In this week’s episode we bring to you a special holiday episode! We sat down for a chat with Santa Claus himself! George Smithers is a department store Santa who started playing the role for his family and has now taken the character on tour across the country. In our conversation we discuss the varying experience George has had during his time portraying the man with the white beard. Those experiences vary from having kids tell him he’s not real, to having a fan of his travel hours away just to see him at Christmas time. We also discuss the distinctive encounters he has had as an African American Santa Claus. Our talk ranges from discussions of the joys of Christmas to the stresses caused by George not fitting the stereotypical notions associated with Santa Claus. Personally, I found our chat to be uplifting, enlightening and important. I hope it brings all my podcast listeners a little joy during this particularly difficult holiday season!
Credits
Entertainment Tonight
December 23, 2014
Movie Clip Credits
It’s a Wonderful Life
RKO Radio Pictures
1946
White Christmas
Paramount Pictures
1954
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer
Videocraft International/NBC
1964
Miracle on 34th Street
20th Century Fox
1947
Scrooged
Paramount Pictures
1988
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Warner Bros.
1989
Home Alone
20th Century Fox
1990
The Santa Clause
Disney
1994
Dr. Seuss: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
20th Century Fox
Imagine Entertainment
2000
Elf
New Line Cinema
2003