Thanks again to everyone who voted for my Calvin avatar in the last contest. In the spirit of the season, this week's contest is "Bad (and Good) Santas." Pictures of characters dressed up as Santa Claus (or accepted variations thereof: Father Christmas, Sinterklaas, St. Nicholas, etc.). Given the subject, I'm accepting Sci-fi and fantasy entries this time around. The only real rules (other than the standard ones about size, etc.) are that: 1. It has to be a character from a work of fiction. No pictures of real people (ex: Mr. T as the White House Santa with Nancy Reagan in the 80s is out; a random person on the street dressed as Santa is out). 2. It has to be a character dressed up as Santa and NOT the character of Santa himself. So, for example, Artie Lange in "Elf" is okay. Ed Asner in "Elf" is not. Tim Allen in the "Santa Clause" is out in that he was turning into Santa Claus. I'm anticipating taking entries until Wednesday night (US EST) and then setting up the voting to conclude over next weekend. Thanks and good luck!
OK, I'm confused. Santa isn't real (sorry kids). So how can any character dressed up like Santa be disqualified for being the real Santa? Be right back...
^Santa IS real! He is! *runs off sobbing* *pulls it together* OK, what the OP is saying is that he wants to see OTHER characters dressed up like Santa, not someone actually who is playing Santa, the man himself. Since Ed Asner and Tim Allen have both played Santa (the actual dude), they don't count, so Miracle on 34th Street won't work, because Kris Kringle IS Santa. He's The Big Man himself. But, say, Hawkeye on MASH dressed as Santa WOULD work, because it's ANOTHER guy pretending to be Santa. Get it?
Because: (a) In many works of fiction, Santa is real; (b) The contest is about "pictures of characters dressed up as Santa Claus" (ie, characters disguising themselves or costuming themselves as someone they aren't). You can't "dress up" as yourself. (c) I didn't want a contest that was just pictures of Santa Claus. That doesn't require much thought or originality. In addition, wasn't Kris the "real" Santa in "34th St," and therefore, ineligible under the rules of the contest? Basically, what "auntihill" said.
Some suggestions to get the ball rolling: Chandler on Friends dressed like Santa Kramer on Sienfield working as a Mall Santa Homer Simpson wore a Santa outfit Mickey Mouse dressed like Santa The mall Santa from A Christmas Story Patton Oswalt's mall Santa from a Harold & Kumar Christmas The Billy Bob Thorton character in Bad Santa
Curious, how someone choosing the Santa from "Miracle on 34th Street" could argue there was no Santa. Anyway, here's mine:
Well, just because the Post Office workers forwarded letters addressed to Santa to the courthouse to get them out of their hair, doesn't mean that "Santa" was the "real" Santa. Nor was the fact that the "Santa" sent Susan, Mom and the "Daddy" past the house she saw in a real estate ad, also doesn't prove he's Santa.
That's why I like the remake better (well, that, and Richard Attenborough being my favorite Santa ever). It's still only hinted that he really is Santa, but on a legal note, it was a sure thing. Also, way better legal twist at the end.