Watch: 'Santa Putin' Spreads Hate for the Holidays
A Vladimir Putin stand-in is giving the Grinch a run for his money this holiday season with the release of a video featuring the Russian leader dressed as Santa Claus and answering spreading a homophobic message.
"The film - made by a production company called Signal - depicts 'Santa Putin' swapping a photograph of a child's same-sex parents for one of a mother and father, and gifting the boy being raised as a girl a football, toy cars and a drum kit,"reports the Daily Mail.
The anti-Western video capitalizes on Russian anti-gay attitudes. It has been surging on social media amid Putin's political troubles, which include the invasion of Ukraine (which he labeled a "war" this week) and a pointed demand from China's Xi Jinping demanded a written explanation from Putin on when he plans to end his war in Ukraine.
The clip's narrative has a boy rebelling against his same sex parents (two men) raising him a girl They are seen in a photo on the mantlepiece and are named "Parent 1" and "Parent 2.". He asks Santa for traditional male toys and a mother and a father. "The boy baulks at seemingly being made to dress like a girl, unhappy about a necklace and hair band, which he discards on the mantle in disgust," writes the Daily Mail.
Additionally, in the background of the boy's home are seen books with fictional titles such as "Straight into Gay," "Render Me, Gender Me," and "Growing Up Gay." There is also a dearth of holiday cheer — an unlit Christmas tree sits in the corner.
Dressed in pink pajamas, the boy is seen penning a letter to Santa that he puts in his stocking before falling asleep on the couch. Father Christmas, looking like Putin with a fake white beard, appears to the tune of "The March of the Sugar Plum Fairies" an ironic choice since its composer, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, was gay. His homosexuality was largely kept under wraps for more than a century in his homeland.
"Carrying a red stocking, 'Santa Putin' is then shown busying himself around the room, changing decorations and replacing items deemed to be girly with presents that the makers of the video consider to be more suitable for a boy," reports the Daily Mail. "The camera pans around the room, showing presents placed throughout. These include boy's shoes and other male clothing, a football, a miniature drum kit, as well as a statue of Jesus on the cross nailed to the wall." The room also comes alive with holiday lights and a photo of the two male parents on the mantle is replaced by one of a man and a woman.
"As he walks in front of the mirror over the mantelpiece, Santa's face becomes more clear, showing a clear likeness to the Russian President. He glances at the camera, before next being shown outside to watch as the boy find his presents."
When he awakes, he sees Santa outside the window, who lowers his beard to make it clear as to his identity as the Russian leader, winking and smiling before making an exit. A message then appears on the screen, which says: 'Dear Santa - Thank you and Merry Christmas! From all children of the world.'
"Putin has sought to portray the West as seeking to impose its 'alien' values on Russia, a message this video seeks to exploit," concludes the Daily Mail.