Posted on 12/04/2007 7:01:00 PM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
Research Study: Santa Claus story is detrimental to child development
BERKELEY, Ca—The story of jolly Santa with his “Ho-Ho-Ho”, Elf workers, North Pole toy factory, and admonition that “you’d better be good”, is no longer an innocent children’s tale. Instead, it is a sinister story of sexual innuendo, labor exploitation and a blatant ignorance of global warming, so says a team of sociologists at the University of California at Berkeley.
The Berkeley team recently submitted it’s findings in a report at the National Children’s Sociology Symposium after two years of painstaking research evaluating hundreds of Santa and Winter Holiday related storybooks, movies and videos.
“There are multiple issues of the Santa story tradition that we believe are detrimental to correct and normal child development” said Ms. Hillary Huma-Humpur, Phd. a professor of sociology.
“The Don Imus-Rutgers incident exposed the slang term ‘Ho’ to the general public as a slur for ‘whore’. Santa’s dialogue in any conversation begins or ends in ‘Ho, Ho Ho!’ and the probability of a child having been exposed to the Imus story is greater than not. Santa’s favorite euphemism could be construed to have an alternate meaning which could confuse a child”, Dr. Huma-Humpur said. “There might be a question in a child’s mind that Santa is spending time with a bunch of prostitutes”, she added.
And what about the Elves working all year in Santa’s workshop building toys and harvesting candy canes?
“It’s worker exploitation pure and simple. Many of the children’s Winter Holiday books we read or videos we watched showed the Elves working around the clock without the benefit of a break time or meal time”, said Dr. Huma-Humpur.
One of the favorite children’s classics, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, “shows unsafe working conditions with dangerous tools left carelessly laying around the shop, workers standing on each other’s shoulders and using unstable ladders to hang stars on trees. Generally, there is a complete lack of worker safety being exhibited. Were it real, OSHA would shut it down in a heartbeat. Children need to understand that workers have the right to a safe work environment and to join a union”, She said.
Dr. Huma-Humpur continued, “Children mimic what they read and what they see. A little Elf with a 5lb hammer banging on wooden pegs might seem innocent in the context of the North Pole Toy Factory but if a child found a real hammer and began beating on things it could result in injury to themself or other children”.
The report cites two more issues which is says “are critical to correct and normal child development”.
Cynthia Hollingsworth Smelford-Britlington, a graduate researcher on the project studied the self-esteem issue. “ Most Santa stories tell that only good children get toys the morning of December 25th while bad children get a lump of coal. “What happens to the child when it knows that it’s been bad? The angst and worry about not being rewarded like all the other children on Winter Holiday morning is detrimental to a positive and healthy self- esteem”, she said.
And the lump of coal? “That is by far the most insidious facet of the Santa story given our present Global Warming climate crisis”, Ms. Hollingsworth Smelford-Britlington said.
“Coal is the number one contributor to global warming pollution and is constantly reported in the news in a negative way. To tell a child that they may be given something that is killing polar bears and penguins is grossly irresponsible. And, furthermore, children are being taught in school that the polar ice is melting. How does a child reconcile the hope and dreams of presents from the North Pole toy factory with the reality that the North Pole is melting?”, she added.
Frosty the Snow Man, another other holiday book that was evaluated was actually given praise in the report as it contains a message about the seriousness of Global Warming.
“Frosty melts towards the end of the movie and the climate is shown as the cause. This is reinforcement of the climate change science that is taught in today’s schools, which is commendable.”, said Ms. Hollingsworth Smelford-Britlington.
The report runs 610 pages and was funded by a Federal university grant for child development issues.
Who authorized spending money on this kind of research, anyway?
Ah, live and learn!
Good one! Were you just trying to beat the Berserkleys to the punch? LOL
Wouldn’t surprise me a bit to find out folks just like the ones in your “article” are wasting taxpayer money on just such a study.
My sister was angry with me for insisting santa was real and getting her to “fall for it” when she was older. So you never know. I know she still feels about it because she still occaisionally brings it up, and never told her kids Santa was real at all.
I think I found the best solution, though. When my boys first asked me if Santa was real, I told them we PRETEND he’s real, because it’s so much fun. For years, even when my kids were 10 and 12, we set out cookies and such, because we were playing the “Santa game”. If I slipped, they would rebuke me, “Mom, you have to pretend!”
The jokes on us.
:The report runs 610 pages and was funded by a Federal university grant for child development issues.”
I wouldn’t have seen it even if it were at 8 feet.
The problem is it’s too close to reality!
I believed in Santa, the Easter Bunny and Hobgoblins and made it to the ripe old age of 61 without any major problems. And the melting of Frosty didn’t bother me at all … knew he would be back next snowfall … ;-)
Well that’s just a pile of stinking BS.
In our house as the kids got older and figured it out, it became a rite of passage as they were then allowed to stay up and help set everything out.
My oldest son however held onto the belief longer than the others. When his friends would tell him that his parents were Santa, he replied...”No they arent ..there has to be a Santa. My parents cant afford all those toys and presents.”
I still remind him that I cant afford him. LOL
READ CAREFULLY
KEYWORDS: itssatirestupid; ohnohediditagain; satire; Click to Add Keyword
As I understand it; a high up official in the Department of Education, Dr Hugh Jahz (who happens to be Dr Hillary Huma-Humpur’s half-brother) was directly involved with the funding. Senator Haywood J. Belowmi used his committee influence to force approval.
My parents cant afford all those toys and presents.”
My oldest said to a friend who was trying to convince her otherwise: Of course there is a Santa! Do you think our parents would buy us all the great toys?
UC Berkley Research Study is detrimental to child development.
“The report runs 610 pages and was funded by a Federal university grant for child development issues.””
It is SATIRE.
FICTIONAL.
DONE FOR FUN.
NOT REAL.
(but it coulda been true. Considering the output from that institution of insanity)
LOL! I’m laughing harder at the replies than I did when writing the piece!
ain't that the truth.
(P.S. thank you for your service!)
Yup, Santa ruined my life. I’ve been on a crack binge since age 6.
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