Santa and Stigma: Thoughts on the Thinning of a Fat Icon

Smiling woman stands next to Santa Claus.

by Tigress Osborn, NAAFA Director of Community Outreach

In many ways, it makes no difference to me what size Santa Claus is. Generally, I operate by a principle I learned from my friend and fellow activist Marilyn Wann, who I'm paraphrasing when I say that I don't care what people weigh; what I care about is how they think and behave about weight. I understand that St. Nicholas has some historical roots. I also understand that contemporary Santa can be many things to many people. I'm invested in historical accuracy in many areas of life. Being a Santa fan is not one of them. I say bring on Santas of all sizes, all races, all genders! Whether that's retelling the Santa story, casting actors to be mall Santas, or dressing yourself up as the world's most recognizable jolly fat guy, I think the Santa story should be accessible to folx from many walks of life in whatever ways bring them joy and help them spread joy. I love Santas!

But there is only one kind of Santa experience I cannot abide. There is no room in my life for Body Shame Santa Stories.

My first experience with Santa being stigmatized was in my elementary school's 6th grade musical. The music teacher chose Shapin Up Santa, the tale of Mrs. Claus sending Santa off to fat camp because she was worried about his health. Tortured by Betty Body, an overzealous exercise instructor with a crew of assistants clad in leg warmers and leotards, Santa was subjected to something akin Biggest Loser until he and his elf BBF tried to make a break for it. I played Tony, the pizza delivery guy, who shows up with 10 pizzas for Santa to eat solo in the "look what fat people will do if someone thin doesn't reign them in" final scene of the play.

Sixth grade me never thought about whether it was mean or inappropriate or damaging to Santa to enroll him in Betty Body bootcamp. I was just sad they let a 5th grade boy play Santa instead of me just because "Santa can't be a girl." (Grown-up me, however, wonders how it was ok for me to play the Italian pizza delivery guy.) Looking back, I'm appalled that the adults in my school thought it was appropriate for 11-year-olds to do an entire show of song and dance numbers centered around forcing someone to change his body against his will.

Since that trip down Body Shame Lane in 1985, I've seen everything from good natured jokes about eating lots of cookies to downright awful jokes about the grossness of Santa's body. This year, I sat down to watch one of the Netflix holiday hits I missed last year ( The Christmas Chronicles) and was looking forward to Kurt Russell as Santa. It never even occurred to me that he was a thinner Santa until the script kept hitting me with "jokes" at me about how The Real Santa works out and isn't a fat slob like the fake Santa on billboards. How much internalized fatphobia does a writer have to have to turn a cute holiday movie about some kids meeting Santa into an opportunity to remind the world that Santa would be superior if he had tighter abs?

Every December we're given mixed messages--we should love this jolly fat man, but we should not enjoy enough holiday treats to end up looking like him. These messages matter tremendously. The way we talk about Santa's body is important, especially when we're talking to kids. Even for fat people who don't celebrate Christmas, Santa's ubiquitousness makes him one of the most recognizable fat people on Earth. Fat visibility in media can affirm or contradict cultural messages, and it can also help create them. When Santa's fat is presented as positive or even neutral, we're reminded that fat does not have to be stigmatized and demonized.

But healthism and "obesity epidemic" fears continue to underscore our messages about fat, pressuring culture creators to show Santa as health-conscious. And when diet culture is mainstream culture, health-conscious means thin or trying to be thinner. If we embrace diverse depictions of Santa, there's nothing wrong with thin depictions of Santa, just like there's nothing wrong with thin people. Like I said, the more Santas the merrier!

But there's also nothing wrong with fat Santa. He doesn't need to be fixed. He doesn't need to slim down. No one needs holiday healthism or Christmas concern trolls. I ho-ho-hope that any Santas you encounter this season have a twinkle in their eyes and generosity in their heart (and a festive holiday mask because 2020 needs that from Santa). And I hope Santas who spread body shame and bullies who harass fat Santas all end up with stockings full of coal!

PIcture of Tigress Osborn, NAAFA’s Community Outreach Director and Boasrd Chair Elect (Board Chair position to begin January 1, 2021)

Tigress Osborn is the Community Outreach Director and Board Chair Elect (Board Chair position to begin January 1, 2021) Tigress joined the NAAFA Board of Directors in 2015 and became Director of Community Outreach in 2017. She is the founder of Full Figure Entertainment in Oakland, CA and co-founder, with activist/blogger Nicholet Deschine Parkhurst of Redstreak Girl, of PHX Fat Force in Phoenix, AZ. Her professional background as a youth advocate, diversity educator, and equity and inclusion consultant informs the fat liberation activism she has engaged in since 2008.