Men At Work Podcast - Mall Santa Reveals His Wildest Christmas Moments!

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

A Mall Santa tells all about the job! About Us: The Men At Work Podcast asks one question: What do you do for a living? After that the conversation flows from there. We've talked to substitute teachers, Bangladeshi t-shirt moguls, a real estate broker tight with LeBron James, and the Governor of Literal Pennsylvania. And we'll record anywhere. Random sidewalks during an eclipse, a furry convention, and more! Whether we like it or not, our jobs are most of our lives - might as well yap about it. If you want us to come to your event email us at: [e-mail] you want more bonus content check out Office Hours a weekly workplace advice show on Patreon that subscribers submit their questions to and we answer them: https://www.patreon.com/menatworkpod*If you subscribe to the Patreon consider subscribing on a desktop or website or an android device, NOT THROUGH iOS (Apple) APP. Apple takes 30% of every month you're subscribed (yea they suck). Follow Us: The Pod: https://www.tiktok.com/@menatpodcast https://www.instagram.com/menatpod/ Follow Matt: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattpeoplescomedy https://www.instagram.com/mattpeoplescomedy/ Follow Kyle: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylepagancb/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kylepagancb Follow Vito: https://www.instagram.com/vito_visuals/?hl=en

All right, welcome back to another episode of Men at Work. I'm Kyle Pagan, as always joined by Matt Peebles. Why are we dressed like fucking idiots? Because it's the Christmas season. It's a season of giving. It's the season of love. And today, we couldn't find a better guess than who, Kyle? Chris Cringle.

Chris Cringle, Santa Claus himself. Felice Navidad, Merry Christmas. This is the Christmas spectacular episode. And we got a mall Santa. Yeah, Mall Santa. So you've seen them outside of a Dick's sporting goods. You seen him outside of a Macy's. You've seen them outside of finish line.

You've seen them everywhere. You've seen them for your entire life. You've seen them outside of a bar just trying to get back in after getting kicked out. It's the coolest Mal Santa that we can possibly find. He gives us the ins and outs the tricky nature of being the Mall Santa and dealing with children. It seems like a nightmare. Teachers complain. Wait till you've become a Mal Santa.

You have to do it for a month. Teachers don't even work for the entire December. Teachers have to make no promises. Mall Santa has to promise a gift that you want. A teacher can be like, I have no clue from me. We're going to be hired here by next year. Who knows? That is true.

And also, sometimes, you know, it doesn't work out that way. It doesn't work out. You know, you have to literally promise somebody that you are looking at their family and being like, they can't fucking know that. There's no way. This isn't supposed to be this anti-teacher. We love teachers, but we love Maw Sanna. Not all teachers.

Well, yeah, maybe not every single teacher. I had a couple of ones that sucked. Yeah, there's a couple of U-Pen that drive me nuts. But 90% of teachers I like. That's fair. I'm cool with the teach. Yeah. Mall Santa.

Anything you learned? I learned that I should have been a mall Santa. I can't believe I did stand-up comedy. when I could have just been to Mall Santa. It seems so much better and so much more rewarding. It seems so is more lucrative, too. Yeah, that's actually, well, that's hurtful, but I hear where you're coming from. That's pretty fair.

Well, just in terms of both, I think, both of our careers. Yeah, I think you're probably right. Maybe it'll be a teacher next. Who knows? Good God. I don't want to be a destitute. And you know I know that name? You know what I know that word?

Because I learned it from a teacher. First, we learned it from a teacher from UPenn and that's how the cookie damn crumbles. Kyle, start the episode. All right. It's Mall Santa, baby. We'll talk to you. Before we get started in the interview, we just want to remind you guys, we have the Patreon, our Patreon. We do every Wednesday office hours. We just do an hour live stream where you can jump in the live stream, hang out with us, right in questions before the limestone starts or when it starts about your job. What's going on with your boss? How's the work, wife? Are you getting furloughed like me? Come talk to us, come hang out with us. We do it every Wednesday, usually 7 or 8 p.m. We goof around for an hour, get in there, make fun of us, call us ugly, call us fat, just Kyle. And come hang. Do the Patreon one dollar tier for the first 50 people. so please hump on that don't hump on it too hump on it uh yeah please jump on that

we have a lot of good stuff the more money that comes into it the more cool stuff we can keep putting out so jump on the patreon we love you guys more than our family hell yeah all right all right all right what do you do for a living i am santa claus santa claus thank you welcome to the men-of-work show and i give kids gifts for a living and ruin their days if i don't give them what they want yeah one day a year is that is that a lot of pressure it can be it's a lot of work for you know two three months of putting it all together i manage a bunch of people about this tall and you're all have attitudes and there's all kinds like theater you know everybody who's dating who in there mrs claus hang all this there and i got to keep my ammo and you know i got to hide a lot

there's a lot of work involved in this you're going to manage personalities yeah exactly so it's a big I'm glorified mailman but uh I was like a baseball manager I don't know how many personalities I The mailman is managing. I bring out, from the standpoint of getting the gifts, and then I have to go back in the office and, you know, make sure all the stuff's put away, things like that. So it's a lot of pressure being said to Claus. Is Mrs. Claus part of the process at all? Does she help out?

She does a little point in here and there, tells us what to do. You know, she keeps me happy, takes care of my outfit and make sure I'm dressed well when I go out there. Always has a question to do about my weight, but, you know, we're working on that every year. You look, felt. You look strong. It's a lot of cookies.

It's a lot of cookies. It's a lot of cookies. He's a lot of milk, you know, and you don't want to, like, walk away. Once in a while I break off the ones, the kids leave me and just throw it on the floor. Sure. And I imagine, so I'm wondering if you're, the government shutdown, is that affecting Santa's Christmas season? No flyovers.

You're getting furloughed this year or what? You know what? We have our ways. We have unlimited income up in the North Pole, so it's good. What are you? A Saudi Prince? That's crazy. It's the GDP of the North Pole.

I don't know where exactly came from. I just, you know, I go around there and make a couple phone calls and all of a sudden these toys show up and things like that. You're not going to let private equity get to the North Pole, are you? No way. We do our own thing up there. Plus, one-man show, I'm a little selfish when it comes down to it. I want to make sure it's a monopoly up in the North Pole. I like that. Just me.

Nobody else is giving out gifts. I like that. I like that. Monoplies are encouraged in the North Pole. I like that. Oh, good. They got Father Christmas over there. They have a couple other things like that.

Those guys are for Gaisies. You can't let the Easter Bunny travel on your territory. That Easton cause I hate the Easter Bunny. Exactly. Santa Claus Easily number one. I'll let you a little secret. Where did you put the tooth fairy? He comes to me for the candy, the Easter Bunny.

So who's in charge. That rat back. the glory, but where you get, where you getting it from, pal? You really got a monopoly. It's good, exactly. We got them out there, so it's good. And then, you know, we got the, actually the leprechauns. They're my guys.

You got lepracons, too? How many midgets do you need? You got elps? Exactly. What do you want, Opalumpus next? There's a lot of elves up there. It's true. So, the guy from the, the lepercon movie, he was one of, we kicked him out.

Look what he did. Yeah, he made a franchise, started killing people. Sure. He was lonely. We still have, we still have found his little answer. You couldn't deal with Wonka trying to get the Lumpus? We talked to them over there. They weren't our guys.

That was a little weird over there. So we try to keep them, the elves are, you know, we didn't want to put them out there. It was a whole different group. They were like, we need these people who would look like they're like, oh, high on cocaine and stuff like that. Sure, yeah, sure. My elves don't do cocaine. We don't do that up in the North Park. Are the elves unionized?

Are they part of a union? Yeah, I can't mess. I can only push them so far. They know they have to do their job regardless. But, you know, if I push them too far, if they go, they go rogue on me, I'm making all the toys myself. And that means I got to work a lot harder. And that's not what we're here to Sure.

Is that a 40-hour work week? What are they looking at me? Those guys are like 80. The 80 hours? I'm like, what are you, Jeff Bezos? I don't live, man. I've been asked to not do certain things. So, you know, workers' comp, things like that.

But you know what? Here's the thing. They get a full-time salary and get off nine months out of the year. So how many people get to do that? That's true. Three months of work. Oh, yeah.

That's true. So they work July and then they, you know, in November, December, a little bit. So they get started a little bit in October. So. Rain, snow, Sleater, Hill? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Okay.

You're a kind of Chicago and a lot like mailman then. They really are. You are like a glorified male man. Give us the origin of Santa. How did Santa come to be? So the Santa as the as you are. As me as I am. So underneath this all, I am a baseball coach for a living.

That's what I do. So I was thinking so I originally was just a renegade baseball coach trying to look for an odd job. And this all stemmed from, believe it or not, the Eastern State Penitentiary, believe it or not. And I worked there for a while. I was a scary people running around. Looking for an odd job. A friend of mine was an actor, and he decided to move over to the Macy's Dickens Village. And he's like, hey, they're looking for people over here.

You'd be perfect. They need some, like, security guards, things like that. So they hired me as a security guard. And I worked there, and my boss one day was just walking around. He sees me talking to the kids who were, like, a little bit intimidated to go in to see Santa. And they said, you're pretty good at this. It's not bad. And I'm obviously a big guy.

I'm a six-four guy. I'm a hosing figure. So he saw that. And he said, you should be Santa one day. And I'm like, okay. I didn't know. The Sanas were all Philadelphia actors, a lot of those guys. So it wasn't something in my docket.

So, but then, being that with May, about two weeks later, it was a random Wednesday. We always have two Santas on at the time. Sorry to ruin it for everybody. So it'll be six on the weekends. But everybody has breaks and kind of goes in and out, and the one guy called out, and the other one got in a car accident on the way in, so not the serious. The sleigh accident, yeah, so it's basically like 10, 15, and we have a line. There was a couple school rooms out there, and we had no other males in there.

So I was the only person that could be in the suit. They didn't want to have a female in the suit. My boss says, Tim, is I got a problem with you. He goes, you got to be Santa Claus. And I'm like, no, I don't. So it wound up being. It was a quick throw all the gear on, but get out there and just do it for, it's funny. It was just a big influx of kids right away.

And then all of a sudden I had a little bit of break in the other show to stand up. But I was only Santa for probably 10 minutes my first time of doing it. And I was just like, this is awesome. Like, other than your nerves getting by, I compare it to a little bit of like being a music star. Because like anytime anybody comes in and sees you, they're all madick. And the more people there are, it's just like, it's overwhelming. You get such a feel of joy from the people and the kids. So basically I kind of finished out my year and I went back there next year and he's like,

hey, well, you'll be a Santa. So became a Santa. I did it that year. Had a lot of fun with it. And just through, honestly, again, the perils and good and bad things of social media, I'm getting dressed and taking pictures of myself, putting online. I'm like, oh, you know, we do this. Would you like to come, you could be Santa for us?

And I'm like, I don't have my own suit. Not that hard to find a suit. Yeah. Went out and bought a little bit of a cheap suit. and same one I went up going to the Santa run, which is that's a whole other story. I was doing that for a couple years. I wore that one and started building the business out of it.

It was just strange. It all happened by accident. And I realized that doing it independently pays a lot better than Macy's, which is good. Sure. That makes sense. It makes sense. But it was a really fun job. I met a lot of good people there.

Working around other Santas, I think, is a key to that, too. I got to know other guys and kind of saw their sticks. And so what they do instead of kind of – that's the one thing is, you know, there's a little bit of a brotherhood of Santa. I know it sounds weird. Oh, yeah, of course. We all kind of know each other. A lot of us are on the same website

and same stuff we share jobs. A couple things are you're never seen with another Santa. That's a rule. Yeah, you never see another Santa. I can see another Santa you walk away. It's just kind of like a shake hands type of thing. It's like your corner. Yeah, basically.

It's like the wire. Yeah. I like that. And I think it's all a couple little rules with like, you know, online stuff like that. Just like they say, don't talk bad about each else. So we all have our own handle too. I'm Santa Gunner.

Santa Gunner. Yeah. See, you find that in the description below. If you want to hire, hire Tim. There you go. So, yeah, and it's just kind of grew from there. And the one thing is it's, I'm, like we call it a designer, we're a theatrical beard Santa, which means a new, no, real beard. Maybe that's something to docket down the road, but I'm a 46-year-old guy. I'm not going to walk around with a white beard for a month and a half, and everybody like, why do you have a

white beard now? And it took me two months to grow, so, but, you know, this thing, well, between you and I was probably $1,200 by this. Whoa. Holy Macaroni. I bought it a couple years ago. Yeah, it's done very professional. Like, they've been people that literally dedicated to do this stuff that make you personal if you want to go all in on it so and honestly too if you want to make it something really special for the kids stuff but you have to go all in if you if you just buy the the suit they have at the masquerade they're not going to get a lot of jobs yeah are all the good beards made from yeah it's a mix yeah for anything i forget where i got one from some i mean her last name was fleming somewhere in mic missouri or something like that but they do

custom-made stuff i had like you know draw lines on my face so it's like what am i doing right now this is like the strangest thing in the world sure but um but yeah so through that i had the suit's custom made. You've got to see my suit is a little bit different. So I got that idea from another one of a guy named Santa Tom. He's like, he's the real Santa Claus. That's basically I explain. He lives in South Jersey. He's phenomenal. Just very good mentor. He mentors. A lot of guys doing this. He's an older guy. And I saw him wearing this early when I met him. I was like, I really like, you know what? How do I stand out? Because I am a younger Santa. Like if you get somebody that really go up and looks at my face, I can see that I'm kind of younger,

it's not about that. But at the same time, like this takes some, believe it or not, like, because Santa's really quick. A lot of times this takes some you know, some eyes off of my face. Sure. So kids will be looking at a suit, boom, by the time it's over, hey, what do you want for Christmas? Boom, you're out before you had a chance to go there. So it's a little bit different.

I do have a normal, the traditional Coca-Cola style thing. But I like this. It's comfortable. It's different. I get compliments on it. It looks sick. It looks like Rick Ross. Like the floor with the velvet.

It looks awesome. A little Rick Flair, too. Yeah. Rick Flair Rawls. I can go to the jazz clubs at nighttime and, you know, flirt with the older ladies. Yeah. Does Santa get phone numbers?

Yeah. Occasionally I have, now, Santa's very happy with the Mrs. Clause now. At one point, Santa was single back in the day, and he would get randomly semi-furted with the 50- and 60-year-old single relatives of parties. Nice.

I'm like, hey, I sit on your lap. I'm single. All right, thanks. This is awkward. What do they wish for another year? But, you know, it definitely has been entertaining before. But, you know, a couple. That's the one thing that's interesting about this job, too,

where everybody here can relate. I'm a younger Santa. So most of the Santas, that do this are in their 60s, 70s, coast of retirement, if not retired already, they won't do the night gigs. Kyle and I have a little bit of a background of each other.

We did some work and, like, bouncing stuff back in the day. Sure. So I still get phone calls from those people to say, hey, can you come in and be Santa for a night? And honestly, it's a blast for me. I get to get out of the Santa element. I don't have to be Santa for kids.

I get to hang with adults and just take pictures. Right. But they pay me to have a couple beers, hang out, take pictures. And nice. You come home with some good stories, put it that way. Santa having a beer must be an awesome visual.

Yeah, no more milk and coffee. I do have a good picture. I can show you lame. I'll get me sitting in a bar alone, just chugging a beer. White Russians. I should. You're right.

So what's the other one? It's a very popular Christmas drink. I can't remember. Pina colada. No. I forget the name. I forget the name. I forget the name.

Eggnog. Eggnog. There you go. Oh, man. So you went back to the real beards versus fake beards. Is there a beef between real beards or fake beers? The real beards look at the fake beards kind of like a little differently? they there's a little bit it's like an underlying thing where the real bearded guys do like think

they're better than us a little bit and not it's not everybody but it's just like hey it's not authentic and you get that a little bit with clients like clients will you know they'll request a real beard and you can't get your feelings hurt just how it is i mean it's personal preference so exactly it's little dnette no you're right i've been trying to grow a beard for really 32 years of my life it's not happening it's never going to happen yeah you get somebody with a really good one like one of a guy that's in philly's named santa dutch he actually is the Thanksgiving Day Sanne every year. He's a fake beard, and you would never know.

His stuff is so well done. And the only thing I could say, if I were to sit there and had to try to sell myself over that, is it most of the fake beer guys that are designer beard do put a lot of effort into it. So you're going to get, you know, not always, everybody's different, we're going to get a bigger personality a lot of times because we have to make up for that a little bit in the back of our heads. Yeah, so I'm pretty interactive. I talk a lot, you know, something like that. Whereas some of the older gentlemen have beers kind of just, you know, they're great Santa's. don't get me wrong, but they're a little bit older, and they just kind of like they're there. They do the job, they fill the role.

I like that's not everybody. You're like an undersized linebacker. You're like, work harder than the guys. It's like a white point card. I think I get good at the skills because I'm not naturally blessed. I'm Cam Scatiba. You're not. You're not scared of it.

You really are. You're just like Kay's got. Right before I start work, I start banging my head against the wall. Be like, let's go. Gotta be good for the kids. Energy. Do you get fired up? Does Santa listen to anything like to get fired up?

No, I mean, it's honestly, no matter what. But I can honestly say, like, it's, there's a weird thing with Santa. All this Santa is actually, I talk to, I'll talk about it. There's, like, a Santa depression that happens after Christmas. Not so much for me. I'm a younger guy. I'm still working a regular job. A lot of these guys are retired.

And, you know, they have their regular lives. They get all juiced up for this. And then just January, February, they go from being super popular, being around all the time. People always saying to some of them to kind of back to their regular lives. And they all talk about it. Like, you'll see it in there. I was like, anybody kind of getting like the post Santa blues and stuff like that. So, I mean, obviously, we all know what happens to get older.

It's not around the people as much. you're not as active. So it's kind of funny to see that. And I feel to a degree because the winter comes to. But in general, December is just, I'm such in a good mood in December because you look forward to all your gigs. And the one thing that's nice about this is, you're in such demand. Like I run this like a business. And, you know, it's weird to say that because, I mean, it's about the kids at the end of the day, but you have to. You know, I can say no. Like if there's a gig I don't want to go to or something or, you know, the finances aren't right for that standpoint. I'm like, no, guess what? No. There's 55 other people want me at the same time you do. So it's like Your client list is that long It's not I mean it's just Well weekends I'm done weekends right now I couldn't book a weekend if I tried I'm basically

Really? And it's what? November I mean it's two weeks before Thanksgiving You already got your whole weekends booked How long have you had your weekends booked you think? I first one booked probably in August And then yeah people are intense Especially with the bigger gigs

Like a lot of breakfast with Santas But I start Not everybody will do this Some of the guys are more established Charge a little bit more But then they just do one gig a day So I'm still young I'm trying to pay for wedding

And a new house On the side of the North Pole Um, so I, I, I hustle. I get up at, you know, eight o'clock, nine in the morning. I'll do my breakfast with Santa. I'll go take my break, do a home visit. Um, go to this other visit, do a bar visit night. But pretty much my Fridays and Saturday's from day after Thanksgiving on our book. I like that. Trying to get a new, uh, a good neighborhood in North Pole. Sure. Exactly. So I mean, you got to hype up the sleigh and I put the Christmas lights on there and all that good stuff. So, so, so the depression, I guess, sets in January, like it's past Christmas. Can I offer an alternative? Well, Martin Luther King in January. There you go, I could. I don't know how many people are going to celebrate. I have seen so many black Santas more in, like, CBS. It's becoming more and more. It is.

Now, it's becoming more and more. Two years. I have seen more black Santas in my CVS down the street. Now I am in Philadelphia than I have seen white Santa. A friend of mine started doing it, and I recommend him when, like, you know, because I have a couple websites I use the request a certain thing, young Santa. A friend of mine does it, and I recommend him to go through it. I'm all for that.

It's just, I think it's great. I'm anti-woman doing Santa, but. Okay, I like that. I like that. Any race. Masaginous Santa. I like that. Very good.

It's because it's not that role. I mean, I know they try to do everything and everything anywhere, but, you know, I can't see a female. It's just not what it's depicted as. Transana would be a really big. It's a whole other animal. Don't call an animal. I think there's some, I think there's a people in the White House would not like a woman Santa either. I think you might be dead on with that one.

Coming across the aisle. So we've got to keep these women's sannas out of our sports. The women's Santa is. take it of our sports and they're hurting our girls. Yeah, that's fair. Holy shit, that's awesome. That could be a nice. You don't really see that a lot. I guess it's always just Santa Claus. There's never really like a Mrs. Claus that is accompanying him. Occasionally, some people do some of the, the Santas that I know bring their wives and do it. So I occasionally brought my fiancee to do it. Sometimes they just

become an elf. Mrs. Claus is a little bit more work dress up wise. Sure. Elves are easy. I mean, obviously, I don't think you guys. I don't know how much. Exactly. I don't want you. I'm going to send it back tomorrow. Exactly. But Mrs. Close has a certain role and then you know um so in age too you see a lot of uh lot of actors and actresses will do the santa claust stuff the other thing i most the other philly guys i knew who did that and mrs clauses a lot of them are too young though it's just like you don't fit the part of dating an old man sure unless you got a side gig or something going on santa which i don't know we'll talk about the other santa's there's 22 year old mrs claus i was like all right robert de nero yeah

yeah what's going on exactly that's i understand that like you guys are saying there's a Brotherhood of Santa's but I mean I'm sure you see other Santa Claus and you can't say anything directly but do you see some guys because I look at you guys like you're basically just actors that are working in a live setting yeah do you ever see some guys that you're like this guy's fucking mailed it in today he's not really going for it is that ever catch here and here and there I just it one time it's disappointing to me sometimes when you see somebody with a really half-ass beard and like okay not trying um and everybody's different you know I spoke to on Santa Claus who uh try to mentor him a little bit and he was just like oh you know I

some financial troubles here and there I was just doing it for the kids I was like I was Like, yeah, no, I understand that to go through, but I said, like, you're never going to get the big gigs unless you look the part. Right. If you really want to make this what it is and people to hire you back. If you look, if you don't look authentic, people aren't going to think you're authentic. Interesting. But, you know, but the spirit of it, I mean, if you're doing this, you probably got a good heart, you know, and there's a small percentage of. Now, if you have a shitty beard, can you make up for it in charisma?

I think so, to a degree. One of my close friends, one of the name names here is he's, he didn't do this. He's an actor, and he's phenomenal. And he used to work with me at Macy's, but Macy's provided everything. when he went out on his own he didn't like doing it because number one you had to stand up you have to stand up more when you're working on your own because he was moving around more macy's you just kind of sit there he wouldn't do it forever and he finally got him to do it and he's loving it now and it's just he's personality plus he comes he stands up and hug the kids things like that i'm kind of a i'll sit down i stand up when i need too but everybody's different but that's his thing you're more of a sedentary santa yeah just because i'm i'm intimidated like i'm six four when you stand up next to a two foot person who is kind of hesitant with you already it's not a good look

yeah I can totally see that yeah for weddings and stuff like that I have two weddings this year I go people just hire me for half an hour to come and take pictures people love my size because they see it because I take up the whole entire picture you know it's not like yeah it's it's it's like I'm sitting there and I go and the people love it and the adults are all everybody's got a good attitude in front of it too and it's again that's nice I don't have to necessarily be on yeah so there's only one kid how awesome is it to have a job that you can eat whatever you want oh yeah it's terrific yeah true if you lose weight you'll yeah I know I worry about so this gives me a reason to be overweight so like, you know, if I'm ever, you know, the fiancé says everything,

you want nice stuff this year, it's fine, I'll get skinny and I won't get it. No, Zempick for you. I see them. Exactly. The Santa Glutes. Schedule will be wide open. If I lose weight. Wow.

Believe it not, there are some skinny, like, they have enough stuff out there to buy. Two of the guys I know are extremely thin. Sure. You would never know underneath the stuff. They just, they bulk it up and do it right. You know, again, they have the professional stuff that looks at. See, that would rub me the wrong way. If I saw skinny Santa's out there.

It is weird. Stuffing up. I'd say you guys are not really ready for the park. You're not really committing. A couple years back when I was... It's like Barry Bonds, performance enhancers. Exactly.

Yeah, you're being too skinny. I mean, you're already got, you know, 300 home runs, 300 still old bases. You're going to the hall. At some point, yeah. Now it's like, now you're just going to do steroids and mash home runs and everything and grow your head four sizes too big.

I don't agree with that. I had a kid probably 10 years ago when I was in better shape and said to me, he said, you're not fat enough to play Santa. I was like, you get it whatever you want this. Thank you so much, man. Mom, he wants a train and a real train and a plane. so Santa said he's getting a real train in a plane

That's the key to Santa's heart Exactly, so I've definitely given a parent a hard time Once in a while when they I felt like the parent will do too much in a room You know, I'll wait for the kid to ask what he wants If it's something outrageous Or if it's not, I'll just be like, oh, do you really want this? I was like, how about a trip to Disney World?

He was like, Mom, he wants a trip to Disney World He's going to get it this year from Santa Yeah, yeah, yeah, how does that sound? No, well, the parents, the parents on the other end Will they ever tell you because maybe their kids don't tell them what they want for Christmas So they're like, hey, do you mind like put it in his ear that he wants so and so?

an action figure or something like that? Not really. I never had anybody tell me what, you know, they want. Like, you know, I get surprises sometimes. I get things. You get some funny things sometimes from the kids because sometimes I don't know what it is. One of my funniest stories, and you almost had a beater to get this, but I'll explain it.

So a kid comes in, and he definitely had a mild form of autism or something like that. So a super cute kid. And he was looking around the room and, you know, the dad comes over and is trying to help him out to interact with me. And he's like, oh, you know, what do you want for Christmas? And he's looking around, he's going like this. He turns around, eyes me up and goes, a vibrating. A vibrator? And I'm sitting there, and I didn't know what to do.

I was like, is this kid messing with me? Like, in the back of my, like, once in a while, you catch you off guard, and I'm sitting there like trying not to laugh. And the daddy goes, oh, no, no, he's like, sings the shake. He likes that. Sitting there was just like, I don't know, what the heck is going on the air. His mom got told him that morning. To be fair, you did make a list and checked it twice. You didn't see vibrator on that one time. But it's so caught me off guard, and it was innocent, but just the way it came across, I was like, is this a setup? I was like, because I couldn't stop laughing. It was good. So would you end up saying, yeah, nothing to come back and said, oh, I was like, yeah, we'll get you, I don't know.

We'll get you to something from Pizza Virta Uno when you had a reservation. We'll get you a Spencer's gift card and you do what you got to do over there. Yeah, yeah, that's hilarious, man. That's awesome. But you get a lot of heartbreaking stuff once in a while, too. I mean, you get occasionally a kid, be like, you know, one thing you got to be a little careful with with certain things. It's like, you know, I never, I learned a long time ago from, there's little things about Sandy. You never say mom or dad, because you can't assume anything. True.

I did that one time and he's like, oh, my mom's not around anymore. And I didn't get to story, but I hit the kid said that to me, and I'm sitting there. I was like, all right, here we go. I'm my worst person ever. And I want to punch myself in the head. So you learn little tricks to let people. It's almost like being a psychic. Like you let them work the room and you find out what's going on.

Because a lot of kids want to, hey, do you know my name? I was like, I wait for the nine times out of ten, the parents always go, Johnny, tell Santa what you have? Then I got their name. You know, like so there's like little things like that. Oh, that's nice. I like that. Okay.

Yeah, you can work with the people. If you have, you know, half a brain doing this and see what's going on, you can pick up a lot of little. Now, what is your kind of, how do you just say for their name if they ask you before you know it? I'll just be like, oh, I'm getting old. I can't, can you remind me? That's good. That works probably 90% of the time.

And you always have the one kid's really sharp. You're like, Santa's supposed to know everybody. That's an asshole kid. Who tells a teacher. They do a little bit. You get some of those. And you know what's funny? There's never a one-on-one kid like that.

It's always with their peers like anything else. You know, I had an incident where I was at a house visit and this kid was just being an absolute jerk. and I almost had to come out of character I went and leaned down and said you're going to ruin it for everybody I said that right in the face and the thing is the parents were having a good time they were like two sheets to the wind

I don't blame me they were doing everything but I was like at some point you got to see this and step in please you're not the babysitter you're the higher Santa exactly because people sometimes don't realize you're a person underneath this it's like you're just still a guy that showed up

that's how good you are yeah you're in a tough spot where that comes up in therapy for that kid's life 20 years later he was like Santa told me I'm ruining everything for everyone one one year It's like, oh, good God. So what's your go-to move?

Like, crying babies, I'm sure you get all the time. What's the go-to move to just navigate, like, the baby crying the entire time? Babies are easy because they don't just kick around. Like, you know, it's funny. This is the only career where people will just walk up and give you their kid. Strange man, like, okay, thanks. Just get up and start running. But no other place in the world are somebody going to do that in like a doctor's office and that.

But people literally just walk up to you and give. And some of them don't care. You'll get the ones that are, you know, infants are one thing, but the ones that are kicking and scream, they're like oh could you just hold on to him I'm like working on like sorry I got a kid I got him in the in the Russian super cold so cold yellow nose trying to hold him still and it's like who's Santa boss but um some of them okay it's like long as you're careful with them they just say I want the picture I don't care um it was like all right this is hopefully better next year what age range is the toughest um I'd say three three is still that

where like they have enough going on where they're still fear factor but um and then it's funny there's usually a change I see a lot of the same kids every I don't remember but like because a lot of same families rehire you and I kind of watched them grow us You've got an entire minor league system. It is great. You have a year system, really? A draft and follow. I like that.

Do you ever, you ever see, like, one of your clients? You'd be like, you guys are still a little young. You can get one more out. No, it's funny. You know, it's funny. The parents are really into Christmas. There's a lot of people love Christmas. You guys know, they go all out.

I go into some houses and, you know, I get some gigs in a million-dard homes. They're just decked over at Joel and Beat, for example. That's a good client. Yes. Oh, yeah, he's a great client. He's got to pop one out, Tom's $10%. So he's hired me to last two years. not him, he's personal assistant.

So it was kind of funny. It was one of those things. I was on a website, and they were just looking for a Santa, and I replied and went back and forth. And the request was obnoxious. It was like, oh, we'd like a sleigh and like this other thing. I was like, hey, he said, I'm really interested in your job. I'll do Christmas morning.

A lot of guys won't do it. I was like, but I don't have that capability. I'm happy to do whatever. So she came back again. She's like, you know, let's just do it. She wound up hiring me. I didn't know who it was right away. It was very cryptic.

So I'm sitting there, this is somebody who's got money. That's what I realized. So the day before I get an address And not real hard Thubbed in the address and said bought by Joelle Embed I was just like this is wild So unfortunately they were playing the next day

It was just two years ago in Boston But typical Embed he wasn't playing So he stayed home So I go to his house and he was in an ebrace He was but he just waved from the roof But I met his wife and the kid Arthur It was really nice And their house was unbelievable though

It's like his son's not scared of Santa And Joel Embed he's scared of Santa but sweetheart really really took good care of me you know coming out there but um beautiful home like you know i had a security guard go through it was neat so they invited me back next year which is great and i'm sitting there the whole time i'm going to ask him for a picture i'm going to do it i'm going to do it and he interacted with me he was great he was very friendly you know he was kicking a soccer ball around playing with his son and of course i i i pussied out and i was sitting there i can't it's his family i don't want to do it this year because i just want to get a quick selfie with him i understand

like not doing it with his kids things like that they got some personal like sure you got to respect that because I'm still a client and it is about the kids but you know I really want to just joke around with him this year be like oh have you put the star on top of the tree of the North Pole if you take a picture with me you know so something but and hopefully he does if not worst case he says no and you know I think we're getting at a point maybe his end could be near here so I'm not going to get hired back anyway he's probably going to move he probably he probably like seeing you being like six four he could be the new backup center I know it's good and hey Joel I go to work every day in December but yeah he's off I hurt my ankle I'm sick

I work every day I'll show you how to do it no gas or any right for Santa. That is true. You should, this year, if you're going back, you should show up in a knee brace. I know. You should be like, look at me, dude. I'm playing. I'm playing hurt.

You know back to happen to me last night? Yeah, I just did one yesterday. So I want to back to back to back to back. The back to back, yeah, the back is give it out. Let me ask you a hypothetical, okay? It might have happened to you. A young kid comes up to you while you're working. He's wearing a Yamika.

How do you let him down and say this is not for you, a big dog? the kids will just let them say I don't believe in Christmas or they'll just say it and you know what's funny they're very mature the ones to do it and they're like hey

I know you're not real I think that's it okay the Jewish kids the Jewish kids come up I'm saying you gotta tell them it's not for you

go back to your nine candles I would never can't turn any kid hey hey hey hey kid Jesus ain't real either

guess what when you're 13 you don't become a man asshole you got at least five seven more years according to the Constitution that's what you should say that

yeah it's the kids that do say something like they're usually very mature and they're just hang out and they're like Oh, a bunch of assholes. Yeah, that's crazy. Like, next.

I don't know how to interact with you now. I'm like, okay. Sure, sure, sure. Yeah, I've been, I told to Kyle before I'd been, again, I had another gig. Right before COVID hit, I got a request, and they requested a younger Santa, and I'm starting to go back and forth because sometimes you work with booking agents, things like that. And they said, hey, you're going to work the Mariah Carey concert. Am I, oh, cool, you know, go meeting great, and it's wave and then go home.

And I got there, and I got there, and I was like, no, you're going to be on stage. And I'm sitting there. I was like, what? I was sitting there. So I met her boyfriend at the time. It was a choreographer, too. His name was Brian, I just remember. Went on and did a whole two sets of routines with them,

kind of was on stage, and I'm sitting there like, my parents. I was like, I don't know how to dance. I'm going to be in front of all these people. It all happened so fast. They didn't even tell me.

So I didn't, like, I don't, there's actually some pictures online from which she was the hard rock and you'll see the Santa that's me. And I found a few of them, but, you know, and then afterwards I really want to get a picture with her,

but she's like, she does this all the time. so it's like it wasn't a novelty for her. Sure. But yeah, I danced on stage of Mariah Care was really neat. It was one of, I guess, my more interesting moments of my career.

It's kind of neat to say that, but I just wish I would have gotten a picture. It would have been neat. What did you go with? What did you go with? What did you go with? The sprinkler. The sprinkler.

Nice. Solid. So I did a little bit of the Apache, the Tonto jump on it. So I went over that. Oh, yeah. I used to do a solid tonto jump on it. Let's see it.

Yeah. Exactly. No, no, no. We won't be shot. No. we won't be in shot. That's okay. Let's move along.

What was Mariah like? Not the sharpest tool in the shed between you and I. Definitely a diva. Yeah, because there's one part of... I don't think you're not to look at her either. So, do we just dance up? Mike, she was stunning for... I'm a very good-looking woman.

I was dressed in a nines. Two things I thought was interesting about is like the changing was amazing because I was in the back when it was going on. Like literally she walks off stage and they do like an interlude between and they get her in a whole new outfit in like three seconds. It was like Superman. Wow. Right.

And it was kind of neat to be on stage to see that and have all the people she worked with her. but there was one part of the show where I had to grab a bag out and I was grabbing things out and thrown at the stage and there was no teddy bear there and we're on stage together and she's whispered me or she's like give me the teddy bear and I'm sitting there like the fuck you talk about there no fucking teddy bear it's like candy canes and stuff like that

and she grabs me on the boat and she's like give me the teddy bear because you wanted to throw another thing and I kind of said it was like a little bit of an attitude in the side and I was like I don't know what you're talking about sorry Mariah I gave her candy cane and she must walk back me like that's Santa stupid I was like I was like, you don't go to Mariah Carey and say, hey, listen, I'm going to tell you what to sing next.

Like, why don't you understand that you're in my dojo now, lady. I can see she was like, I can see she was like slightly frustrated with me at the time. Like, I didn't know what I was doing. I was like, dude, they gave me a bag full of candy gains. Yeah. Like, I don't know what to tell you. So that's probably why I didn't get hired back. She was like, that guy.

F that Santa. We'll find another one. So Mariah Care. Very interesting. Mariah Carey, the queen of, uh, of Christmas might not be as friendly. But when I collected, I mean, that would, that, that, Mariah Care story does not. surprising. Yeah, but when I collected the check

at the other thing, I was like, yeah, Mara, you can stick your foot in my face next time, and I'm happy to. Whatever you want to call or do with me, that's fine. Well, she can also stick her foot in my face. I care so often. I'm right through with you. Santa, I have a wish.

Yeah, that's what I love for her for me. But you got some fun gay. Like I said, I just booked a gig for Raising Cains. Sweet. They booked me for four night, you know, different things over there. And it's just, they're individually owned, so I probably just want to have the Santa come sit in there.

And those are kind of fun. When it's casual, it's kind of fun. I don't feel like I'm as much have to be, you know, there's different situations where like country clubs you get a little bit up you, you have to be professional

and you know, there's no here and there. I like when it's a casual gig where it's just like, let me have fun with the kids. I don't feel like any of the, whatever, the payments coming from the families,

it's more free. When you get it from a business, it's a little different. Sure. But it's not, or home visits. Home visits, I have to be a long point.

Yeah. A lot of times it's being sneaky getting in the house, find a place to change because, like, you know, they're paying for home visit. that that's to me as a premium true to come in your house and trust me to do that so and that's honestly what the special moments are too like because the kids really feel you know it's they really think

i'm a real santa you know it's neat so it's uh i enjoy the home visits a lot it's really would you say the home visits are your favorite gig or is there another one um yes because they're short um home visits last maybe half an hour in and out and i explain that to people some people don't know i had one time so one of my funnier stories is a uh spanish speaking only daycare hired me for two hours okay how much spanish do you know none okay at least navidad came out About 75 times. And I agreed to it because I was younger and I didn't know what I was doing.

In my head, I was fine, but literally 45 minutes in, I'm sitting there, walking around, they're all sitting there. Kids come up, you know, Yo, so I'm like, oh.

They said that, all? I was like, I was like, I was like, I don't know. Asking where the library is, that's all I got. Don't they are style, Biblioteca. You should have went Dominic the donkey.

That's Italian, dumbass. Santa Es Gordo. I didn't know what to do. So I learned my lesson, and I've learned to, because some people say they hire you for an hour I say hey you're hiring me

for an appearance not an hour and I say I'll guarantee you this one thing I'm not going to leave early but if it gets to the point where there's three kids in the room and they're done with me if it gets the kids in the free room and they're done with me

like I don't want to sit here and just be like this just to sit for a prop just being there yeah yeah because I said part of this job and I said this is the way I look at it me I look different

it's mystery behind this yeah the longer I'm around you're going to get the one kid who's a little bit sharper than the other come starting asking questions right I can only lie so much yeah so then they get a little closer and they start looking

And it's like, this is going to get ruined because you had me here too long. You're a professional liar. Exactly, pretty much. Yeah. So I have to lie about, where are the reindeer? I was like, oh, they drop me off. Can I see them? No, I said, they're kind of shy.

I was like, what did the reindeer eat? I said carrots. I'm going to throw. What kind of questions? Stump you? Other than the name. Yeah, what's a good question? When were you born?

Yeah. How old are you? When's mommy coming back? When's dad coming back? He went out for milk. He hasn't returned in 30 years. So I do feel bad when I get those. I mean the age thing like you know I haven't done this for so long you get mostly get all

them but kids can come out of stuff anywhere with something and it's it's fascinating so you know the one that's funny question I always get is like we're going to be in Hawaii with a you know my father's jet um for Christmas are you going to visit there I was like no just because your father has a jet that's what I want to say there's so many times where like I'm a pretty quick thinker as you guys want to say where I just want to answer something wise ass but you can't if pop's on the jet I'll come yeah I'm sick of the sleigh the sleigh sucks too yeah the Lady gets worse gas mileage than your father's Jeff. Rudolph is hammered again.

He's driving us in the front of the wreck. I can't even trust the guy. So you've done a lot of the home visits. So the home visits, what's like one of the worst ones that you've had? Because I did one, we talked before the podcast, and I used to dress up as Olaf. So I was in your same kind of thing. And I dress up as Olaf and we went to, my ex-girlfriend used to dress up as Elsa. And we went to a fire hall in the middle of Camden, New Jersey.

Show up there, obviously terrified. And the longer that I kind of stood around and like the kids would come lot to me and they were obviously horrified because I was like a seven-foot Olaf. And the dad started being like, Olaf can't even fucking dance. So then I was like, well, don't talk shit like that. So I started to kind of dance a little bit. And the more I danced, the more they were like, man, he really can't dance. So I started really getting after it. And I got to a point where they were supposed to be there for three hours. We were there for an hour and a half and they're like, you guys should

go. So I danced too much. You ever have anything close to that were you? I've seen all those like, I've seen all those videos on TikTok and everything of like you go to like a black cookout or like a black parade. It's just fucking Woody going nuts and dancing. Of course. Why would they ever think that you that's who I tried to be did they know that you were white? They could feel through the skis

I didn't know you I came through I showed up and I was like hello how are you I'm here to be Olaf today and they're like once you started dancing I knew you were white

that's exactly right all right that makes more sense because if I saw if I saw Woody and Buzz busting it down and then I saw Olaf just shaking his hips a little bit

yeah no I got after it I did like the whole nay nay I did the whip a couple times and they were like you got a more like the crack you did like a

more of them like they didn't like seeing a white man used the whip again yeah Sorry about that one Doing the macarena Yeah, of course

Yeah, you should pull out the macarena But what, go back to your question Yeah, please, so any brutal like home stories That you've had that you just had to kind of power through Just aren't a ruley kid here and there Like again, and the more there are, the harder it is depending Are kids assholes more now? No, like I said, if they won't be dressed

From their parents either It's like when you get like four or five of them And you get left alone whenever there's always one kid It's going to start the product I'm too cool, I know you're not real Blah blah blah So you get that on occasion but I'm trying to think off the top of my head.

There hasn't been too many, you know, once in a while. I mean, like, you never want to be mean. Like, I always say, everything comes back to a parent. If you'd say anything inappropriate, they're going to go to their parent. But, you know, it was like I said, I've only, honestly, the one time I've ever come out of character was when that kid gave me a hard time. But most usually do, I just probably like, hey, you're not going to get what you want for Christmas if you don't treat Santa good. Yeah. You know, most of them are just kind of like, okay, whatever.

Or, you know, so you get that a little bit. But I do a drive around and a place in South Philly. every year and there's always a ton of kids and I give out candy canes and of course once a year I get hit with one. So there's always the kids that are like 10 and 12. They fire one at me and then one of the parents sees it and winds up being and I'm like, god damn it. And I say, give me five seconds with this kid so I can go choke slam him. Yeah, yeah. And every year, the lady, I was like, can we not give out candy can't this year? No, it's a nice thing to do. I was just like the older kids get them and throw them at me. Yeah. So it's like. So you throw them out

and they throw them right back at it. It'll be like the 10, 11 year olds who don't believe anymore. They come around and they all want to get, oh, give me another candy. cane. I'm sitting there. I was like, do you realize this is for the kids? Yeah. Like, you guys don't need to be jerks. Like, go play and do whatever else. Sure.

So I get that once a year at this place. It's kind of funny. But thank God the woman that hires me is a little firecracker. She's like a five foot three, you know, person kind of works at this thing. And she'll, like, she'll chase the kid down. I'm like, I'm glad I have you. Good. She'll hunt the kid down and slap him.

Like, you ever do that again. Yeah, she's like, I don't think. I could imagine, like, throwing candy can't say in Santa. Yeah. I respected the cloth too much. Exactly. What about the Eagles, they threw Snowballs?

That happened back in 1968, why are you bringing that shit up? I'm not, I always, I hate people bring it up, but apparently it's part of the lore. One of our brothers. What do you think about that? The birds fans back in 68. I mean, the team sucked. The Santa was drunk. Yeah, I don't know what his deal was.

He was late. It wasn't me. Yeah, it wasn't you. But it's like, what else do you want them to do? The team sucked. The Santa was late. He was drunk. He was given a half-assed effort.

I think he should have got snowballs thrown at him. The team was like three and 12. Three and 14. Yeah, but what is Santa have to do? with that. Santa Dunk Tech. They literally pulled him out of the crowd.

It was like his boys that were like throwing snowballs at him. Is that right? Yeah. And I think everyone else just joined in. Okay,

that makes more sense. He was legitimately in the crowd. I had no clue. He was hammered. I mean, imagine a Christmas game this year

and your drunk-ass friends in section 207 hammered. Like, you're going to go do, you're going to go do Santa at halftime because our guy didn't show up.

Would your boys not throw snowballs at you? I think you're probably right. I think that probably you'd see your boys throwing out a couple of snowballs which is totally fair totally fair you ever get hit with a snowball

no I have fake ones in my my bag which is kind of neat I'll bring the kids in snowballs I like that yeah it's funny because they'll throw around so it's I don't know where I got the idea for one of the other Santa's did it once in a while and it's got to pick your environment you don't want to have like 30 kids

because all of a sudden it's a free for all but you get a small group and you have and I'll just have one of the kids that scared just kind of toss it at them yeah can you just like buddy you know the thing it's cute sure's neat can you take bits from other Santa's because I know like Matt's in comedy

you can't, you know, I think of a bit as a real no-no. There's no, I mean, the lines are all, I have my scripted lines. Everybody has a few that I use that people don't use. You know, I'm like, I got some good news for you. Guess what? You made the good list. That's good. I just got excited hearing that.

I've been a lot to be hearing that. I actually needed to hear that. I think I've had a pretty shitty last couple of months that, the fact that I'm on the good list, thank you so much. What's funny is, it was always apparent in the back to the wise-ass uncle's like, are you sure? Yeah. I was like, hey, I'm sure and you're a dick.

But you could also like, you can also like utilize. that against them I feel like because like if you if like a parent comes up to you and be like yo can you just tell them on the bad list they've been kind of a shithead kid oh the parents well that's the one thing's neat about the personal relationships I have because I know all their kids off the clock too to a degree yeah but in general like you know I watch some my friends kids grow up and when they get to the point where they don't kind of believe anymore the mom calls and goes can you just say he's doing this that the other blah blah blah I have all this information on the kid and it goes they go from I'm not sure about Santa

till yes I believe oh my god how's he know all that stuff so you make house calls too I'll do it for friends from my hand Like that So they'll go hold him on the phone I'll be like Johnny what's going on in school How's Mrs. So and so Like I know everything about them That's good

And the parents And the parents love that And it kind of keeps them It really keeps them One or two more years I was like I'll buy you A couple more years of Santa I just buy a relationship with me

That's awesome which is neat That's kind of neat I like doing it because So my one cousin I've seen all the time Didn't know it was me Till about eight You know now he knows it

But like he'd get freaked out Like I would just say all this stuff How's the dog? Like I knew so much Yeah For him kids you think you put in therapy. I know.

Yeah, you might be the Palantier of Santa. What kind of surveillance state? So, I mean, honestly, the lure of Santa is kind of running your surveillance state. It really is he knows that he sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. Why would you need to know that I'm awake? What does that kind of do with you? He sneaks in my house when I, you know, I guess we, do we leave the door unlocked or what do we do?

This guy comes down the chimney. What's going on over here? Sure. Yeah, apparently he's watching me when I know what he's looking. What is this the FBI? It's like, you're right. Sounds like a girlfriend, dude. It's unbelievable.

I say one thing into my phone It goes right to Santa's last I know Anything I say on Facebook I need to get ads for I was like oh kangaroos Guarantee I got kangaroo I'm sure

I'm gonna go kangaroo zoo Tomorrow we're at my phone Me and the lady Started sharing locations The past couple weeks And it feels like it is Santa Claus She's like I see you when you're sleeping I know that you're at the bar

And I'm like don't look at that You don't need to see that But I imagine that you get a ton of crazy asks Like do you have any like that come to mind Like the craziest things you would ask for Which as far as like toys are just Whatever the kids have come up with Just a kid's it's a kid

I mean What's funny It's like, if you guys want to get on this, I always had a great scheme of a scam. Like, I always know the hot toy before it comes in. If you guys want to go buy a crap load of those, we know it's going to be out, and then sell them all. My first couple visits, I know all the hot toys. Oh, so you actually, I mean, you do. It's inside or trading.

You do market research. Basically, yes. My first couple visits, I got, oh, I got a new toy. What's this toy? And then I go look online. I was like, oh, this is rare. I got to imagine Laboo Boo Boo. I've got to be pretty big.

I've heard of those. Yeah. You'll buy a bunch of them, and you've got a cabbage patch kid thing going on on the side. I mean, Tiggle Mialmo when we were born, that was the big one. My dad stood out in like a 3 a.m. line for Tickle Moma. It's nuts. What was last year's biggest story? Do you remember?

I don't remember. I said it blends right now. There hasn't been anything hot-hot that's come out. PS5 was the biggest thing a couple years ago. Yeah. And that was on the fence. It's expensive. Some kids were getting it.

Some kids weren't. So, but... That is fairly when you're like, I talked to Santa and he said, I wanted a PS5. And then they don't open up a PS5 and they're like, fuck Santa. I know, exactly. I'll get that. And they see you next year? If you're,

if that's a recurring client? Oh, it depends. What does Joel M. Be's kid asked for? Anything good? He's very shy. Both times he was. This will be a big year for him.

I think he's, I think he's five-ish now. But he had more fun with me last year. Like I said, that's why I was kind of impressed with him as just a person because he had fun with it. He didn't like, he was kicking a soccer ball around. He put his arm around me.

He was like, come take a picture with San. I was very down-earth guy. His wife is like a supermodel, if you know that. She was typical what you think for South American women are. Super accommodating, hugs me. Thank you so much. You treated my song so well.

Oh, that's awesome. Handed me a thousand dollars. It was like, oh, so I'll do whatever you want. Nice. I'll do a backflip over there I got. But, you know, I couldn't believe. I asked for $500 for that, like not to get too much. And then she gave me that.

And I was saying, it must be nice. You just have as much, do whatever you want. Yeah, I like that's a lot of milk and cookies right there. That's a lot. You hung out with me for five minutes. I need more of those gigs. How is, saying on the presence topic, how has gifts changed since you started? Have they changed?

Some more technology. I mean, younger kids are asking for stuff that, you know, our generation didn't even, like, G.I. Joe, and that's all I wanted when I was a kid. G.I. Joe, Nintendo came out, like, it was like seven or eight. But now it's iPad, this, you know, you get your phones for your kids that are a little bit older. And you can kind of guess. Anyone ask you for world peace anymore? No, no, really. I like when a kid asked for something interesting.

One kid comes out to me He's probably four Can I have a loan mower? I was like Some of your parents put you to work I was like the kid was really Into like home stuff

Like it was And like he came back later And he goes Sam I Not only need a loanmower He's like a weed whacker Could we get that too? Kid's like four I'm sitting there

I was like Is your dad telling you to come I get this stuff But the mom was like No this is what he's really into So I find that fascinating When you see a kid Is a little bit different

Everybody else Ask for like something where I love that kid You know That's that's that random one It's just you know Want to do something different So it's kind of cool

character, best representations of Santa Claus in movies that you've seen. Who do you think you would most align with? I love the Santa Claus movies with Tim Allen. I like that one. It's so done so well. Fall off your ladder, get a brain injury. That is crazy. You have to die to become the next Santa, which is a little morbid for a...

That's how I know Tim Allen was on Coke when that movie got pitched. So Santa fucking dies? Cool. Awesome. That's cool. That's great. Yeah, I'll do that. I used to host Quizzo and I did a celebrity picture of people do it. There's a lot of people who's done Santa Bill Goldberg, the wrestler.

Nice. It was Paul Giamatti, did one in a movie. Was Bill, was Bill Goldberg? Was that Jingle all the way? No, it was like a Santa slasher. He played like a bad guy. Okay. It wasn't terrible that movie. I know. No, no, it was bad. You know, it's essentially, you know, you see Billy, you know, it's done more of comedy. They don't do a lot of wholesome stuff anymore. Like, I think Ernest saves Christmas at a Santa. Or, uh, is the Santa brotherhood? Is it more Tim Allen or is it more like bad Santa, Billy Bob Thornton? No, everybody's pretty chill. I mean, you know, there's a couple odd birds of it. Like, You know, that I wouldn't even know their name.

Like, when they come in the room, they're just on Santa. No matter what, they won't bring a character. And I'm sitting there. I was like, we know you're a real person. That's crazy. A little Danny Day Lewis kind of action. Yeah, I worked at Mule Tide last year. I remember heard that.

It was just a big Christmas village they had. And there was like four or five of us because we rotated around. And the one kid's came up. They're younger people taking photos. Because you're like the most chilled guy over. Because I'm not being Santa when nobody else is in the room. I'm just talking to you like a person. Sure.

And there's the one guy won't let us call us anything else else in Santa. And, like, we just have to, like, I was like, yeah, that's weird. That is definitely weird. Yeah, I don't appreciate that. You're allowed to come out of character when you're working with your coworkers. That's how Heath Ledger ended up dead. I know, it's true. Daniel Day Lewis stuff right there.

Playing Santa Claus. Are you trying to incite that I'm not real? Jack Nicholson would be like, I told him not to play Santa. So, so. Get a lot of funny stuff, though. Like, it's funny. So to us or to me, this is all second nature. There's nothing that comes in.

It's weird. But, like, when I tell people certain things about it, like, there's more than one of us do gigs. Like this, I brought. I brought these out on purpose. Like, you know, I have probably close to two to three hundred of these where kids are making there's a Christmas list. Yeah, what's the Christmas list?

Read that. Good. Oh, is that last year? Is that right? Furbies are back. Furby's big. Hachie, Hachie Miles. Okay.

A cookie play set. I'm learning. Glam hair. Squiss. See, she put three in one, which I respect that. She put three on one line. Also, this is definitely a parent's handwriting. You definitely can tell you.

Princess Kitchen. A unicorn Bible. No, Bibli. Bibli. Bibli. and Little's Pets and Princess Clothes. Very sweet. And this one's great.

This guy's got a Bryce Harper, wooden bat, a lion's number 20 jersey. He doesn't know that's Barry Sanders, but this is a good parenting. Yeah, yeah. Spider-Man Shooter signed card by Steph Curry. So whoever this kid is, I would like to adopt him. That is an eclectic list. Yeah, but, you know, it's funny, though, because at the end of the year, I probably have three to four hundred.

He's just sitting around. I just throw them away. My fiance was like, I was like, what would you like me to do them? Frame them and put him up there? I don't know what you'd like. It's over with once they handed to me. It's sad to say that. If someone would never went in your house,

you had, like, children's Christmas list. Like, this guy's committing a federal crime. Exactly. Something nefarious happened. Yeah, of course. It's kind of funny, like, the little things like that. You don't process what goes on with it. It goes to my suitcase.

It goes in my suitcase. Around Christmas time. So, and I randomly find plastic bags of cookies that are year old. It'll just be, you know, because I'm finishing up gigs. I'm getting changed a lot of times. I'm getting the next one. I just throw stuff in my bag.

You know, because you don't want to leave any evidence behind if kids sees it. I did have an incident one time where I'd left the list fell out of my pant leg and of course I was this kid saw me again and he came to me he goes did you throw away my list the kid said that to me yeah yeah yeah and I was like I don't know I lost that and you know what you wanted you know thank God I was able to quickly sink on my feet but like the parent even said something to me he was like you know he kind of like said it something of an attitude like before before the gig you know and I'm sitting there was like I didn't know what happened guys I apologize it wasn't on purpose yeah so I can't make mistakes I know exactly

so but that way I learned my lesson to be like make sure this stuff just goes in here and hides, so if it falls out, you know, because a kid thinks I'm real. It's like, you know, if he finds out on the floor, but like, wouldn't Santa throw this away, you know? I don't want that to be experienced for anybody. Of course. Of course. Of course. It's not, you know I'm not real. The dad should relax, but I did get like a little bit of a stern. Like, hey, did you throw this on the ground? I was like, no, I did not. I dropped it. I'm so

sorry. That is a great question. Is Santa infallible? Like, is a Santa kind of, like, the Pope kind of thing? I feel like, unfortunately people have to think of Santa as being infallible, but I think as the Pope has shown us that, like, nobody's infallible. Well, true, that's definitely true Especially, I mean, if I had to grade against Like Santa and the Pope, I'm going Santa Every day of the week

The Pope, he can kick rocks, dude So a battalion guy? I mean, now you're speaking like a Jew Now you're speaking like Yamical Boys I didn't ask how much you made You're speaking like the Yamvical boys That are coming to Santa and just being like, you're not real It's like, okay

I enjoy doing some of the dull parties I always offered me a drink and I try not to drink while I'll just hold a beer just for the pictures But they always ask goes, oh no, I can't drink and sleigh. We used to have nine reindeer, but we don't want to talk about that. That's good. We called him Blitzkrieg. We had an accident. We had an accident. We don't talk about that.

Yeah. Santa should be able to drink and slay. I think that'd be totally, it's a long night for God's sake. You're hitting every kind of country, every continent. I think a couple eggnogs, spiked eggnogs. Exactly. Yeah, I mean, well, now the air traffic control is not working. It's true. It's true. I don't know how I'm getting anywhere anywhere this year. I'm in trouble. You've got to be on your bees and cues this year. I know. I might have to start a day early. Let's get the two-day

the two-day adventure in there so it's kind of fun i was in australia probably um in my early days of doing santa so i took the year off i went to australia with a with a baseball team believe about my other career and um they have they don't tell you this and it's even hard to find online but all the pictures of santa they have kangaroos instead of reindeer really you see so many over there they just kind of have the kangaroos take them around and i was asking about was this a thing over here is yeah like they tell the kids they take kangaroos around then then then ever since then now even when i go down now i try like i'll google it's like why is this not showing up online. It's like they hide it or something like that.

Wow. I thought that was pretty cool. That was like an interesting, you know, part of their country. It is a cool, because it seems like for my understanding, Australia was just everybody in England that was on the naughty list got shipped to Australia. And then they made an entire like first world country down there. If I were Santa Claus, that'd be the one kind and I'm skipping. I'm not hanging out with the Australians. It's not cold. It's never cold. I know. He's on our roof. Shut up. Don't talk like that too. It's crazy. It's crazy. Yeah. I'm saying. Half the country doesn't even need presents because it's uninhabited. It's not even close. Yeah. No violence.

I mean, I'm not bringing... You bang out Australia in 20 minutes. Kids ask for peace. I was like, what do you mean? Yeah. Nothing happens here. Australians. I think if I could...

Are reindeer's real? I believe they are, right? I don't... People they asked me that before and like, you know, I think there's a version of, like, deer that have a certain look, but I don't think they're actually real, what they say. I think most of the time, some people that, you know, like I said, a couple of booking agents that I know, bring out, you know, deer or, or, or, they'll rent a deer, you know, something that does it and have to take.

pictures and things like that. I've seen that just online, but I've never gotten to that point. But, well, yeah, some parents will do anything for their kids. It was crazy, so. So the other kangaroos kind of make sense.

Yeah. Because these are a real animal. True. As native of the country. Kind of respect it a little bit. Yeah. What would we do for here? Which are squirrels?

Yeah, probably squirrel. Honestly, just like a raccoon. Yeah. Like in a dumpster. Yeah. The raccoon's in the dumpster leading the sleigh in front of it. That kind of fits.

I live in saptures. That's like the only thing I see. Maybe just be. Rats. I mean, you deal with a lot of, like, you know, that you've done it for a little while now. Like, the kids, are you noticing that the age is getting lower as time goes on about kids finding out that Santa is not real? Or is it about the same? It's not the same.

It's a mix. You know, I spoke to Kyle earlier, and so my stepdaughter just found out. Like, she kind of, you know, but she found out there was no Santa. Yeah. And we had the conversation with her. And then I was like, well, guess what? Not only is there a Santa, but your mom dates Santa. You figure it out.

Yeah. Yeah, I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus. I'm gonna have to explain this one, so. But you just watched her, like, mine, like, and I started telling her the stories, and I showed her all the stuff, and her head's just going like this. Like, it's just too much at once. His little girl's head's going to explode. That is crazy.

And her little brother, my future stepson, he still believes, so we're still kind of hiding it from him and go through. But I've dated her four years now, so I've been doing this, but I never saw them. She was very inanimate. I don't want you anywhere near the kids with this. They'll pick it up in a second voice. So it was kind of neat, but it's going to be neat now to, you know, have, you know, something I care about my life. She'll be able to come on me on.

She's really good with kids, so it's cute. She's 10. So it'd be nice to bring her on gigs. I found out around nine. I think it was eight or nine. Yeah, I think I remember I saw my parents carrying the gifts in from the garage. And we weren't allowed to go to the garage for a month's tree. And it kind of clicked from me.

Even when I clicked, I still was like, but they probably got them from Santa. I talked to my sister and she kind of sat me down. And she was like, oh, sister, Brugateen. Kind of a bitch. Yeah, I was not pumped on that. Yeah, she was a year old. She already knew and she kind of played the part pretty well, honestly, for a nine-year-old girl. and she kind of sat me down.

I remember she literally told me she was like, take a seat. Santa's not real. And she really, like, she got into depth. She was like, almost like, I'm starting to doubt God at this point. I was like, Jesus Christ, lady, relax.

Can we do one at the time, please? The universe kind of operates at random. You are in no favor. Morality is just a concept that humans develop so we can advance our own things. And I was like, okay, okay, got it. Also, the government doesn't care about you either.

Every politician's a liar. It's a job. They're trying to make money. I was like, oh, my God. And you're adopted. Your teacher drinks on the weekends. like she gets fucked up all the time like she actually hates you too

and she talks shit on you when you're not there dude I was I was bummed when I found out Santa wasn't real because those old claymation kind of movements the OG Santa was a redhead yeah that was like my superhero growing up Chris Kringle so that was a tough one to find out

some people do Zirman some people do Batman it's worse for the parent the parents are the ones that are devastated by because it's like the official your kid's not a kid anymore the kids it's like a bite of past you write a passage right I know now yeah what kind of like the other kids

We have when we don't find out it's about Santa. Yeah, of course. We think Santa's not real. The Jays. Yeah, so like I said, my Mrs. Claus is worried about her son now, so he's on the fence. So it's kind of, probably his last year or so we'll lose that innocence. But I was like, it doesn't have to be his last year. I'll walk in the room at nighttime when it's dark one night, be like, oh, you've been to surround your mom.

What's going on? Keep a real darkling over to me. He'll believe in another four years. Do you ever get kids that you see to come up and they ask for something pretty exorbitant and you get like a quick glance at the family and you think they're probably not buying that? So they'll say, like, hey, can I get a PS5? And you're like, what about a refurbished Nintendo Wii? I'm like, do you have to massage it or all?

How about an Atari? Yeah. How do you navigate that when you can kind of tell you don't want to promise something that maybe the parents can? I never see you getting what you're getting unless the parent or give me the thing. I was like, well, I'll do my best. You're on the good list this year. I was like, I saw you on there and go through it. We'll do our best to get what you want.

So I kind of leave it at that. You always kind of dangle the carrot a little bit. So they have the hope that's there. Because, again, I don't want to throw the parent underneath the boss. I don't have to. you know like I said I only do it when they're mean so it's good you're an Eagles fan right yeah I grew up in South Philly originally so yeah born and raised Philly's

Philly's all the way go birds yeah go birds except when they throw snowmoles that me the fans I was reading I was reading some funny I was reading some funny stories about Santa because I was doing some research here and I saw I saw a story about a Santa who saw a kid in a Maple Leaf jersey and he told him the meepleese suck in the mall fired him.

You've got to be careful, yeah. Would you let a Dallas Cowboys fan sit on your knee? You just kind of go with it and roll over. I'd never had a kid bring it up. I mean, I've always just, I joke and I was like, oh, why do you think Santa where's the color red? The Phillies fan. I'll use that a little bit.

That'll work. That'll play hard in South Jersey. Yeah, that'll crush, that'll crush. Because, I mean, I look at it as this way. I have to keep in my head, I'm not from Philly. It's because I'm in Philly seeing you. You've got to be a little careful with the kids that want, sometimes they ask for a jersey.

Like, I get a Dak Prescott jersey. Okay, I was like, yeah, I'll give you Oh, you want some toilet paper? Exactly. It's on sale, so that actually works that way. Have you seen that contract? Usually the parents jump in, so they kind of play along with you. Yeah.

Oh, he's not going to get you that. He'll get you, you know, whatever. A bag of poop for Christmas instead. Yeah. So, but usually you have fun with it, but, yeah, that's always fun, so it's good. So I like when the parents give me something to give them to the kids, too. It's kind of neat, like, kind of behind their back. So it's like the parents, well, every so often a parent becomes a spy.

They're sitting there, like, walking up with this big box behind their. I'm going to hide this one. from my son. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Here. I was like, good job. He didn't see that at all. Have ever dealt with, like, an annoying parent?

Like, the parents that are just, like, kind of going after you a little bit? Something are pushy here and there. But, you know, some time, you can kind of control it, too, just going through. Like, the ones that I can't stand personally or ones that don't let the kids talk or me talk. I punish the parents when they get herbal, but I just, I stopped talking. They're like, Johnny, tell them what you want here. Blah, blah, blah, blah. Tell me what you want to be here.

And I just stopped. And I was like, I'll wait. Wow. You're like, your kid's here to see me. You hit him with a kindergarten teacher. Pretty much. Yeah, I just be quiet. One, two, three, eyes on me.

Yeah, so I want the kid to. And here's the thing. Like, trust that we know what we're doing. Like, I can handle anything. Like, it's just having enough. Like, if the kid's quiet, I can walk him into it. You know, if he's scared. You know, I mean, there's body language, things you can.

And you just pick it up by doing the job, you know? And that's my job. That's where you're hiring me for. You're hiring me to make this real. That's the way I look at it. To make a special experience with your kid for three seconds. You don't know what I look like. You're never going to see me again.

who scared to death, take a picture with me. If I get him to come take a picture with me, that's like, you know, hitting a double in the world series. Yeah, exactly. That's what, you know, the ones that come up and hug you, that's cute too, and they do their own thing. That was an easy one. They'll come up, boom, do that.

But it's those ones that are a little bit on the fence. You know, it's a challenge. Exactly. 100%. So, and other Santa's all say that, too. And then we have little trips to, you know, tricks to try to do it. You know, it's kind of neat to go through, learning things.

So, you know, and it's fun, too. when the adults are into it like you get so I'm not gonna name names but Christmas Eve every single year I go to the same house and this guy has more money and knows what to do with

and go in there they come in they say hi for me for three seconds take up public pictures and they completely leave and go out and do God knows what they're drinking and do whatever they leave me with the kids

and the kids get bored of me after a couple minutes and I was just like this is not what this is about guys like come over and just spend a little bit time with the kids and me like you hired me like you're hired me to come in here

like you know and I stay every half an hour and I feel like it's so empty oh the parents are almost like having you babysit pretty much yeah like this is supposed to be fun and like i'll have fun with you i'll i'll you know i'll talk i'm go through but like they're just they're happy to be there with their kids and their you know

million dollar cyber trucks and everything else it's just a weird environment so and then whatever you know you know you're hiring me coming i'm going to do the job but like to me this is about family like you know i mean like when you're coming in there i want to i want everybody to have fun i want grandma to have fun i want your kid to have fun like i'm going to do my best to put my effort in there to make that for you that's all i you know that's what i owe you doing this job so so so i hate when like the parents are they're too cool or just like you know take care of the kids and you know take care of the kids and and go from here.

It was like, all right, cool. This is why your kid's going going to grow up and be a cereal killing.

That's fine. It sounds like a household where they're like, oh no, the Gavelt is getting cold. It's like, yeah, we got it.

That kid's going to be in therapy being like, I thought Santa was my father until the 90-year-old. This particular house too to give you a rough idea how much money they had they hired a guy and was his on Christmas Eve

that came in with a whole VR thing. Like you had to bring it on a truck. It was like this VR machine. It was in like their secondary home off than a side. They'd like an outhouse in a Cato Caelan house on the side. And the one guy was just like, here, go over there and go in the house over there with the kids.

Get out of our hair. It was crazy. And this whole setup and sit here to the pool house? Yeah, pretty much. And they had all his stuff in there. He sent this random man he hired. He doesn't know with all the kids doing pool house. That's crazy.

And there was another guy was in there was like doing VR with the kids. And I was like, how much money do you have? Yeah. And why are you spending it tonight on Christmas Eve? Yeah. You know, to each their own. That's not none of my business. Did stand up with a VR headset on?

No, the kids asked like when they were, I was shooting. basketball with the 1Ks. I was so bored. I'm sitting a jumper. So it's okay. Sitting down, I'm not too bad. I'm over here. I'm an ex-athlete. It doesn't look like if I am. Yeah, it's kind of cool on me. So the goose neck?

I guess the kids are like asking for like you're saying VR and tech. Is there a competition between like a Chinese sweatshop and the elves? Like they're not really making it out faster. It used to be fun there. They're making like wooden trains. Now it's kind of sad. It's like 18-hour day. The shipping these days, Amazon, Amazon's terrifying.

Amazon gets stuff out quicker than us. You're hiring people in the Amazon. There's kids are working for eight roubles and hour, yeah. That's true. You're not kidding. Um, do you think people are starting Christmas too soon every year? From my standpoint, no. Um, the best Santa's out there do photo shoots starting now. Right after November? But now, now is fine. Now is okay. I see Christmas, I feel like in the middle of October now. It can be. That's a little bit much. I feel pumpkin spice in August now. That's crazy. Yeah. It's, if you give something people look forward to, I mean, I'm not going to go that

extreme. How about life? I know. Look forward to that. Exactly. By the time you're like 15, you're like, life sucks, dude. I get it. But I don't think I would look at Halloween and be like, thank God we've got Halloween candy in the store on August 30th. I like that stuff. I hate that.

July 4th, I got my costume ready. This Christmas like means something. But like, can we get the Thanksgiving first? Yeah, that's fair. That's fair. That's Thanksgiving. Talk about getting a shaft at every holiday. Nothing. You can't go anywhere for Thanksgiving.

Like, think about haunted houses, Christmas villages, my shitty family. Oh, no, I have to hang. That's a real haunted house. There's a guy who likes his family, too. I want to get an investor to come out here and make a whole Indian and Pilgrim Village. I don't know where it'll go, but why can't we do this? The haunted house is going to my in-laws on Thanksgiving. People pop out and they're like, so what do you think you're going to marry this year?

And I'm like, oh, God, okay. Schools around every quarter. Well, that's kind of an interesting thing. We would love to have Santa. Santa, if you could rank Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, 4th of July, New Year's. obviously I'm biased But Christmas I think right after that's Halloween

I love Halloween too Okay You love dressing up I know I like dressing up I never wore this on Halloween No I think it's bogus Now this year I was a sports announcer That was a lot of fun

Okay Because I was just sitting at a table The kids were coming up with candy And I had a little microphone I was like now I'm coming up Superman grabbing a Kit Kat Who did you know what I was right away Who did you model your announcer game after

Oh I just was being stupid I didn't really have anybody good It was hard people didn't realize What I was doing I was like them once they Some of parents Oh he's a sports announcement It was like one of those

After the fact They thought it was like The kids love because the kids, I'm yelling what they were in the thing. And I don't know what happened to more anyway. I was like, what are you for Halloween? If you were on a hot mic, I bet you they wanted to do. I know, true.

Oh, now coming from Cincinnati. Long bomb from Cassiano's. That's a left field. I would have been depressed if I was a Philly's announcer, but that's what you are for Christmas, depressed. Oh, man. So Christmas, Halloween? Me personally or just in general? July 4th, I like July 4th, because it's like it's a whole day of just fun.

And like, you know, usually everybody's in a pretty good mood. Flag Day. No, I'm kidding. Arbor Day is up there, of course, yeah. So I'm not a St. Paddy's Day guy, because I'm not, like, heavy drinker. So maybe I was when I was younger, but I don't know. Easter, I mean, just, but Easter's become, like,

more of it just like, hey, this is a weekend we can go away. I don't feel like it's to celebrate as much. It's like when I was a kid, it was a big deal. Nobody in my family cares about anymore. I agree 100%. I used to go find baskets. Then we'd go to church for 15 hours because those were always the longest and stuff.

Yep. And now I feel like people I know, maybe they don't know. I know Catholics as much, but like, people are just. like, yeah, we're going out to breakfast. Like, that's kind of what it is. Or like you said, you go away. Yeah, I mean, Santa's a look ahead.

A lot of times, the Eagles are, I'm sorry, the Phillies are in Denver on Easter, so I'm trying to plan a trip to go out there because I know what he's doing anything. I was like, just go out there. Let's go to Denver. Nice. So we'll find some eggs out there. And then what about, what was the other two? New Year's.

New Year's and Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, yeah. So Thanksgiving, just from the family aspect, it's, you know, can be hit or miss, depending on how it's going that year. It's definitely like fourth or fifth because there's not much you can do with it. So New Year's comes up to the rear? I would say New Year's ahead of that, yeah, because, I mean, New Year's, you look forward to something, you know,

something new going through here, and, like, got the Mummer's Parade. Obviously, we had a little bit of New Year's situation different here, most places, but I'd like to personally be, you know, in fact, I have a sleigh and could do this, but I always take my vacation December 26th. I always wanted to go somewhere else where they have a big celebration, like Dubai or something like that. That'd be kind of neat to see it.

Like, I think Dubai, they should do, like, a whole drone thing instead of a... Yes. And they got that oil money, so, like, you know, spelling out people's names. So we kind of need to see New Year's another city one time I think it'd be neat Not time square but you know So I can make that happen

I got a sleigh and reindeer I'll do whatever I want Pay a little bit over time You know take the suit off just wear a thing so So it's kind of funny though Like when you walk around and you do this Like you see anybody who has a long white beard Like there's probably an 80% chance there's Santa

It looks apart You know if I go up to them say it something too Like you know you're Santa A lot of times it'll be like yeah You know they'll do it So I got the whole try to state where are you from Yeah It's got to be a lot

Yeah, the Harley-Davidson community and the Santa Claus community, they have to cross over quite often. So we don't whack anybody? True, yeah, right? So go through, but, yeah, so it's, so the one guy, Tom, I told you, I kind of mentored me a little bit. It's a terrific guy, just kind of retired. Like, he is, he wears red all the time. And he said people do come up to him in like June and July and say, you know, you do play and he goes, yeah, and he goes, I use his marketing.

So, so, and he does well. I mean, he was busy every single day until he recently stepped down. But, yeah, it was neat. It was kind of weird seeing him out in the public because I'm sitting there. I was like, oh, this is kind of weird. I'm sitting here. at Santa calls. But people come up to him

and it was this way to market himself. No kid. There's this guy who's like an Eagles fan who I'm sure you've seen he basically just gets drunk and goes to Eagles games.

I know you're talking about that guy yeah he goes to every single game and he goes to a Santa costume and he's got the white beard too. I don't think he does it. I don't know if he does either. I don't think it's for hire. Just goes and it's recreational?

I saw me and Vito saw him. He gets on TV every game. We saw him in a TCU game in Dallas because the Cowboys were playing the Eagles that weekend and he was on the trip with us in there and uh full full santa gear just walking up and down the tCU versus oklahoma state commitment people were going nuts wow yeah good for him never seen him not hammered i love that guy

god dude it'd be weird if he wasn't hammered 100% yeah i think he's got to be annihilated every time i just don't want to explain that to my kids so i'm sitting there why is santa here yeah yeah i don't know no days off i was like he's allowed to have a life yeah yeah right anything else you want to tell us yeah any final parting uh thoughts wishes grants so this is um Like I said, it's fun. Every year I get somebody in my world that's like, wants to get into this. And I kind of explain to them the commitment it takes to going through. I mentored a guy last year.

It was really cool. And he got into it and he loved it. So it just kind of brought him a lot of, you know, happiness throughout the holidays. So it's a great side job. You know, you got the right demeanor for it. You got to like kids. But, you know, I said, I, you know, this is, weird to say. It's like, I've been doing this right.

I think 15 years now. So it's made me a better person. Like, I'm, you know, you get to see the best in people and grants one time a year. But you get to appreciate, you know, even if your life is shitty at the time, and we all go through that. I had a couple of years when I'm single going up to holidays. I was like, nobody loves me. Oh, God, Santa. But all this family does.

For 30 to 60 minutes and there I go. Yeah, because, I mean, you walk in to see some really cool stuff in houses. It's really neat. People's love for each other and their families. That's what's all about the end of the day, you know, not about the gifts and stuff like that. But I get to see that side of it, and that's really neat from that standpoint. If you want to book Tim, all the information is down in the, in the, the description of the podcast on YouTube

the Santa Gunner for next year because the guys are already booked up but thanks so much for coming on thank you guys you guys whatever you guys want for Christmas you know a guy hell yeah whatever you need I got you let's go peace