To Do:

Letter to Santa
Comsumer Perspective
Email interviews
Phone interviews
Face-to-Face interviews
Research on groups
Articles
Intro
Methods
Digital Short

Introduction

As autumn winds down, children and adults alike begin to anticipate Christmas Day. On this morning, eager children hurry down the stairs to see what is waiting for them under the tree. Wrapping paper being flung in every direction, lights flashing from trigger-happy parents armed with cameras, and children roaring with laughter and joy. However, this excitement cannot be attributed to just this one day. No, this event has been in the making for weeks, beginning with a seemingly simply trip to the mall. Parents and children of all ages anxiously wait in mile-long lines, creeping along for hours for their 3 minutes with a fat man in a red suit. Yes, Santa Claus!

Since making his debut in department stores in 1890[1], visiting Santa Claus has become a time-honored tradition for most families. Though he can be contacted through mail and even e-mail, Santa prefers face-to-face contact. Unfortunately, with the growth in population and time constraints, the true Santa is unable to appear everywhere he is needed. Thankfully, he has a legion of men who have taken on the challenge of bringing Christmas to the masses. Every year like clockwork, they don red suits, white beards (both real and fake), and a jolly demeanor-choosing to put themselves to the torturous task of listening to the petitions of young children. After years of the grueling work, these men have formed a support community and culture of their own. 

Still, the real question remains, why do they do it and who are they? Why do these men choose year after year to forsake their personal boundaries and voluntarily allow children to crawl up on their laps and tell of their Christmas wishes? Could it be for the money? Availability of the job? Simply keeping the tradition alive? Or is it the desire to bring joy into the lives of children?

            The men who form this culture come from all different walks of life. These men may be rich, poor, married, widowed, divorced, old, young, African-American, Caucasian, or Latino. During the year they may be retired, lawyers, doctors, sales clerks, waiters, fathers, grandfathers, pastors, engineers, musicians, and more. Despite these possible differences, the joy of Christmas and passion for their portrayal of Santa have brought these men into a close-knit community. Member-exclusive groups have been formed, social networks created, and conventions are held each year for support. While some may view this as a temporary position, others treat it as a life-long career. Regardless, this is not a job to be taken lightly. It is a commitment to honor the traditions of Christmas and connect with children from all walks of life.

           

           

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[1]Elaine Allegrini. “The Enterprise.” http://www.enterprisenews.com/homepage/x544120860/Creating-Christmas-town-in-downtown-Brockton

Introduction

Elizabeth Newton
Third Year Writing
Introduction


          As autumn winds down, children and adults alike begin to anticipate December 25th. On this morning, children rush down the stairs to see what is waiting for them under the tree. Wrapping paper is ripped off, cameras are flashing, and children begin screaming with joy. However, this excitement cannot be attributed to just this one day. No, this event has been in the making for weeks! It all began with a simple trip to the mall, a long wait in line, and the opportunity to sit for a few minutes on the lap of a giant man in a red suit. You guessed it, Santa Claus!
          Since making his debut in department stores in 1890 , visiting Santa Claus has become a time-honored tradition for most families. Though he can be contacted through mail and even e-mail, Santa prefers face-to-face contact. Unfortunately, with the growth in population and time constraints, the true Santa is unable to appear everywhere he is needed. Thankfully, he has a legion of men who have taken on the challenge of bringing Christmas to the masses. Every year like clockwork, they don red suits, white beards (both real and fake), and a jolly demeanor-choosing to put themselves to the torturous task of listening to the petitions of young children. After years of the grueling work, these men have formed a support community and culture of their own.
          Still, the real question remains, why do they do it? Why do these men choose year after year to forsake their personal boundaries and voluntarily allow children to crawl up on their laps and tell of their Christmas wishes? Could it be for the money? Availability of the job? Simply keeping the tradition alive? Or is it the desire to bring joy into the lives of children?
          The men who form this culture come from all different walks of life. These men may be rich, poor, married, widowed, divorced, old, young, African-American, Caucasian, or Latino. During the year they may be retired, lawyers, doctors, sales clerks, waiters, fathers, grandfathers, pastors, engineers, musicians, and more. Despite these possible differences, the joy of Christmas and passion for their portrayal of Santa have brought these men into a close-knit community. Member-exclusive groups have been formed, social networks created, and conventions are held each year for support. While some may view this as a temporary position, others treat it as a life-long career. Regardless, this is not a job to be taken lightly. It is a commitment to honor the traditions of Christmas and connect with children from all walks of life.

Archive

I will seek knowledge to be well versed in the mysteries of bringing Christmas cheer and good will to all the people that I encounter in my journeys and travels.

I shall be dedicated to hearing the secret dreams of both children and adults.

I understand that the true and only gift I can give, as Santa, is myself.

I acknowledge that some of the requests I will hear will be difficult and sad. I know in these difficulties there lies an opportunity to bring a spirit of warmth, understanding and compassion.

I know the "real reason for the season" and know that I am blessed to be able to be a part of it.

I realize that I belong to a brotherhood and will be supportive, honest and show fellowship to my peers.

I promise to use "my" powers to create happiness, spread love and make fantasies come to life in the true and sincere tradition of the Santa Claus Legend.

I pledge myself to these principles as a descendant of St. Nicholas the gift giver of Myra.
                                                                                                                                       -Phillip L. Wenz

This oath is representative of the image of the perfect Santa. It was officially published in 2008, having been inspired by two "prolific" Santa actors of the 1900s. Though most base good Santas on their appearance, real beard, nice suit, etc., here we focus on their actions.

The Santa Oath is said to have been accepted by nearly all Santa organizations as well as individual portrayers.

Three Cups of Tea

                Three Cups of Tea is a fascinating story of one man’s attempt to change the world. As a social entrepreneurship major, the story meant even more to me-this man has done what I can only dream to one day achieve. His list of accomplishments,  which range from scaling mountains to building schools to helping launch a non-profit organization, are truly incredible. It is amazing that he has done so much in such a short time.

His story is told in an interesting perspective. In the introduction we find that Greg Mortenson did not actually write this account. Rather, it was told and described by him to David Oliver Relin. Taking this into account, one must question the validity of the book. All throughout the book we find meticulous details and a large amount of dialogue. I must question how much was accurately remembered and how much was fabricated.

Regardless, this novel is an incredible depiction of life in the Middle East. Through it, we are able to experience the culture of many different people groups-feeling as if we are there in their midst. It is mesmerizing to learn of the slower pace, the religious rituals, and the organization (patriarchal) of this society. Though lingering at the beginning, the novel quickly picks up speed. We are continually transported back and forth from California to Pakistan, allowing the reader to feel the whirlwind of Mortenson’s life.

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

                It’s been awhile since we last talked, I apologize. People keep spreading terrible rumors about you! I will admit, I believed them for a while, but I have now come to my senses. I should never have doubted you.

                Seeing that it is March and not very close to the official Christmas season, you may find this letter a bit unusual. I am writing to ask you a favor. I am in college now, at Belmont University, and have a very interesting project for my 3^rd Year Writing class.  We are exploring various cultures and I have chosen to focus on your impersonators. I have been in contact with one such impersonator, several consumers, and even tried to gain access into a group known as the Amalgamated Order of Bearded Santas. I am having great difficulty with these people….they are a secretive bunch. Malls have withheld information and groups have even denied me access!

                For this reason, I have decided to go to the source….you. I am hoping you will give me more information on how you began this career, how you handle the stress, and how you are able to continue year after year (after year). You too are a secretive man. Movies have tried to answer these questions (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Santa Clause), but I do not know how reliable these are. Please help me to set the record straight!

                                                                                                 Your faithful believer,

               Elizabeth

PS: Thank you so much for finally granting me my childhood wish of a white Christmas! It was everything I had always hoped it would be. Feel free to grant another childhood wish…aka, Harrison Ford. You know my address- drop him off anytime. J

Importance of Visiting Santa

                Those who portray Santa at malls, department stores, and private venues would not be able to exist without those who visit them. This is mostly provided through parents taking their children annually. One such parent, Patricia Newton (my mother), had many thoughts on her experiences. She chose to begin these yearly visits when my sister and I were pretty young. Her reasoning was simple: “It was just one of those childhood things you do-you take your children to see Santa Claus.” However, this custom was never a huge priority for her or my family. If there was a long line or too many people, we avoided it. Trips were not planned solely around this event, unless it meant leaving an hour early to avoid the crowds and still have remaining time to complete errands.  Her thoughts were, she recalls, “I mean it wasn’t a big deal. I remember more doing the Salvation Army Angel Tree [then visiting Santa].”

Transcript

The following is a transcript taken of part of an interview I conducted with my mother. I tried to gain a consumer's perspective of Santa Claus.

Elizabeth: “How old were we when you first took us to see Santa Claus?”

Patricia (Mom): “Probably pretty young. You were younger than Stephanie because we would have taken you with her. At least a year old or later.”

E: “Why did you choose to take us to see Santa Claus?”

P: “It was just one of those childhood things you do- you take your children to see Santa Claus.”

E: “What was it like waiting in line to see him? Were there a lot of people? Like, what was the overall experience?

P: “We never waited in a long line, if there was a long line we wouldn’t have waited. It wasn’t that important. But there was usually a lot to see while you were waiting in line depending on which Santa Claus we went to.”

E: “Were you overall impressed with the Santas that you chose?”

P: “Hmmm. The singing one at Brookwood was nice; we just always went to the one in Jacksonville because that was the only one you could put up with.

E: “Was it the same one each time or was it a different guy?”

P: “ Must’ve been the same one. I know the one at Brookwood was the same for years because he sang.”

E: “Did you ever see a problem in teaching your, teaching Stephanie and I to believe in this fictional character?”

P: “ No, we didn’t make that big of deal of it..except for you and the foot prints.”

E: “I was a weird one.”

P:  “No, I mean if we had a problem with that we would have had more of a problem with Elfie.”

E: “Now, back to the whole experience thing, did you plan when we went to the mall we were going to see Santa? Like was that the purpose of going to the mall or was it like we were there ‘Oh, we might as well see him’?”

P: “Umm. I don’t remember. Probably we were there, well, we might of kind of decided to see Santa and that’s why we went early. We would go like right after school or early night hoping to beat the crowds that would come after most people got off work since daddy got off work early and I didn’t work. We could go at 4:00. But I mean, it wasn’t a big deal. I remember more doing the Salvation Army Angel Tree”

E:”Yeah.”

P: “Of course ya’ll were older when we started doing that, but that’s more of a ‘we got to the mall to get our angels.’”

My older sister, Stephanie, and I with Santa (November, 1991)

Santa Claus Glossary

Santa Claus- Man in red suit and white beard who promises toys to young children (aka Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle)

The List- a record kept by Santa Claus with which he categorizes children based on their performance throughout the year

Beard- an essential part of Santa's appearance; must be white; can be fake, but preferably real

Elf- generally a young adult dressed in a green and red suit who assists Santa in quieting crying children, taking photographs, taking admission, and passing out candy canes

Throne- Santa's chair where he talks with children about what they want for Christmas

Interview #1

During class on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to interview Cylia about her experiences with Santa Claus. I began with a simple question: Did you ever believe in Santa Claus? Cylia's response was: "Yes, and part of me wants to still believe in Santa Claus." We began to talk about childhood experiences of Santa and the importance or potential problem with this belief. Cylia was never able to visit a mall Santa, but did have the unique experience of seeing Santa every Christmas Eve at her grandmother's house. Here someone in her family would portray Santa, pass out toys, and allow the children to sit on his lap. Cylia treasures these experiences- "I love Santa, I love everything about Christmas."

The most surprising element of my interview was Cylia's response to my last question: Do you think this portrayal of a fictional character has a strong impact on a child's life? Though some may take her answer to be borderline sacrilegious, her tone did not indicate this. She equated belief in Santa to belief in God. "[A child's belief in Santa] is like the adult version of atheists and believers. You will always have the kids who believe and don't believe.....belief in Santa allows kids to believe in things or else they won't believe in anything."

Santa's Workshop

I attempted to draw a picture of a fairly typical arrangement of a mall display of "Santa's Workshop." For the culture I am studying, this is their major place of work. Here, children of all ages, shapes, sizes, and color come to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what he or she would like for Christmas. This diagram includes the camera stand, the cash register, a que line, and, of course, Santa's throne.

What does it take?

What does it take to be a good Santa Claus? For my site, there is a list withing the "Santa Oath" describing the characteristics of a good Santa. This allows insiders as well as outsiders to better understand the effort of performing well in this field. Additionally, one sees the goal of a good Santa and the message he is conveying. This list shapes the identity of current Santas and our view of those who portray him.

Original: When one sees a man with a large, white beard, their mind typically goes to a thought about Santa Claus. Ever since Coca Cola standardized our symbol of St. Nick, images always include a fluffy white beard and red suit. Groups even exist honoring the Santa impersonators who have real beards and do not rely on fake stick-ons. It is apparent that Santa portrayers gain status of the elite through this icon.

Revised: The mind often goes to a thought of Santa Claus at the sight of a large, white beard. Coca Cola standardized this symbol by always including a fluffy white beard and red suit in images of St. Nick. Groups exist to honor the Santa impersonators who have real beards and do not rely on stick-ons- classifying these men as the “elite.”

Field Note Observations

I was surprised that out of the 5 or 6 people I encountered during my observations, the male students never acknowledged my presence. The female students, however, all made eye contact with me at one point. They appeared to be more aware of their surroundings- constantly looking around at people walking through or sounds made. The men, on the contrary, we lost in what they were doing. One male student was in the corner doing what appeared to be homework while listening and rocking back and forth to his music. In the thirty minutes I was there, I never saw him look away from what he was doing.

 One thing that intrigued me was the girl sitting at the table near me. She appeared to be very anxious or nervous about what she was doing. Also, as she got up to leave from the table, I noticed she was wearing high heels. As she walked, she seemed to be very unsteady on her feet, as if she was not used to wearing them. Since he outfit was very casual, I wondered as to why she chose to wear heels.

The thing that disturbed me was the phone conversation the girl sitting across from me had. She has tried several attempts to call someone, but apparently no one had answered. She finally made contact with someone and appeared to have a quiet argument. During my whole observation of her, she seemed upset or angry about something.

 I had my computer with me for the assignments, so I simply copied by notes onto this blog.

Massey 3^rd floor

1.       Girl

a.       picking at chick. Sand.;

b.      listening to head phones/watching something on her computer

c.       seems focused, not very excited to watch it. Class assignment?

d.      Makes a phone call-no one answers/ or voicemail.

e.      Bored- picking at nails, biting fingers

f.        Hopefully unaware of me watching her

g.       Trying phone call again-  looking very perplexed, sucking on lips, playing with eye brow- made contact, looking angry. Talking quietly., noticed me watching her.

h.      Dress, belt, ugg boots- red computer

2.       Guy in back corner,

a.       relaxed, headphones in, typing on computer;

b.      must be listening to music, gently swaying to something and tapping his feet,

c.       starts to randomly stretch his neck,

d.      getting more into his music- tapping feet and hands, head moving up and down

e.      completely oblivious to the rest of the world

3.       Girl at table,

a.        very focused, headphones in, hw;

b.      appears stressed or nervous. Deep sighs,

c.       using I pad

d.      Taking a break

e.      Awkwardly made eye contact, as if to say, “Why are you watching me?”

f.        Packing up-random time to leave for class (1:25)

g.       Difficulty walking in heels

h.      Left for computer lap…..noticed I was watching her?

4/5. Two guys at table- helping each other with work.

a.       Appear to be slightly older- grad students or seniors?

b.      Eating wendy’s.

c.       Younger guy appears to be helping the older.

d.      Younger using hand gestures to explain something to the older- wearing toboggan

e.      Older, dressed as if to appear younger- hoodie, tshirt, jeans

Girl can’t decide where to go….starts to walk through the lobby and turns around, turns back around and walks through

Older men and women walking out of the elevator and disappearing down the hall

Lobby- very quiet. Gentle hum of the vending machines, crinkle of potato chip wrapper….elevator occasionally opening- dinging

No one sitting near another, all with our own designated spaces.

Walls filled with posters advertising school of business  and one random mirror.

Copy machine, recycle bins

Girls noticed me-guys didn’t

Full Project Proposal

Elizabeth Newton
3^rd Year Writing: 1:00 Class
February 2, 2011

Project Proposal

            I must admit that I am an individual who is not afraid to enjoy Christmas year-round. Christmas music is never absent from my IPod, nor do I find it a sin to listen to it in the spring, summer, or fall. This being the case, I naturally have picked a Christmas-related topic for my project. However, it is related to an aspect of Christmas I find troubling. Our society has polluted the true message of Christmas to one centered on an icon. It is this icon I wish to explore: Santa Claus and the culture of individuals who portray him.

 My main research question will be: Why do you choose to dress up as Santa Claus? Additional questions I will research are as follows: Does this job give you a greater appreciation for Christmas, or does it have the opposite effect? What do you do in the off-season? How did you first begin this job? Do you feel your presence distracts from the true meaning of Christmas? Etcetera.

I will also explore different customs and variances in Santas. For instance, through my preliminary research I have found conflict between those with authentic beards and those without. I am also curious to know if there is a difference between Santas who appear in malls and those who work smaller venues.

To gain insight into this profession, I will explore groups such as The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, Santa’s Rampage, the Santa Claus Network, and other related sites. Most importantly, I will attempt to access information by contacting malls, such as Green Hills and Cool Springs, and large department stores, such as Bass Pro Shop, to interview their Santas. Personal interviews will provide me with the most thorough answers to the questions I have proposed.

I am definitely an outsider of this culture and will never be able join (closest I can come is Mrs. Claus). This is a male-exclusive group. While this will create some difficulties in my research and understanding, it will also provide a unique perspective.

As I previously mentioned, I have a deep appreciation for Christmas, but a hesitation about the tradition of Santa Claus. I hope this assignment will help me and my reader see another side of this figure and deepen our love for Christmas.

The Culture of.... Santa Claus.

I mentioned in my last post that there were research possibilities I had passed over, thinking it was impossible to find sources. Thankfully, I was proven wrong.

 I have decided to research the culture of the men who choose to portray Santa Claus. I will explore questions such as: What made you wish to take this type of job? Does this job give you a greater appreciation for Christmas, or does it have the opposite effect? What do you do in the off-season? Etcetera. I will also explore different customs and variances in Santas. For instance, through my preliminary research, I have found conflict between those with authentic beards and those without.

To gain insight into this profession, I will explore groups such as The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, Santa’s Rampage, the Santa Claus Network, and other related sites. Most importantly, I will attempt to access this information by contacting malls and large department stores to receive information about the men they have hired to portray Santa Claus. Personal interviews will provide me with the most thorough answers to the questions I have proposed.

Research Possibilities

There are many cultures and subcultures I have interest in researching. Unfortunately some of these, such as people who dress up like Santa Claus, are difficult to find sources or are simply out of season. Still, there are a few more I have taken interest in:

1. Clowns. This is an interesting group of people. It is a group of individuals who have chosen a career that has the ability to make people laugh or run away in fear. I began thinking about this culture when the circus came to town last week. I am sad child who has never been to the circus and, therefore, have never had an opportunity to observe these artists at their finest. Through this project I will attempt to contact clowns who appear and circuses and birthday parties, communicate with schools geared for training clowns, hopefully go to a circus, as well as obtain an outsiders' opinions of clowns.

2. People born in the 1940s. I will admit this is a fairly large jump from my last topic, but bear with me, I'm eclectic. The people born in the 1940s were largely affected by World War II, even though they are unable to remember much of it. However, they were raised during the 1950s, the age of conformity, structure, and "The American Dream." I am interested in discovering the similarities and differences in their lives compared to each other as well as society today. In order to conduct this research, I will talk with people between the ages of 61-70, the generation before them, as well as trusted historians.

3. Trekkies/Star Wars Fanatics. Yes, I realize the two cultures I just listed are competing cultures, I have simply listed both because I am indecisive. I do not consider myself to be a part of either group (though I do tend to sway towards the latter), but I am well acquainted with members of both. These subcultures have flourished since the 1970s and are a vital part of America's pop culture. I wish to interview self-proclaimed Trekkies/Star Wars Fanatics, research more into their conventions and the decade they were introduced, as well as immerse myself in a bit of their culture.

Mork Meets The Fonz

Now, for those of you who have been deprived of seeing Happy Days or Mork and Mindy, allow me to enlighten you. In this clip, Mork (Robin Williams), an alien from Ork, is sent to learn how to date from the Fonz (Henry Winkler). Fonzie attempts to teach him the basic concepts and sets him up on a date with Laverne (from Laverne & Shirley, played by Penny Marshall).

Anyone who has watched an episode of Mork and Mindy knows that literacy discourse is a main theme. In the show, Mork has been sent to Earth to observe humans. At the end of each episode he reports back to Ork and, in doing this, allows us to see the absurdities of many of our customs. For instance, Mork has an interesting handshake (Nanoo Nanoo), sits on his head, is naive about propriety, and takes everything literally.  We often fail to recognize the wording of the common phrases we use daily. However, in this show, Mork finds a humorous way of bringing it to our attention. I recommend watching the continuation of this episode as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5G0qD321a0

Goal of Class

Wednesday we were asked to prioritize a list of goals we have for this class. First in my list is to be more creative in my writing. As you can probably already see, I tend to write exactly what I am told. I shy away from creativity. This is not because I cannot do it, but rather because I am afraid of it. Being creative in one's writing is to leave an impression of yourself in your paper. I do not enjoy exposing my private life or my thoughts to the masses or even a handful of people. Yet, by setting this goal, I am purposefully going to go against my norm and attempt to let more of myself be seen in my writings.