.

Stephie
Oh, well, I’ll be damned.

Megan
Which also means there’s like a whole nother level of like, some sort of, you know, propaganda. A little bit. Sure. Uh, huh. Um, you know, I guess like, the very first time he drew a picture of Santa Claus was in 1863. Nothing was going on then. It’s fine. Really?

Stephie
Nothing. No, just totally.

Megan
Yeah. So he was very famous for Christmas illustrations during the Civil War. And first started drying Santa Claus. And he drew Santa for like, years and years until, like, 1886, or something like that. Wow. But it was definitely there was definitely a lot of like, propaganda ish versions of Santa Claus, which I thought was very interesting. That

Stephie
is really interesting. Like I wouldn’t I would not have conducted Santa to like propaganda.

Megan
Yeah, I mean, obviously, you know, propagandas Tibetans on what side you’re on how to do it, but I just thought that was like super interesting. Actually. There’s an image in this article in the Smithsonian where like, he’s got like a soldier’s backpack on and what looks like, like it wouldn’t be a grenade, but like, it’s kind of weird. He’s like, clearly holding on. He’s got like a, it’s got a little like sword like a military sword. Got this thing that like a military watch that he’s wearing if it’s wild to me. So he’s actually he’s actually the one that popularized the like red coat, white trim like jolly old man sort of thing. Sure. After the night before Christmas poem came out, okay. And then later on Coca Cola was like, oh, you know, people really like Christmas.

Stephie
Like Christmas, if Santa likes Coca Cola, they’ll buy Coca Cola.

Megan
Yeah, because they started doing advertisements in magazines during Christmas time. And then they’re like, Oh, well, we might as well make it Santa. And have Santa enjoying a coke. And it just like stuck for, I guess. 100 years basically much. Yeah, it’s been 100 years.

Stephie
I mean, did it because they do. Do they still use? I mean, they they started using the polar bears. I mean, they do. They still use Santa or not.

Megan
So they still have Santa on like, the bottles on the glass Christmas bottles.

Stephie
That’s right. We saw an adorable tick tock about that that I’ll link to. And yes,

Megan
yes. But they do. Do you generally use the polar bears more? And I believe that is for inclusivity. Yeah, I would imagine. Yeah. I mean, the pole losses are also

Stephie
all fear. Like, oh, look at the polar bear. Bottles. Makes me want a coke. Yeah.

Megan
I mean, coconut glass bottle is the best coke.

Stephie
Absolutely, it is. Yeah.

Megan
It is interesting, though. To me. What also when I was looking up Santa, because Santa originated from St. Nicholas. Which myself growing up as a Lutheran also got the bonus holiday of St. Nick day.

Stephie
Oh, look at you. Did you?

Megan
Did you celebrate that?

Stephie
No. Cuz I was like, super. Not any of that. So

Megan
I assume it’s because we were raised Lutheran ish. I mean, my parents were raised. It was my my dad’s side of the family was was Lutheran, because they were Swedish. And so I assume that as the connection there, but we would I like also a lot of the kids in my school did too. Oh, interesting. And so I just don’t know, I guess it’s not a Midwest thing. It must be like a Lutheran thing. Yeah. On December 6, you would get extra presence. Oh, you put out your stocking the night before. And you either you’d get like stocking gifts or some countries slash cultures. Would like you put out your shoe and you get stuff in your shoe.

Stephie
Oh, I knew about the shoe thing. But I didn’t realize that that was like a different day. In some places or cultures then. Like, Christmas Eve and Christmas.

Megan
Yeah, it’s not you still celebrate Christmas as well. So it’s interesting.

Stephie
interest that is interesting. Yeah. Oh, that’s adorable. Oh, I love that. Yeah. And I mean, obviously, gonna be we’re like, there was a lot of research. There was a lot because obviously, there’s a lot of different variations of Santa Claus through history. And different cultures have taken Santa and tweaked him slightly. There’s so many different names for him. So like, I feel like there’s just a lot of rabbit holes that you could go down with Santa. Oh, absolutely.

Megan
And then also like, if you if you really start to get into like the actual tradition of Christmas, then like, you just really go into a centuries old rabbit hole rusher.

Stephie
Yeah, it is. It’s really pretty interesting when you think about it. Like, I admittedly find well, okay, let me clarify. I don’t find I don’t find Santa to be creepy. I find sitting on a strange man’s lap. And asking for gifts be creepy.

Megan
Yes, that I have. I have a photo. Well, I don’t have the photo. I think my it’s somewhere I don’t know where it is. of me when I was. I want to say like, seven or eight maybe sitting on Santa’s lap. And my hands are like up to my face, staring at the camera. And like abject terror. Like,

Stephie
why what?

Megan
Why do we do this?

Stephie
No. I remember like when I was in preschool, I think we would have like a little Christmas pageant or whatever. And at the end, they would have like the Santa Claus come out, and then all of the kids would we’d line up and then everyone would sit on Santa’s lap and ask for whatever and they’d have like a little gift for each of the kids or whatever. And I just Remember, like the first year being like, Oh, hell no, I am not doing that. Because I think our longtime listeners will remember, I don’t like things where I can’t see someone’s face. And even though like, Santa is a person, unlike the fucking Easter Bunny, which is just complete bar stool, so scary. Like even though Santa is a person, like I was very aware of the fact that he had this really weird giant beard on and I really couldn’t see much of his face. And also, I didn’t know who this man was like, I didn’t want to sit on this strange man’s lap. That was very stranger danger free of like, I was like, I don’t I don’t think I like that. i It seems scary to me. And I don’t like that. So I’ve always just been a little wary of the whole like, mall Santa situation. Like, no, thank you.

Megan
So you probably viewed the cautionary tale of Miracle on 34th Street where the Santa is a drunk.

Stephie
Okay, well, so I don’t think I saw that movie until like, much later. Maybe I just, maybe

Megan
I just, I mean, I didn’t see it as a child. But as a child, I did not understand what was going on with the original drunk. Well, we’ll

Stephie
start we’ll hold on. We’ll circle back to that in a moment. i Okay, what were your childhood memories of Santa though?

Megan
Um, I mean, like, we would aside from the terrifying few experiences of trying to get our picture done. Um, we would you know, dutifully write our letters and given to our parents to mail, and then we would get letters back on Christmas morning. Oh, wow. So like, they would write their new letter at the table and like, thanking us and everything. We would always put cookies out the night before, we would always get like we would get a few gifts from Santa, but they wouldn’t all be from Santa. Sure. So like, some would be from our parents and then somebody from Santa but it wasn’t like a huge I don’t feel like it was a huge huge like, oh my god, you better be good because Santa. Yeah, it was I forgot about it. I don’t remember. Like,

Stephie
at least it didn’t obviously. Terrible negative mark on your life there.

Megan
No. And obviously, like when I was a kid, there was no Elf on the Shelf, which is also that’s the creepiest thing ever accusation

Unknown Speaker
of mine.

Megan
So it was just like, it was just a thing that like you did, and you didn’t like really? I feel like I didn’t really think that much about it. And tally like figured out that the handwriting was the same.

Stephie
Is that how you figured out that Santa wasn’t real?

Megan
Yes, I realized I’m like, Huh. So this is very similar to the way that my mother writes her handwriting. Basically, once you learn how to read for real, I think is when you kind of like, really lose the whole like magic situation.

Stephie
Honestly, no, like props to the whole like writing a letter back.

Megan
Oh, yeah.

Stephie
I think that’s like an extra little step to like, make the magic that that’s that’s pretty. That’s pretty cute. I I don’t actually remember ever writing letters to Santa. Honestly, I feel like, I feel like my mom was honestly like, a little lazy about it. She was like me, not super invested. Like she wasn’t gonna tell me like, there wasn’t a Santa Claus. But she wasn’t just like, super invested in like, trying to make me believe in Santa Claus. either. She’s just like, whatever. And so also, I mean, I was she also had me for a child. And so the house that I grew up in, like when when I was little, didn’t have a chimney didn’t have a fireplace, and I remember being very young. And like, you know, read the story. Oh, it comes down the chimney, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I was like, well, Martha, like, we don’t have a fireplace, so we don’t have a chimney. How does Santa come in? And she was like, ah, clearly was not planning for me to ask this question was like a front door comes in the front door. And I was like, Huh, okay. And like, it was not long thereafter. I specifically remember we were in the middle of Kroger. And I looked at my mom and I go, so Santa’s not real is he? And she goes, No, he’s not. Don’t tell any of your classmates.

Megan
We also did not Have a chimney but I did not question it at all. Well, I was just like, okay, whatever. Like, I didn’t even think about it. Apparently your pears got luckier than I did. But I wasn’t like, but yeah, but I also wasn’t like the like staying up until midnight to like, try to catch Santa, that kind of situation. I was just like, right? Well, obviously he gets in somehow. So whatever. Well, apparently, I’m

Stephie
very interested in the mechanics of how he was going to get in. I don’t know, maybe I thought the front door thing was creepy. I don’t really know. But apparently I put it to two together pretty early. My mom was like, okay, but a lot of your friends do believe that Santa is real. So please don’t tell anyone, please don’t be the kid that ruins it for the other. I was like, Okay. And I just like went along with it for years with everyone else. So I don’t know, maybe I’m just too pragmatic for my own good. And all. There’s no magic in my life. I don’t know, maybe that explains a lot about my adulthood. It’s hard to say. How, how have you? How have you handled Santa with your kids?

Megan
And so how was I remember when Reese was born, and when he was little, and it was like, time to like, make a decision on that sort of situation. I remember being really conflicted about it. Because it’s like, you’re lying to your kids, you know?

Stephie
Now, like,

Megan
I remember, it was like a huge thing for me for a while. But the thing that like turned me to the other side of like going with it is that one, there’s like nothing wrong with it. Yes, it’s hard to it is the joy that the kids have about it makes the silliness of it, like worth it. Like, I know, not every kid reacts that way to it. But like, they would just get so excited, like about all of it. And like, there was I can’t like Reese asked one year for like, he like wanted an elf hat or something. Yeah, he wanted an elf hat. And so my friend stuffs mom made him an elf hat. And then like this, we sneakily like, got it packaged up and like, put it our house. And he was like, Oh my God. And like he wanted like in Polar Express, like he wanted to Belle from the like, reindeer thing one time. And we like sneakily did that. And he was like, amazed. And like that was totally cute, and adorable. And I love that. So that I think is worth it. With Max, it’s interesting, like, you know, you know, Max like, is the most interesting man in the world.

Stephie
Really is honestly.

Megan
I don’t know where he stands on it right now. He’s eight. I kind of feel like maybe he knows but also he doesn’t like want to stop doing that. Yeah. You know, he like really loves Christmas movies. Like all of the kids Christmas movies. Like we’ve watched. We just watched close last weekend. But we also watched it over the summer. He loves it. So good. We watched a bunch of Christmas movies over the summer. And so he likes all of those ones that like have Santa in them. Yeah. And I think he they just bring him a lot of joy. And so that is like the best part I think that’s like a good reason for doing it’s not for like oh, like they the kids don’t behave better because they know boy

Stephie
or like they don’t super creepy when parents are like, Oh, well Samsung is watching you You better be good. Like that’s right and like not sustainable.

Megan
Yeah, we’ll say it but like jokingly every once in a while right but like not really meeting it but the kids also would write like the cutest letters to Santa. I I can’t remember what’s in some of them but they’re like adorable. So I was I was like when I was about the same point that you are with eating now though. I was like I don’t know. I don’t know if I’m gonna do it.

Stephie
Yeah, cuz there’s not like because obviously last year she was not even one so she was the Christmas here she was a blob. And this year like I mean, she’s still not really old enough to really understand the concept of Christmas or like know about it or like be excited for it or like anything like that. So, like, we haven’t had the like, are we gonna, like, do the whole Santa thing? I mean, it might have, I don’t know, I may end up being a little like my mom and just sort of like roll with it whatever she picks up from like daycare and other family like, whatever, we’re just gonna roll with it. I really have no idea, mostly because I am a lazy mom. So I don’t know, we’ll see. I don’t foresee myself be that kind of mom who would put the effort of writing a letter back to her at the breakfast table. But maybe maybe I’ll surprise myself. We’ll see. But yeah, I don’t know. It’s it’s funny to think about like, oh, gosh, like, do I have to put an effort to this thing?

Megan
I will say, I will say that the daycares do typically go hard. On holidays. Yeah. You might have picked up on that so far with Ed. But yeah, when she starts going full time, and especially around Christmas, they’re gonna be like, it’s gonna be it’s gonna be a lot of Christmas crafts, like every single day. And then there’s probably going to be like some sort of present situation, and they’re going to make ornaments and it’s going to be like, it’s going to be a lot. So

Stephie
they prepared they put in the effort for me. That’s great. Yeah. Okay, I happily pay them

Megan
to do that. But it doesn’t mean that you probably will then have questions later. You have to field?

Stephie
Me No, I have I figure with this kid, I probably will. Anyway, side note for our listeners, Side Story. They sent home an evaluation like a 15 to 24 months, like evaluation thing the other day, and it was, you know, like ranking her. So her different skills, like different types of skills, motor skills, verbal skills, interpersonal skills, all that kind of stuff. And so that we could see where she’s falling. And hilariously, she, like, ranked the lowest for like verbal, and language. And they were like, she’s not really talking much. But don’t worry, like, I’m sure she’ll talk more soon. And I like went back today, when I dropped her off. And I was like, Guys, I was like, we were crying, laughing reading the evaluation because you don’t understand at home. She says all of the things all of the time. Every word, she has all the words. She knows. Almost all of her letters. She knows several of her colors. She mimics everything. She literally does not shut up at home. And they were like, what? The only thing she ever says here is no. Like, what a little shithead like, they were honestly floored because apparently the only thing she ever says is like no and then like bye bye. Pick her up. Like, oh my god.

Megan
Just a weary. Yeah, she’s

Stephie
like, I think she just I think she’s like, knows that she can get the other kids to like, talk for her. Like she just rely on the other kids to communicate and she’s just gonna go along. Also, she knows that she’s gonna get snacks. And I am on like a schedule. She’ll get her nap on a schedule. So she’s like, they got my needs covered. I’m good. Foods come in. I don’t need to tell them. It’s good. It’ll be here soon.

Megan
I mean, she’s she’s got a good thing going right now. It only works until they actually start teaching them so Right. Right.

Stephie
I’m like, whatever kid like I but I didn’t need to i to like reassure them. I’m like, I promise. She says so much at home. Like she really is doing just fine. I’m not concerned. They’re like, Oh my gosh, we had no idea. Anyway.

Megan
Yeah, that’s like, whenever we would go to the doctor, and they’d be like, oh, you know, like, how was their verbal skills doing? I’m like, good, good. And then they’d ask them questions, and they would just stare at the doctrine. Right? Like, literally, this is the same document they had. Like, they’re like, since Reese was a baby. Yeah. Same doctor that they went to forever and ever and they would just be like, Yeah, okay. And then she’d be like, can you get a video of them talking at home because I don’t believe you. Like I think she believed me but she was like I need proof

Stephie
oh my god yeah, I might have to like show her teachers a video just be like, I promise look. Also, well as they she has started like she like seeing the ABCs but she even though she can like look at the letters and tell you what they are. She isn’t like seeing the song like from start to finish. She just kind of goes like, she’ll go like a B, C, F, G Z XOQABAD. C, A B. Like it’s like the remix. What do we got going on here, kid It just says whatever letters come to her mind and like sort of

Megan
a tune. Like, look, some of the letters are dumb and she’s not gonna say them.

Stephie
Yeah, apparently she’s just like, fuck some of those letters. I don’t want to. I’m not into off like I’m seeing what I want to sing my remix version. She’s funny. Okay, let’s talk about movies featuring Santa because there’s a lot of them. There’s so many. There’s so many featuring Santa. Um, what are some of your favorites? And what are some of your least favorites?

Megan
Oh, gosh. Um, so I mentioned the original Miracle on 34th Street. Now the remake three makes fine, I guess. But the, the Santa that one I like. Like the the main character like Kris Kringle Santa not the drugs, not the

Stephie
drugs. The actual real.

Megan
I like I like his character. I like the actor that how he portrayed him and I don’t know if it’s just because like, I have a soft spot for that movie because it’s a classic, but I don’t know. I just feel like he embodies like what I expect. Yes. Out of a Santa Claus. I agree. Um, I also the more recent movie i is I’m like torn on both both sides. So I really like Kurt Russell. S Santa. Oh, radicals. But I ate but but I hate that they always have a musical number in those movies. And Lady Sings in them. And like it’s fine, but it’s just kind of weird and cookie, but like all the rest of it, I think is he does a good job and it’s adorable. And he and Goldie Hawn are adorable together.

Stephie
The fact that you’ll be honest, Mrs. Claus is like fantastic. Yes.

Megan
Um, I do not like Tim Allen.

Stephie
I was gonna I was just gonna ask you how you felt about the Santa Clause?

Megan
No, like, I think the first one is like it’s still a pretty solid movie. Yeah, the first one is nine. Yeah, my kids like to watch that one a lot. And it’s like a classic, basically at this point. And it’s fine. I just hate remember, like, has a nation. We were like, under the clutches of Tim Allen, immediately on television for a long time. And apparently he’s still on TV now on some show that’s been on forever. If you think it’s on CBS, I don’t know anything that’s on CBS because other shows are terrible. But Correct. He is still on TV. But and so now when I watched Santa Clause, all I can think of is like that Home Improvement show because he has like some stupid parts of that, that he put in Santa Clause because he got the role because of that show. And that just bothers me. And then they made sequels. And the sequels are all terrible.

Stephie
The sequels or not? Yeah, we could stop with the one the one we’re just gonna do that one. And then no more, please. Thank you.

Megan
Yeah, so I really I really don’t I don’t like him as Santa at all.

Stephie
Um, I. So I am the movie that I am conflicted about. As the Polar Express.

Megan
Oh, oh.

Stephie
Because Okay, the book is so beautiful. Yes, the book is lovely. It’s such a lovely book. And then they made this weird cgi movie with dead eyes. It is so creepy. It’s not great. Megan it’s just not good. It’s so

Megan
creepy. And then like it’s not even it’s it’s not just the dead eyes though. It’s like a It’s there’s so much of it in there. That’s just kind of not not right.

Stephie
Like the music is really lovely. Yeah, like the score is this got a really good score.

Megan
It’s like the every everything else is animated really nicely, except for all the people.

Stephie
Yes, yes. Yes. Yes. If you take all the people out it’s a beautiful movie. Yeah.

Megan
And some of the voices are kind of weird too. And then why did they cast him Hanks as like five of the characters

Stephie
because like five of the characters have forgot that. It’s super

Megan
weird to me and then also the kids. The whenever the kids watch it. First of all, we always have to make hot chocolate whenever we watch the movie because of the song Which Fine, whatever. But then the kids are like, I have a lot of questions about like, what’s happening? Because there’s, like, they get on top of the train and stuff. And they’re like, what’s going on? This doesn’t make any sense. Like,

Stephie
this is not safe.

Megan
My children at like six years old are like pointing out plot holes in his movies. And I’m like, what? Yes, I agree with you. I agree with you. It just comes off as really, it’s supposed to be really lovely and heartwarming. And a lot of people love it. I just think it’s kind of creepy.

Stephie
Yeah, I tend to agree. I, they could have done so well with it. And they didn’t. So I’ll stick to the book. Thank you. Um, my favorite Santa movie. And actually, like, you know what, it might have just moved up to my favorite Christmas movie is Klaus. I love it. If you guys have not watched class on Netflix, I don’t know what the fuck you’ve been doing with your lives. It is. So it is like such a heartwarming beauty. So first of all, okay. Can’t say enough good things about this movie. The score is beautiful. The animation is gorgeous. And the like, it’s just a really great Santa origin story. That isn’t like, there’s a little bit of like magic to it. But it’s not just like fully rooted in magic. Yeah. I don’t know. It’s just really, it’s just like the perfect Christmas movie to me. I always cry a little bit at the end.

Megan
Oh my god. Yes.

Stephie
It is just like the perfect Christmas movie. Yeah, like I said,

Megan
we just watched it a couple of days ago. And I was there’s a scene near the beginning like right when they decide to start doing the gifts and they’re like, watching the boy through the window. And the way that they animate Klaus like through the wind, like his face and the way it’s a lit and like, just the the the animation is so gorgeous. Yes. It’s just like the stunning

Stephie
the story of like, hit like losing his wife and they’ve never been able to have kids like all of that. Like I mean, it just like, touches on so many emotional heartstrings and it just, it’s like it’s the perfect movie. It’s such it’s such a good movie.

Megan
Yeah, I was funny parts too. And like, yeah, it’s great. It’s such a great movie.

Stephie
There’s also a lot of there’s some pretty well known voices in that movie, too.

Megan
You Yes. Joan Cusack isn’t

Stephie
Thank you. I couldn’t like I was like her name her name. What is her name?

Megan
I could you know, her voice,

Stephie
you know, could literally hear her.

Megan
John Cusack. Jason Schwartzman? Yes. Rashida Jones. Yep. JK Simmons. Yep. Who else? Nor McDonald, which I think it may be his last movie. I believe. Cuz he died last year this year, really? This year? Yeah. His character is great in the movie. I think those are all the main like the big ones. Even like what other but they’re they’re all good. Yeah. Yeah, it’s great.

Stephie
What else do we want to say about Santa Megan?

Megan
I was trying to think of other Santa movies. And I can’t I’m having trouble thinking of other movies a Santa versus like other just Christmas movies?

Stephie
Well, yeah, cuz there’s there’s definitely like Christmas movies that have Santa in them. But I wouldn’t necessarily, like elf. I would not call like a Santa movie. Necessarily. Yeah.

Megan
Let me just

Stephie
quick, the Grinch. I don’t necessarily think of as a Santa movie. No, like, there’s like seem to Santa adjacent movies.

Megan
Yes. What do you think of the the creepy I think they’re creepy. Like the old timey? Like stop motion animation. Santa movie. Oh, Santa Claus is coming to town.

Stephie
Yeah, though. Well, and they also have the like, you mean the ones that are like

Megan
so they have like the Rudolph?

Stephie
Jesus? Yeah. Um, I they’re like, Fine, Kathleen, I’m so sorry. Our friend Kathleen. Like loves those movies and loves like the Rudolph and stuff. I’m so sorry. They’re fine. Yeah, like cuz I mean, I grew up with Watching they would be on TV every year. And there’s nothing I don’t I don’t find them like super objectionable although there’s definitely some like, kind of creepy villains in them. Like the little the little puppet things that are like the bad guys are always very creepy. Like there’s the guy with like the flame hair. Do you know what I’m talking about heat miser? Yeah, the heat miser they’re just the villains are always just like extremely intense. So

Megan
the 70s I don’t

Stephie
there we have no we have no answer for those things yeah I don’t have any particular like, strong object I don’t I don’t go there not something that I’m like I need to watch these.

Megan
Yeah

Stephie
I think the little Rudolph is very cute. Yeah, just like the like the little Rudolph just said enough of himself is cute but those movies as a whole and like

Megan
there’s another movie that I just remembered that is it’s pretty good for a an animated kid’s Christmas movie it’s not as good as Claus, of course. But Arthur Christmas is actually a pretty good like Santa ish movie. It is about Santa, obviously. But he has like children. And so then there’s like, there’s kind of like who’s going to become the next Santa sort of situation. And one, one of the sons is like, super into it. And like it’s ready to take Santi to the next level and you know, stereotypical, taking control of the business thing. Uh huh. And then the other kid with Arthur is like, the one who really loves Christmas, but it’s kind of a goofball. Like, can’t do anything. Right. situation. So it’s with that one’s pretty cute to the kids like that one. It’s pretty good. But Santa himself is not necessarily like, the main care. Yeah,

Stephie
well, that sort of like, no, well, the Yeah, just a plus one that came out a couple years ago with Anna Kendrick in it. Where she, like, ends up becoming Santa or whatever. So it’s like, kind of because they like the whole movie. It’s like, oh, my, the brother is gonna take over and like, he definitely doesn’t want to. And so then she has to like, she’s trying to talk him into it. And then they’re like, You should just be the Santa or whatever. So that was cute. Yeah, I

Megan
thought I seen that one twice. And I watched it when it came out. And then we watch it last year. And I merged I liked it. Okay, the first time, but I liked it more last year, for whatever reason. I’m not really sure. Yeah, I think maybe I thought the funny parts were funnier this time. I don’t know. I think the first time I watched it alone, and the second time I watched it with Max. And so that probably made some somewhat of a difference to Yeah. And also, like Bob thinks a lot of things are funny. You’re funny, so I think it’s, I think it is fun to watch movies with people who think movies are funny. Because they’ll just like start giggling and things. I’d be like, it’s not that funny, but you’re funny.

Stephie
You’re like kind of seeing it through their eyes. You’re like, Okay, well,

Unknown Speaker
yeah,

Stephie
entertaining. Yeah. Oh, love it. Well, I don’t know. We didn’t

Megan
we didn’t ruin Santa.

Stephie
We didn’t ruin Santa.

Megan
Right kind of like Santa.

Stephie
He kind of like Santa. Yeah, I’m good with Santa. I’m not good with city. You know what? Maybe

Megan
Maybe I think you just like don’t sit in on people’s laps which is totally normal,

Stephie
totally normal and healthy and healthy to not want to stretch his lap. And maybe maybe the pandemic will have changed how we view things like sitting on strangers laps one played maybe maybe maybe it would have been different if like you could just like sit like next to like on a on a little chair next to Santa like by his sit by Santa his knee. Santa on Santos knee like maybe yeah, they would have been like Santa adjacent would have been less creepy for me as a child. I don’t know.

Megan
Now that’s a rabbit hole I would like to go down is the who decided this Situ All

Stephie
right, that this is how it’s gonna go,

Megan
huh?

Stephie
Yeah. Yeah,

Megan
I’m gonna get them fired.

Stephie
I also have a whole like, I mean, I, there’s also it you we could also go down the whole like, okay, like kids whose parents can’t afford gifts and then they ask for things from Santa. And then Santa doesn’t bring those things versus the kids whose Santa brings them everything they want and the like, that’s a whole rabbit hole that we could really go down. And we will. But yeah,

Megan
I will say that one thing that I think is the best thing that you can do if you do have kids who write letters to Santa and ask for things. I mean, aside from you know, you share the list from with the grandparents or whatever is a is that you make the you like do a Santa gift. Yes. And then you make of the Santa gift. Not the most expensive crazy one. Yes. Because then when, you know, inevitably, you go to school, and the kids are all like, why don’t you get from Santa? You’re not going to be like Panda next box. Right? Like, yeah, your parents bought you the Xbox Santa got you Blair.

Stephie
Yeah, you know, I agree with that. Totally agree with that. That’s great advice to end on, Megan. Good job.

Megan
Well, I have been in the game for 14 years.

Stephie
Just in time to pass the torch.

Megan
Oh my god. I’m already stressed thinking about what to get the kids for.

Stephie
Those Black Friday sales there. Megan.

Megan
Lord, pass.

What’s bringing us joy?

Stephie
Oh, what’s bringing you joy this week?

Megan
So I know we talk about our kids a lot. But I’m gonna talk about my kids again. Sorry.

Stephie
You don’t have to listen to us. We like

Megan
number one is that my younger son, they get these dictionaries from

Stephie
school, which I think is the coolest thing. There’s a cool looking dictionary too.

Megan
It’s pretty nice. It’s like a children’s dictionary. But it’s pretty big. It’s hard cover. It’s got a lot of pictures in it. It’s great. Made me super happy. But also the thing that I actually want to talk about with him is that he got his COVID shot today. First.

Stephie
How did it go?

Megan
It went fine. They they were really behind. There were a lot of people getting shots today, apparently. And so they were just like backed up. But he did a great job. And he got a lollipop. And so you know, can’t go wrong with a lollipop. Okay. And that actually, I have one more because I forgot that I had to for the first one. So my older son has been taking a class at school where they spend half of the semester cooking. And it is adorable. Love it to me because he comes home every day. He tells me what the cooked and he tells me how it went. Nick complains about classmates. But he like has he is he comes home and he like depending on what they make like he’ll bring it home with him and like share it with me so I can taste what he’s been in class. Uh huh. He made like the Red Lobster biscuits. Love a gesture. Yeah, and they’re pretty good. He did a good job. He said that a lot of people did really badly which I was like, how do you want to screw up because they’re like drop

Stephie
biscuits also like yeah, that’s weird. Apparently allow the kids

Megan
don’t know how to measure which is the first step and cooking a little bit. And then today they made pumpkin cookies with icing on them, ah love and they were also good. So I was really proud of him. Also with his biscuits, he sold some of them to other kids in school. Like I made some money on the side. But I love that he like he chose this class. They have a lot of electives at his school and he chose the class where you learn how to cook and so I love it. I was really proud of him for that to begin with. But then he’s doing really well in this class. And it makes me really proud because he used to be really interested in cooking and stuff with me when he was younger and then he kind of like thought it was boring and got over it. But it seems like he’s actually like retain some of that information and knowledge and it makes me really proud and

Stephie
ready to go. Yeah, Rees,

Megan
what his brain you joy.

Stephie
Okay, so this isn’t my child but it is my niece and nephew for my friend Kathleen’s kids. So they are in Chicago for Thanksgiving. They’re staying at Kathleen’s parents house. And apparently, her mom like still has a VCR. And like a lot of the like, original like Disney, like VHS tapes. And so they her kids are Ed Kathleen’s kids are almost three and almost six. And they decided to like put one of the tapes in for the kids. And she said a video of some of their commentary, just like the movie hadn’t even started. It was like, trying to get it started because they had to rewind the tape. And then they had to, like, get it going. And then it had to like do its whole like kind of warming up thing. And then like the original, you know, like Disney VHS, you know, then they had the whole like, and now a major motion picture. Like you have to get through all of the little previews. All of the stuff. And these kids have grown up with Disney plus, and Netflix were literally they’re like, I want to watch Aladdin and they hit the button and they watch Aladdin and then they were trying to watch Aladdin. Charlie, her three year old daughter, it’s just going. I want to watch TV. Why is that? Not starting yet? It’s going it’s gonna start soon. It’s gonna start soon. She’s like, going this is boring.

Megan
Because you have to watch the trailer for like, Tinker Bell’s journey to it’s gonna come out on VHS soon.

Stephie
Exactly. Or like the the latest like release from the vault of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are like whatever it is. And Kaplan it’s like, well, this is how we used to have to do it. They were just like, I don’t like that. Honestly, hilarious. It was so good.

Megan
Like, kids get so confused by commercials not so much anymore. But they used to just be like, Why is whatever? Why can’t we pause the show? Like, it’s just on and then like, Well, can you pause it and like no, because it’s just on the TV.

Stephie
Live TV Kids.

Megan
Oh, man.

Stephie
How am I gonna see? Honestly, well, but also we have it a little bit easy as parents because I have Elmo in my pocket. Like, if I need Elmo, I pull out my phone and I pull up YouTube and there’s Elmo, although we were in home goods on Saturday, and she was just like Elmo and I was like, almost at home. I was telling. I was telling the my friend this yesterday, and she was saying that her sister told her niece that Coco Matlin is on an extended vacation and Coco melon has been successfully on vacation for three months.

Megan
Nice. Sounds about sabbatical. Yeah, exactly.

Stephie
cocomelon is on a research sabbatical. Far away.

Megan
It’s writing this thesis paper

Stephie
shit. Oh, goodness.

Next week

Megan
Well, we’re gonna take some time off for the holidays.

Stephie
We are gonna we’re gonna have a little we’re gonna have a little holiday break. But we will see you in the new year. So until then, be sure to leave us a review on Apple podcasts and listen to us on your favorite platform. You can also follow us on social media at IRSIpodcast or send us an email at idratherstayinpodcast@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you.

Megan
See you next year.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai