It’s Christmas time! The most anticipated time of year for so many reasons beyond the actual day. From the abundance of evening telly to watch with your family, to exploring Christmas markets, and even to adverts created by recognised big brands.
Despite the triviality of just one advert that appears for a short time, they’ve become a tradition to anticipate. Ever since John Lewis started airing their iconic and impactful adverts, (although they’ve seemed to worsen every year) companies have vied for their customers’ attention through new innovation and messages in their adverts. Although not all of them receive praise.
This year, Norway’s postal service ‘Posten’ created a special Christmas advert to commemorate a vitally important anniversary- 50 years since the de-criminalisation of homosexuality. In their parody advert called ‘When Harry met Santa’, we see a romance unfold between a man and Santa, who only visits one year.
The advert focuses on the longing both feel to see each other every year and ends with a bitter-sweet kiss to celebrate Santa being able to spend more time with his lover, passing some of the responsibility onto the postal company. Such an innocent and perfectly timed advert (a time for love and being with the people who are special in your life).
So why is it then that people on social media are so offended and so ready to rip this advert’s message apart?
We’ve had a history of ‘controversial’ adverts, from most recently this advert and Tesco’s inclusion of Santa with a Covid passport, to Iceland’s critique on deforestation to gain palm oil. All of these adverts have been criticised for their messages that I think just hit too close to home.
All three I’ve listed have been adverts that talk about extremely relevant issues that should be important to us. But this upsets people because they don’t want this time of year to be so-called ‘too political’. Yes, it should be a time of joy and love, it should be a time of celebration (as Norway so accurately depicts), but that isn’t how real-life works sometimes. Orangutans are being killed and Covid is still a raging issue the government is over-looking. Should these issues be ignored at this time of year?
Focusing more on the Norwegian Santa advert, I immediately noticed its backlash on Facebook the morning it was released. Whilst newspaper articles and other social media have praised it for being wholesome and inspiring, I couldn’t help but look at the comments to see what the public opinion was.
There were two main complaints regarding this advert, one being the disgust in ‘sexualising’ Santa. From broadcasters to Facebook comments, parents seemed to commonly share this complaint as they do not want their kids to see Santa kissing anyone. He is a figure meant solely for association with Christmas. This criticism is completely ironic and, in my opinion, even outright silly as to detach Santa from having a loving relationship is saying that all figures for kids should receive the same treatment.
Why is it that Santa can have Mrs Claus, but not a boyfriend? How is it that we can have heterosexual relationships in nearly every Disney film, but not a homosexual one in a Christmas advert? People who criticise this advert don’t have a problem with Santa kissing someone. They have a problem with homosexuality being openly expressed for everyone to see. The importance of this advert is the presentation of love and celebration, a theme that Christmas has always been associated with!
“The doctor and broadcaster Renee Hoenderkamp complained that she didn’t want her three-year-old seeing Santa kiss anyone, male or female.”
Another prominent issue raised was the question, ‘what has happened to Mrs Claus?’ ‘Poor Mrs Claus!’ And other similar comments. Some are just jokes, but some people are actually angry that this advert is promoting cheating. This idea completely misses the point of the advert highlighting the ignorance of people.
The typical western tradition for Santa is that he is married to Mrs Claus and they live in the North Pole. But this idea is largely followed in the UK and USA, not Norway. In Norwegian tradition, there isn’t any mention of a Mrs Claus. Santa simply lives in a barn with his elves in Drøbak. With no allusion to a wife, can this criticism be relevant? Whilst this may be an issue if this advert was made in the West, it’s made in Norway, and people have to realise traditions aren’t all the same. Even if there was a Mrs Claus, interpretations and stories differ from culture to culture.
“The actor and activist Lawrence Fox, offered his “thoughts and prayers” to Mrs. Claus at her very public betrayal.”
There’s also the issue of it being too ‘political’, which is prominently displayed in this interview with Darren Grimes. He details the tedium of how everything has to link with identity, and this shouldn’t be a sexualised character for children.
However, in the modern-day, identity is an extremely important subject. So many people struggle with coming to terms with their identity, and adverts in the media are just a small way of alleviating this pressure, to help you fit in. Taking this away seems pointless and even harmful as even though tradition is rooted in the past, it should change to fit today.
“Obsession with viewing everything through the lens of identity”
Whilst Christmas is a joy-filled holiday for children and is also about the celebration of being with our loved ones, this should include all forms of love, so children are able to grow and accept different relationships into their everyday lives. If we continue to ignore issues that are still prevalent today, then how will we change?
Christmas adverts may seem trivial, and maybe they are but this isn’t just a critique of the backlash of this particular advert. It’s a critique of the unchanging opinions of society and how every issue raised is just ‘political’.
Norway has done something special this holiday season, commemorating an anniversary that is so important to me and everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. This wholesome advert will always be one of my favourites, I just hope this means more adventurous and aware adverts for the future.
“The right to love whoever you want is a fundamental human right, and is not considered a political issue in free and democratic societies in 2021″
Words by: Olivia Davies
Edited by: Anna Duffell