Let’s pretend the whole story/myth/lore surrounding Santa is true. Santa must work around the clock (ie a capitalistic wage slave) to make gifts for everyone, work on his naughty and nice lists, and then figure out the logistics regarding how to deliver everything in one singular night. In order to get on his nice list, children must be “good.”
An aside- But what is “good”? Are those Santa’s standards, or those of the parents? It’s highly subjective, but overall, emphasis is placed on children conforming to Western wage slave behavior – it’s often about the child fulfilling duties and performing work. If the children underperform, they get a lump of coal (a big old “fuck you” akin to your boss firing you, messing with your work schedule, etc).
And then there’s the elves. You cannot convince me that that isn’t slave labor. Those elves supposedly work around the clock, happy as a Chick fil A employee, for no pay. Plus, they’re little people. Did Santa hire them so he could underpay them, as disabled people are underpaid in the US? So he could get that affirmative action kickback from the government?
Are the elves even paid? Do they receive healthcare and other benefits? Why is that never discussed when imparting this tale upon our children? Shouldn’t we work to instill values of community, integrity, and standing up for oneself in our children? Rather than teach them that their value and deservingness of love and gifts is based on their productivity.
Who knows. But the whole thing reeks of capitalistic, Western propaganda to me.