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Usually occurring during the Christmas-themed episode, a male character gets a job at [[The Mall]] (or a department store in older works) as [[Santa Claus]], either for a part-time job or as a last-minute substitute. [[Hilarity Ensues]]. We invariably see a series of kids on his lap doing things like questioning his authenticity as the "real" [[Santa Claus]], attempting to pull off his beard, asking for extravagant or impossible gifts, or, in the most crass of [[
If the character playing the Mall Santa is a cynical [[Jaded Washout]]/[[Deadpan Snarker]] type, he may comment on the materialistic behavior of the kids or the commercialism of Christmas.
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Added points if the Mall Santa is drunk.
The female equivalent is being stuck in a [[Sexy Santa Dress]] and/or hideous [[Christmas Elves|"helper elf"]] outfit.
In more outlandish shows with [[Speculative Fiction]] or [[Mundane Fantastic]] premises, the character may be [[Saving Christmas|the real deal]].
Occasionally one encounters a ''Jewish'' mall Santa.
{{examples}}▼
▲{{examples}}
== [[Comic Books]] ==
* In issue #378 of ''[[Hulk|The Incredible Hulk]]'' (by [[Peter David]]), Rhino (a supervillain) becomes a Mall Santa, He givies this advice to kids: "Give! Give! Give! You want everything handed to you! Why not do what I do? Take stuff! See it? Want it? Take it!"
* ''[[Archie]]'' comics have used this plot in many a Christmas themed storyline.
** Archie gets this job himself a lot. One year he tried to use it to get present intel from Betty and Veronica, but the girls saw through it and tricked him instead. Another year he learned the [[True Meaning of Christmas]] from some special children he met on the job.
** A one-shot Li'l Jinx featured the titular character pestering a mall santa about a letter she got.
** [https://web.archive.org/web/20111026145033/http://www.img.archiecomics.com/press/bvfdd219.600.jpg This] Betty and Veronica double digest cover, in which a ''teenaged'' Betty is bothering a mall Santa.
** Yet another story featured Betty and Veronica as [[Sweet Polly Oliver|Mall Santas]]. This isn't counting the times they've just worn a [[Sexy Santa Dress]].
* [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4755435/1/Metal_Gear_Santa Metal Gear Santa] featured Old Snake dressed up as Santa Claus and Sunny and Otacon dressed up as elves.▼
== [[Film]] ==
* Classic film example from a child's perspective: ''[[A Christmas Story]]''.
* ''[[Bad Santa (film)|Bad Santa]]'' featured a thief working as a Mall Santa in order to rob the stores.
* Both versions of ''[[Miracle
* ''[[Elf]]'' - Buddy, who knows the real Santa, is incensed when an impostor shows up at the department store he works in. He accuses the fake of smelling "like beef and cheese!" and gets into a fistfight with him. After that, the store gets a different Santa- who is ''black''.
* The European horror/comedy short subjects ''[[Rare Exports]]'' purport to tell the true story of where the red-suited entities seen in stores at Christmas actually come from. {{spoiler|They're actually centuries-old cryptozoological wild men, captured and trained until they can be trusted to hold children on their laps without ripping them apart. That is, unless someone is foolish enough to do one of the things that enrages them... }} It's revealed in [[The Movie]] {{spoiler|that these "Santas" are in fact just Santa's little elves. The ''real'' Santa is [[Eldritch Abomination|much, much worse]]. And most definitely
* In ''[[Home Alone]]'', Kevin runs to find a Santa in time on Christmas Eve. He finds one getting into his car after quiting time. He quickly puts his beard back on and does his best Jolly Old St. Nick, but Kevin tells him not to bother. He already knows he's not the real Santa, but he knows he does work for him. He then asks him to relay the message that he wants his family back.
*
* The one in ''[[All I Want for Christmas]]'' is visited twice, due to Hallie thinking her wish was [[Exact Words|phrased wrong]].
* ''[[Hot Fuzz]]'' features a scene of [[Peter Jackson]] as Father Christmas stabbing [[Simon Pegg]] in the hand.
* The crime film ''The Silent Partner'' involves a mall Santa who turns out to be a bank robber...and then gets caught up in dueling gambits with a teller at the bank who wants to keep the loot for himself.
* ''[[Santa Who?]]'' has a scenario where Santa falls from his sleigh and gets amnesia, and during the course of the movie, he ends up as a mall Santa for awhile.
== [[Literature]] ==
* In the ''[[Discworld]]'' novel ''Hogfather'', Death (who's ''already'' standing in for the real deal), attempts to replace the Hogfather at an expensive department store. Since he already has the Hogfather's sack, he horrifies the store owner by giving away wonderful presents, thereby heavily eating into the profits.
** Not to mention Death's failure to perceive certain human conventions regarding appropriate gifts for children. Such as the full-size, completely real ''broadsword'' he hands to a little girl, before being hastily convinced that a fully functional weapon might not be the best idea (he just turned the blade to wood).
*** He gives children toys that they actually want, rather than what their parents consider appropriate for them. Sometimes it's a good thing, sometimes not.
* In Nathan Englander's humourous short story ''Reb Kringle'', Itzik, a devoutly Orthodox Jew, reluctantly takes this job because he and his wife need the money and he already has the requisite long white beard and big belly. Itzik takes in stride the typical annoyances of overly-greedy requests and attempts to remove his beard, but loses it when the child of an interfaith couple admits he'd rather celebrate Hanukkah.
* In L. Jagi Lamplighter's ''[[
* In one of Harlequin's [[Romance Novel
== [[Live Action TV]] ==
* ''[[Married...
** Considering that many of the kids' parents were neighbors Al didn't like, he told one kid to tell daddy to stay home when the mailman comes over. He tells a girl who wants a pony that he'll leave one under the tree, but if it's not there by morning, her mother chased it away and killed it...
** Al got a job as a
* ''[[According to Jim]].'' Jim gets into a minor car accident at Christmas time. The other guy gives him fake information. Later, Jim recognizes him as the mall Santa. [[Hilarity Ensues]].
* ''[[Nip Tuck]]'', where a drunken Sean dons the Santa outfit.
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* ''[[Third Watch]]'''s Season 5 episode "The Spirit" had grumpy policeman Sully playing Santa at a toy store.
* ''[[Boston Legal]]'' had an episode in the first season where Alan Shore represents a mall Santa who's a [[Wholesome Crossdresser]] (not at work) in a court action to keep him from being fired because of it. This ends with Al Sharpton being coming into the courtroom and having no clue what he's doing, and saying "So give the world a black Santa Clause!"
* Thelma Harper takes on the job in the ''[[
* ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''
** An early fake commercial for "Santi-Wrap," a plastic sheet similar to disposable toilet seat covers, featured John Belushi as a slovenly, drunken mall Santa, thereby illustrating why such a product is necessary.
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** Then there was the Sally Field/Tony, Toni, Tone episode where Chris Farley's motivational speaker character Matt Foley plays a Mall Santa.
* In the ''[[Drake and Josh]]'' Christmas [[The Movie|movie]], Drake plays Santa, while his brother Josh plays Santa's sack (of toys). Drake ends up making a promise to a little girl that the two of them spend the rest of the movie keeping.
* There was an episode of ''[[That '70s Show|That 70's Show]]'' where Red worked as a Mall Santa:
** Little Girl: "I want a pony!"
** Red: "Ponies die."
* In the ''[[Naturally, Sadie]]'' episode "A Very Sadie Christmas", Hal gets a job as a mall Santa and uses it as an opportunity to scam free stuff, demanding bribes from kids in exchange for promising to grant their Christmas wishes.
* Soul Man featured a mall Santa, also. With Rev. Weber's son having a technicolour yawn all over Santa's beard on both years he went to see him.
* A ''[[Twilight Zone]]'' Christmas episode, "Night of the Meek", stars Art Carney as an alcoholic department store Santa who despairs over not being able to help the poor people in his slum neighborhood - {{spoiler|but in the spirit of the show, he finds a sack that magically produces presents on demand... then at shows' end he gets his own wish and [[Crowning Moment of Heartwarming|becomes Santa for real.]]}}
* ''[[Everybody Hates Chris]]'', Julius plays Santa at the mall for extra money. When the children tell him what they want for Christmas, he makes them cry by telling them how expensive the toys/gifts are, how long their parents will have to work for it, and how they might not get what they want.
* [[Roseanne]] convinces her boss to let her play Santa ''herself,'' and the kids fall for it even though she doesn't remotely sound like a man. Jackie plays Mrs. Claus...as a drill sargent photographer.
* On ''[[Britcom|Are You Being Served?]]'', an episode dealt with the store employees' competition to ''be'' the
* The cast of ''[[Glee]]'' encounter a rather [[Jerkass]] mall Santa, who promises dim Brittany that he will cure Artie's paralysis.
* ''[[Leverage]]'': A mall Santa comes to the team for help because he was fired and the new mall Santas all seem to be criminals. Elliot ends up playing Santa for a while and is terrible at it, but Parker seems to enjoy her role as a [[Christmas Elf]].
* In the [[Christmas Episode]] of [[
{{quote|
* In the [[Christmas Episode]] of ''[[Round the Twist]]'', [[Cool Old Lady]] Nell becomes a
== [[Music]] ==
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== [[Video Games]] ==
* A random Santa Claus can be seen wondering the streets of Dobuita late in the year in ''[[Shenmue]]''. He carries a bell, greets with "Merry Christmas" and everything.
* While not in a mall, there's a mission where you have to beat up elves belonging to a man in a Santa costume in the town square in ''[[Bully (
* During the [[You Mean "Xmas"|Feast of Winter's Veil]] in [[World of Warcraft]], "Greatfather Winter" can be found in Ironforge and Orgrimmar.
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* In ''[[Kevin and Kell]]'', Kevin takes a temp job as a mall Santa to earn the money to buy Kell's family heirlooms from her brother Ralph, who plans to sell them off anyway. He's surprised when ex-wife Angelique, herding her stepchildren from her (failed) second marriage, fails to recognize him. (It's pointed out to him that, with twenty children to keep track of, ''anyone'' would be a bit distracted.)
* In ''[[PvP]]'', Skull is accidentally pressganged into being a mall Santa while stoned on a bad orange julius and ends up telling a mother where she can buy the game console Francis had squirreled away for himself.
* In an early [[Something
** On top of this, though, the first girl on his lap mentioned how she'd asked for a puppy the year before, and instead got Tap shoes (metal plates on the heels and toes). Her mother told her to thank Santa for bringing them, and she decided [[Groin Attack|to show them off]], leading into a [[Curse Cut Short]]. Given ''just that'' experience, who can blame Jason for being a bit cynical?
* ''[[Multiplex]]'' has the Blogger play the part of a ''movie theater'' Santa, in which role he frequently argues with the kids' taste in movies, at odds with the jolly persona he's supposed to maintain. On quite a few ocassions he loses the arguement.
* ''[[The Ends]]'' has the crazy priest preaching from a mall Santa's chair.
* Psycho Mantis attempted to get a job as one in ''[[The Last Days of Foxhound]]''. He bounced when someone got ahold of his employee record (or, rather, complete lack of one). Ocelot, upon learning of it, becomes completely freaked out.
== [[Web Original]] ==▼
* Tariq dresses up like this to earn some cash in the ''[[Kate Modern]]'' episode "Grabbed By The Bells". "You think your life is a mess? I'm a 24-year-old Muslim man dressed as Santa!"▼
* A woman had to pose as Santa. [https://web.archive.org/web/20131203214411/http://ponderous.0catch.com/holiday3.htm Ponderous Woman]▼
* ''[[Dragon Ball Abridged]]'': In "Christmas Tree of Might," one of Turles' mooks had this job, and he was particularly nasty about it, dropping a fire truck on one kid's house and killing another because he asked him to cure his cancer.▼
{{quote|
'''Krillin''': Oh, come on! }}▼
== [[Western Animation]] ==
* ''[[The Simpsons]]''
** The pilot.
** The much later episode "Kill Gil: Vols. 1 & 2" featured the title Jack Lemmon figure giving Lisa her wish in his guise as Santa, getting fired over it, and spending the next year sponging off the Simpsons. After the year has passed, [[
* ''[[Batman:
{{quote|
'''Bullock''': "Sure I am. Wanna see my gun?" }}
* In ''[[Inspector Gadget]] Saves Christmas'', Chief Quimby is disguised as a Mall Santa in one of the series' more memorable extended gags.
* ''[[The Boondocks]]'' episode "A Huey Freeman Christmas" has a subplot where Riley, angry at not having received a Christmas gift he asked for in previous years, physically attacks the local Mall Santa with golf clubs and BB guns. After hiring a security guard for Santa does nothing to deter Riley, {{spoiler|Uncle Ruckus is left as the only Woodcrest resident willing to be the Mall Santa, but none of the children who come to the mall are willing to accept a black Santa Claus as real}}.
* [[Family Guy|Stewie Griffin]] once got the short end of the stick with [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SR4e5nBoI an Asian Santa.]
* [[Metalocalypse|Dr Rockzo, the Rock & Roll Clown who does Cocaine,]] got a job as a
** "Thats don'ts makes sense!"
* Skarr from ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy
** they also start a riot and burn the mall to the ground.
* Coco from ''[[
* The main six in ''[[Recess]]'' meet a mall Santa in the [[Christmas Episode]]. Though out of frustration, he rips his beard off and asks his assistant if they can get the next mall Santa to cover.
▲== [[Web Original]] ==
▲* Tariq dresses up like this to earn some cash in the ''[[Kate Modern]]'' episode "Grabbed By The Bells". "You think your life is a mess? I'm a 24-year-old Muslim man dressed as Santa!"
▲* A woman had to pose as Santa. [http://ponderous.0catch.com/holiday3.htm Ponderous Woman]
▲* ''[[Dragon Ball Abridged]]'': In "Christmas Tree of Might," one of Turles' mooks had this job, and he was particularly nasty about it, dropping a fire truck on one kid's house and killing another because he asked him to cure his cancer.
▲{{quote| '''Krillin''': God, you are one of the worst mall Santas ever — right behind those ones that molest kids!<br />
▲'''Minion''': So I'm the ''worst'' mall Santa?<br />
▲'''Krillin''': Oh, come on! }}
▲== [[Fanfic]] ==
▲* [http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4755435/1/Metal_Gear_Santa Metal Gear Santa] featured Old Snake dressed up as Santa Claus and Sunny and Otacon dressed up as elves.
== Other ==
* ''[http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/lists/sedaris/ The Santaland Diaries]'' - Humorist [[David Sedaris]] recounts his experience as an Elf in the Macy's Santa village.
* Also from [[NPR|Public Radio]], Act III of ''This American Life'' #371 ("[http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/371/scenes-from-a-mall Scenes from a Mall]") features the fascinating and [[Serious Business|serious]] tale of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas (AORBS).
* The I Can Has Cheezburger site "Sketchy Santas", which displays odd, awkward and sometimes slightly scary moments with real mall Santas.
* The Capital One ad with the inversion of the beard pull trope-the kid on Santa's lap is the kid who's one of the Vikings in the commercial. He has a beard, despite the fact he's too young to, and Santa pulls it, which makes the kid say 'ouch'.
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[[Category:Christmas Tropes]]
[[Category:Plots]]
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