My Secret Santa

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 10:00: Taylor Jacobson
2. 10:00 – 20:00: Tia Maui
3. 20:00 – 30:00: Screaming Kittens
4. 40:00 – 50:00: Screaming Kittens
5. 50:00 – 1:00:00: Look Path
6. 1:00:00 – 1:10:00: American Horror Story

Notable quotes from "My Secret Santa"

• Now the reality is in the movie she is almost always in Santa mode. So we very rarely see human.

  about Taylor Jacobson · at 3:04

• Boou bucks. she's not even the manager. She's in line to be the manager. And then, Matthew comes over and takes her spot. By the way, that's Tina Tia Maui. which, great casting there. I love the cast of this. I was all on board.

  about Tia Maui · at 14:50

• Way that is good because she uncovers truly like the fraud of the movie by doing some light Googling on Jason on not Google last resort which I believe it was called look path.

  about Look Path · at 52:22

• Alexander Breenidge, this is a lead, was my bisexual awakening. It was because of her that I realized I was into women at age 16. I saw her as young Moira in American Horror Story. when they.

  about American Horror Story · at 1:05:24

• I want to just read one more line here from Mu who writes, Through this film, I learned what a single mother could do. Five stars. And I want and I want to answer you both with Grant KF's review, which says, this.

  about Screaming Kittens · at 1:08:15

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Taylor Jacobson — Person · Fictional protagonist (discussed character) · 2 mentions · first at 5:08
  Central character of the Netflix Christmas romcom being reviewed; her decision to pose as Santa drives most of the episode’s plot/logic critique.
• Tia Maui — Person · Fictional antagonist/rival (discussed character) · 1 mention · first at 14:58
  Presented as a workplace rival and mother of the bully; discussed as a would-be manager displaced by Matthew and as the one who uncovers the fraud via “light Googling.”

Companies & orgs

• Look Path — Company · Business focus · 1 mention · first at 52:33
  Mentioned as the platform where the movie's fraud was uncovered through light research

Concepts & topics

• Screaming Kittens — Concept · Referenced work · 3 mentions · first at 22:16
  Mentioned as part of the protagonist's backstory, indicating her past as a punk rocker

Media & podcasts

• American Horror Story — Media · Referenced work · 1 mention · first at 1:05:33
  Referenced in relation to the lead actress's previous roles and impact on viewers

Full transcript with timestamps

0:01 He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good because he's a she and she's your mom. We saw my secret Santa. So you know what that means.

0:15 Now it's time for this. We're going to have a good time celebrating failure. Not just a hater cuz you know you wonder how this wall in the mediocrity of some art. Perhaps we'll find the answer to the question, how did this get made?

0:33 Hello, people of Earth and welcome to How Did This Get Made? Another Christmas episode. That's right. We are celebrating this month of Christmas with a Netflix original. Uh, a Jason Manzukas recommend. Uh,

0:49 I mean, Jason's pick. This is Yes, this is I will admit I This is a classic me uh uh boondoggle. Uh simply by uh my passing awareness of this movie, I've now talked about it enough that we had to watch it.

1:06 Well, I got to say uh you picked a good one because this came out in 2025, the IMDb log line is Taylor disguises herself as Santa at a resort to fund her daughter's ski lessons. Working with the charming manager Matthew, as she finds holiday cheer and a chance at love, admits challenges. Now,

1:26 here. Yes. Are you going to say something about that description, Paul? No, please you could jump in. I have I have two things to say before we move forward, but please dis Yeah, jump in.

1:35 This is what I Okay, this is my fun my fundamental issue with this movie is that sentence disguises herself as Santa,

1:44 right? Yes. Okay. Anyone and obviously parents, turn this off. This is a little advisory. Turn this off right now if you have uh little kids. If you are working as a Santa, you are disguising yourself as Santa no matter what.

2:02 Yes. Right. Yes. Th this movie actually like it borders on horror to me because

2:06 it posits a world in which we actually believe that the Santaas who are showing up for these villages and malls and different plazas and lobbies are

2:23 Santa or not Santa entirely. No, you know, thank you for correcting me. But something but they we don't in this world want a Santa. Well, we certainly don't want a female Santa, but we want to know that our Santa's what is it exactly? What is it?

2:43 What what we're not what the movie is not interested in letting you in on or interrogating is who who is Hugh man,

2:54 right? So like so so Taylor is both playing a man named Hugh man who is playing Santa Claus.

3:03 Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now the reality is in the movie she is almost always

3:09 in Santa mode. So we very rarely see human. Yeah. And why doesn't anyone else in this world Okay, this is my main issue question.

3:21 Why doesn't she talk to the teenage girl as human? man, like I'm off my shift. I'm

3:26 like a human. Well, here here's the issue. In my opinion, there are no stakes because the idea is solid. Like, oh, let's do Mrs. Doubtfire as a holiday movie

3:37 like a reverse miss. This would be if if in Mrs. Doubtfire the the Robin Williams dressed up as Mrs. Doubtfire and but wasn't the husband.

3:47 That would be the that would be the stake who then dressed up as someone else. Well, like the stakes would be

3:53 Paul. Yeah. [clears throat] Why does Taylor, this is a serious [ __ ] question.

3:58 Why does Taylor not show up as herself to the Santa audition and say, "Give me one moment. I'll be right back."

4:06 As Qan or as Taylor, Jason, why can't Taylor, okay, go so much for the audition. I'm going to just go change into costume. I'll be right back. The movie is interrogating our misogyny, the patriarchy

4:22 in hiring. Yes. In hiring men as Santa performers in hotels and malls. This is absolutely a movie that is representing how controlled how the patriarchy is still so in power, especially in our most significant holiday. By the way though, you you did bring up a good point cuz I think that if you added a scene where she tried to get that job and couldn't get it because she was a woman.

4:50 You needed I needed that scene, but she just went to I need to create an alternative persona.

4:56 Made me think she was insane. Here's the thing. Hugh man, and this is why the whole movie really falls apart, has to get a check that is going to go to

5:08 to Taylor Jacobson, right? like like she the crime. Yeah. She didn't think the crime through at all, you know,

5:15 because Yeah. There's also a line at the end when it's all revealed like we got a booker on trespassing and this and then I'm like why what why she was doing the job you hire like she didn't in any way not do the job that she was hired to do. It would have been so fun if in the ep in the period where she cuz the the movie is setting up the kind of farce the farce elements of oh now she's Taylor and now she's Santa and and oh no she's bouncing between people who are expecting her to be different things blah blah blah wouldn't it been so fun if other if she also had to juggle the third persona Hugh man

5:55 well Hu man like why I wished so much that Hugh man had started started a romance.

6:02 There's only one time we see human. Yes. No, Paul. We see Oh, Paul. Oh, Paul. My balloons are gone.

6:09 Why are balloons going up your screen? What was that? Because they gave the peace sign. It was the peace sign.

6:16 Yeah. Nice try. I don't know why that. So, here's the thing. As far as we see Human three times, actually.

6:23 Wait, no. We see Human when Human shows up for the audition, which why she doesn't why she doesn't show up in Santa costume. Again, it it is the the the perception of Santa is so strange in this movie because she knows that she shouldn't show up in her suit that that somehow is too much.

6:46 Well, so but also many of the men auditioning to be Santa are really halfassing it. Like one guy has his beard down around his like chin like they look like they like Yeah. Also they all all the the possible Santaas might I mean listen maybe I'm just not aware of the you know the the Santa industrial complex but like mustn't the organization have the Santa outfit? Does every Santa have his own suit? Any

7:17 that that is true. Any Santa their salt. Yeah. Any Santa worth their salt. subcontractors,

7:25 right? You know, there's no Yeah. So, I do I miss I apologize. No, that's okay. But it's like a makeup artist like you have to come with your own kit. Maybe they get a kit fee. Like maybe they get a costume fee to drive

7:38 rental. They rent their stuff to the Yeah, that's possible. But here's the thing. I mean, there's so many things wrong with the whole Santa industrial complex. But I also don't believe that our lead, Taylor Jacobson, is a smart person. as we we understand her to be I guess a well her job is a baking overseer like she like she like runs the factory line at store at a store-bought cookie plant like so what like we don't even know what her like

8:10 it's called clout cookies or it's almost claw cookies oh I didn't put that together

8:16 it's like it's so close to claw that I was like wait is this a Santa related business she's making and she also gets fired. The the the the manager comes up and says, "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" And rather than step into an office and fire her privately, they take five steps away from everybody and he fires her in front of the staff.

8:41 Yes. Who are all watching. She should be fired because why you need a person looking at like the frosting

8:49 control. So, here's the thing. She is, and this is so interesting that they set her up this way because I think the movie wants us to believe that she's sort of a part of the Santa industrial complex even before she steps into the role because she knows and what Santa should look like. And that's part of why that opening scene with that cookie was important cuz she didn't feel like he was jolly enough.

9:13 But yet, she said he was depressed. But she said he was depressed. That was a little bit of a worshack test for her. I [clears throat] mean a truly truly physician heal thyself. Um you know it really when she said this Santa looks suppressed I was like what is going on?

9:28 Here's the thing up until then with I mean with the she is insane with the exception of that one scene. We don't know her to be particularly interested in Christmas particularly like festive or Santa curious. Yeah, like it's strange. But then later on, Jason, at the Cuz I just finished this movie 1 minute ago.

9:54 Same. Okay. At the very end, he says, "Someone get into Matthew, but he says something along the lines of like,

10:04 you know, Christmas, like you because he cuz she figured out that Christmas isn't about bankrupting your parents. It's about like the spirit of Christmas." that that's what she brought to the Santa character, which is the unwillingness to give kids what they want. She's like, I'm not going to give you what you want. I'm going to give you what you need. And that's what originally turns out bad. Like, I mean, this Santa, the hard truth Santa that is like, you know, that's going to make a mess and your parents aren't going to like that. Or I know your your mom's a waitress, she can't afford that.

10:38 Like, what if Santa was a mom? That's what she brings to Santa, which is a revolutionary idea in the world of Santa. What if Santa was a mom?

10:47 What if Santa was a mom? Now that's by the way Santa is a mom. Okay, mom are doing Christmas.

10:56 Okay, well hold on now. I don't And I'm not saying you aren't babe, but I'm saying in general when people talk about the magic of holidays, and I'm Paul, I'm not including you in this.

11:05 Please know that the labor of Santa is the magic of Christmas. Oh, so you're taking

11:13 done by women. So, you're taking this work away from the elves and giving it to women.

11:21 But that's what drives me crazy is like, well, moms are already doing Christmas,

11:27 but moms are not redefining who Santa regardless of who is doing the work. The idea is that ho ho ho, whatever you want, I'll get you like this.

11:37 We've seen several Santa performers in our day. Yeah. If anything, I found them all to be pretty like judicious about and diplomatic about what they say. They don't say you can get you can have that. They say, "Well, I

11:48 Right." Because I think they got in trouble for that. By who? By the Santa industrial complex. Because I think Santa

11:56 Yes. Because I think that, you know, when kids stopped asking for like trains and cars and they started asking for PlayStation fives, like somebody who worked at the mall or the hotel would, by the way, I I want to get into the hotel.

12:09 This hotel, this hotel is so shitty. So much of the movie, so much of the movie is just shot in a hotel ballroom. It's amazing.

12:19 It's so shitty. The fact that we're supposed to believe this is like a gazillionaire and they have all of these major properties throughout the world. Like this hotel is

12:30 it's not even booked for Christmas. It's not even fully booked. The the the Instagram retweets have booked it full for Christmas. Like it it was coming into the month empty. So whatever they were doing wasn't already working, you know? Like I mean what is interesting is the movie isn't in Taylor rather isn't interested in being Santa. She doesn't want to be Santa in some way to be like I love Santa or I love Christmas. She just wants the half off employee discount for her daughter's snowboard education. Which again would mean that on some certificate she's also forged that Humane is the father or grandfather of her daughter which I don't know if they got into that in particular.

13:18 I hadn't even thought of that. Like honestly honestly the end of the movie I mean Taylor is so irresponsible. the end of the movie could very easily end with her in jail and her daughter in child in foster care.

13:34 But could but now I guess the question we don't know where her the the the father is. And um and Taylor is doing so many illegal activities.

13:43 Well, she's just trying to get her daughter snowboard lessons. That's the other thing that's tough. It's not like I'm trying to get my kid I don't know. There was something about skiing and snowboarding. It's a It's such a rich p very rich person's sport that it was hard for me to emotionally connect to like she can't go to snowboarding school.

14:04 No, she's in a she's in a snow town. I imagine the pressure of growing up as a regular person in a snow town, as you put it, Paul, is difficult. Well, they she's getting bullied quite a bit by the the rich the rich click who are making fun of her outofdate uh snowboarder gear and clothes. Uh they're making fun of the fact that her mom drives around a um a kidnappers 1980s kidnappers van. I also want to argue though that the rich kid in this movie is the daughter of the manager of the hotel. So, it also it also does paint the picture that the manager of the hotel is making

14:50 boou bucks. I mean, she's not even the manager. She's in line to be the manager. And then, you know, Matthew comes over and takes her spot. By the way, that's Tina uh Tia Maui. Uh which, you know, great casting there. I love the cast of this. I was all on board.

15:05 Everybody was great. Although, can I tell you, the whole time, the whole time I was watching this, especially in the um especially in the big Christmas party scene when she's going back and forth as Santa,

15:15 which about 12 12 to 15 people were at. Yes, exactly. But the whole time I'm watching that, I'm like, why why isn't this movie Tia and Tamara actually

15:27 playing Santa and Taylor and going back and for like that's interesting to me. Well, to me though, what I was thinking during that party scene was this. Again, if we're looking at the model of Mrs. Doubtfire, right, there's stakes there because he is the ex-husband of Sally Field and he has to pretend to be the nanny to be close to his kids back.

15:51 But in this, she is friends with makeup artists just like Harvey Fire. Brother Yes. Not even makeup artists, guys who like Halloween. That really is the other. We need to stop there because that Okay, they have this entire studio devoted to like masks and

16:09 their entire living room is just they're making Mission Impossible level masks that are so I mean so good and so they are doing

16:19 face scans scans you know I mean Halloween now what's also for their Halloween costume not for not for

16:28 and they're in like they're in like Tellide Colorado or something they're in like a small town, a small ski town. They're going out to a a hall one Halloween party in that costume and then they're starting all over again. And they have, I'm going to say quite literally $30,000 worth of special effects equipment at a minimum. [clears throat]

16:50 3D printers, facial scan devices. They've got crazy stuff. Well, this is what brings up this is the issue that I have and it gets it rocks me to my core. I was like, here's the moment that you could actually make this movie work in a different way, which is those guys create masks for a living. Why don't you just

17:08 for a living? For a hobby, babe. Okay. Sorry. Yes. Sorry. For a hobby. Why don't you just dress one of them up like human for the party?

17:18 And then she could be there too because all you have to do is go ho ho ho. You think they could all you have to do? You think they can capture that magic? Well, is it the magic of human or because I don't know if human I don't I don't know if human man actually has a personality because Mrs. Doubtfire has a personality, right? Oh, hello. And she talks but you know uh but human

17:41 the magic of human because human listens. Well, where does Human end and where does Santa begin?

17:49 I don't think human is a part of it. I don't think this is where it is. I think we really the person that I really desired to know more was human. I wish there had been a scene where the the neighbor the horny uh landlord and the and Taylor dressed as human have to have like a glass of wine. I wish there had been like two to three more scenes with Taylor as human, not as Santa.

18:16 Human only really does the work of Taylor. Yes. Right. Like Hugh Man is just saying what Taylor would say if Taylor wasn't there. Right. She's like, "Well, listen to your mother."

18:29 You know, it's like that. Like Hugh Man's not really in Oh, I get it. Oh, I finally get it. Human is method.

18:38 Okay. All right. So, for this period of time, Human is Santa. Then, why didn't Human show up to that [ __ ] audition in his suit?

18:49 Good call. Okay. So, you're saying it sounds to me like you're saying that Hugh Man is weak sauce

18:55 and is probably the weakest actor in SAG. Uh, June, be very careful if you agree to this. This is this is going to get you all.

19:03 Totally. I was so mad. It's like, you are so concerned. You've gone to all these lanes to do this mess. You must have been hair and makeup for hours. And then it's the day of the audition. A, you're late. B, you're not in your costume yet. The [ __ ] out of here. And but books the job of

19:20 learning all the wrong lessons. Books because I think the reason why you want to hire Hugh man

19:27 is because he he doesn't need a costume. Hugh man just puts on the red and he's Santa. Like Hugh Man looks like Santa. Like and I think that that is the key to most professional Santaas. They have the beard. They have the hair and it's a cultivated look. It's not wiggy. It's not any of that. Now, yes, Hugh Man is all wigs.

19:48 Was all wigs and was full mask, but I think that's why they have to put him next to all the people. Look, Human looks good.

19:53 Human/Taylor/Santa looked great in every shot. Yeah. Yeah. Well, here's the problem with the movie, though. And by the way, I really did like that actress, but I do think the problem is she is set up, we're being told by several people that she is like a, you know, sad sack kind of cat lady type person. I never saw that. I

20:21 but she's also like the former lead singer guitarist of a punk rock band. But I never saw this person that was like organizing your socks alphabetically, which by the way, how

20:34 Yeah. Well, again, we're getting into a socks discussion. We don't want to go back, but how do you organize socks alphabetically?

20:42 We are talk we're talk we're getting into socks so much lately. So, would you rather sort your socks alphabetically? And is it by color? What does that mean?

20:51 By color or by name? Red? Like, do you mean the first letter of each color? That's what I'm saying. I don't even know what that would mean. But also, what does that mean?

20:59 Who organizes socks? Paul does. Well, I guess. Okay. So, I have a pair I have some Adidas socks and I have some Nike socks and they have the logo on it. They don't have the words on it. But if I would say, "All right, those are my Nike socks. I'm going to line them up in the Nike area of my sock drawer."

21:17 Yeah. But then, but then I don't know. I'm just I'm trying I'm trying to I'm trying to put it all together.

21:21 The only way bombas would go in the front. The way to organize socks is by type. You got to index them by type.

21:28 Okay. So, you're talking about you're talking about like a ankle sock. You're talking about dress socks compression socks. Compression airplane socks. They're all going by size.

21:38 I now I have my dress socks in a different drawer than my athletic socks. I think that makes sense because you probably wear them very infrequently.

21:46 That's fine. But again, how could you ever approach them alphabetically? It's not a It's literally like insane.

21:53 Look, she has nothing. It's referenced twice in this movie. Taylor is a local celebrity sometimes and sometimes is a complete unknown

22:06 in a town that appears to have I'm going to say I'm maybe conservatively 400 residents. Yeah.

22:14 If she is a local celebrity film, Screaming Kittens from that crazy screaming her her screaming kittens era.

22:21 Yeah. How is it possible that her daughter doesn't know? The album is in the house.

22:26 Exactly. Like they they have the worst relationship. They have a terrible relationship because I wish they had had a Gilmore Girls. It's the two of us. We're we're a team vibe in it, you know, like where uh uh Taylor, what's the daughter's name? Zoe.

22:47 Zoe. Zoe. Yes. So So we're we're t they're so close in age. They're so young. Like it they had an opportunity to have a Gilmore Girlsesesque vibe between the two of them, but they don't and nor do they have a very like strained or they feel like they're very apart. It they feel like strangers to each other. roommates just as a coexisting.

23:08 Well, what's so interesting though is that I also think you're seeing that on the father and son side with Matthew and his dad. Like they don't seem to be that much in each other's lives. So much so that Matthew just kind of surprises his dad by returning home. His dad did not know he was going to be there. The fact that they cast this man as a nerd free like a free is the most it was the most absurd thing I

23:34 crashed his car into a statue in Italy and his dad says well now you must work as the resort manager to pay off the accident debt.

23:45 Yeah. He's basically like I'm not going to give you the money to to fix this. I'm going to make you work for it. But he is not like a bad boy. Like who would believe like at what point in that hounds tooth like trenched looking coat if we are supposed to believe he's like this bad like kid and why

24:06 the worst thing that he does is not check references. Yeah. Like that's the that like that's the most like he seems to me a guy who immediately fits in. Like he understands the paperwork. He's not getting drunk. We don't bump into him at a bar. He is a He's getting hot cocoa. The Oh my god, the hot cocoa [ __ ] is so out of control. It's so funny. That is And the And the thing that he if I looked at the entire cast of this movie, the one person I would think absolutely knows how to tie a neck tie is this guy. Oh.

24:40 And he's the one that's like, I never know how to do these. I'm a guitar guy. I'm like free spirit. I'm an artist. I was like, you are not. Why are they making him a guitar guy? Like, why are they make Why would you take the one thing that our lead does well, which is play and sing, and go, "Well, you know what? He does, too.

25:01 This guy actually plays and sings and he's jumping up at local bars." Like, you take away the superpower of your lead by making the the romantic interest have the same superpower. [snorts]

25:12 But why not just put him in a leather jacket or something in the beginning? Or just say,

25:16 I was so thrown by that look. I was so And the short hair. I just I just And the trimmed beard. He He doesn't look scruffy. He doesn't look unckempt. He doesn't look like a bad boy. He's not riding a motorcycle. Is he supposed to be like a MC like that?

25:33 He looks like he's running a startup. He's there on vacation. Like I would have I would believe it more if he was being irresponsible like he started a startup and it failed rather than he's like a drunk who got who drove a car into a a fountain in Italy or whatever it was.

25:51 To me, the better story would be, "Hey, let's go get a beer." And she's like, "It's 10:00 a.m. I'll get a hot chocolate." And he's like, "I don't drink hot chocolate." And at the end, he's like, "Let's go get a hot chocolate." Like, she's changed him. But Hugh Man is the one who's drinking. Yeah,

26:06 man is the one who is yet another flaming candy cane. I mean, this guy's this guy's shopping for discount records.

26:13 I mean, like he he's not doing anything. I loved that though. I I'm like, "Oh, yes, have a meat cute at the record store and blah blah blah." But he does not belong in that store at all. Never mind that he's like, "Don't you know the screaming kittens? I loved this band and blah blah blah." You know, absolutely not.

26:32 But like what? By the way though, like seriously, what happened in Italy? Like what's going on with him? And I know he lost his mom at 15 and I know it was sudden. I know that was hard and I have so much sympathy for I feel like that gentleman we saw on screen is 45.

26:49 45. Yeah. So, it's like I I my heart goes out to you, but that's that was a long time ago. A very long time.

26:56 You can't still be on a bender from that. But June, I guess this is what the question I'm going to ask you is how much do we know of that from Matthew versus his dad? His dad is the one who labels him. Matthew never is like, I'm a bad boy.

27:10 Well, but Matthew is validating that like something very bad happened in Italy.

27:15 Well, he crashed into the statue. And he's also saying that he's a free spirit and he doesn't work jobs like this and this is his dad's stuff. Blah blah blah blah blah.

27:24 Well, he does say like I wouldn't have known about all this paperwork. That's what he really seems to be like, you know, that like that's

27:30 signing things all day. But what would I guess here's my question. What What does Matthew want to do for a living? [snorts]

27:39 Who knows? Be an artist. Great question. Great. He doesn't know at his once again, we have people that are so old acting like I just am

27:48 41 is his age, by the way. Okay, that's fine. But like, but here's But here's the thing that's so very odd about this movie. I don't know what anyone's dreams are and I understand her dream is for her daughter and that's fine but like I don't understand by the end if him being the general manager and her being the executive director of family events is a good thing or not. I don't know.

28:12 The movie tells you it's it is. Yeah, I believe. But is it? Well, I mean, I think the movie is saying like, "Hey, remember all those dreams you had? They're not going to happen. So, maybe you can be happy doing

28:27 craft nights. Yes, craft nights at the resort. I don't know. I don't know." Oh, this is the other detail we had about him that I like I was really [ __ ] up by. One point the dad says when he's like recounting all these bad things that Matthew did that he was swimming with swans.

28:50 Well, yeah. You feel like he got drunk and he jumped into like some sort of decorative swan thing. I I thought that imagery was actually interesting.

28:58 What's also interesting is the movie. No, no. I think there were real swans in the fountain that he crashed into. Like is my guess.

29:06 I heard that as a totally separate event. Oh, I did I thought that fountain. So, it's all about that one fountain he crashed into.

29:14 Oh, you might be right. Maybe there's maybe he has a litany of of disastrous moves. But was interesting is everybody in town knows he's this public [ __ ] So, he's like um he feels like he's a like somebody who's being reported on in like page six or something, you know, like like he's some sort of famous like rich.

29:38 Her brother is like married this guy. He's like the sexy billionaire who's causing all these trouble.

29:43 I did laugh when the brother said, "I could be the brother-in-law of a son of a billionaire." I mean, I really That was my favorite line.

29:52 I think the Hilton type of a family or something. I think they are the Hiltons, but that hotel gave such kind of like econo Lodge vibes to me. And there are versions of the Hilton that are like that, you know, there's they can scale up or scale down, but I do feel like

30:13 we can trust the brand a little bit more. And this felt so June, I just want to take a little bit of I want to just talk to you from all the people out there who clean hotel carpets. Can you imagine trying to keep a place like that clean with all those snow boots trucking in all that wetness like that? That's a that hotel is kept very very clean. Uh and I will say you give it a little bit more credit for uh you know the entry.

30:37 It's dirty. I'm really not. It is just so outdated. The locker room I was not okay with.

30:43 The locker room. I want to talk about The Locker Room for so long because for a movie that won't allow its romantic leads to really drink alcohol that much, like they have to be so like hot cocoa and you know like uh no real kissing. No, like they have to be so weirdly pure and chased for one whole sequence to be she's dressed up in s as Hu Man just looking at dicks in the locker room. She sees his dick. He drops his towel immediately in the locker room. Yes. While they're chatting,

31:18 I have to ask because I'm not a man obviously. Well, I don't know. Like, but are you human?

31:25 I don't know. I would have loved the opportunity to be human. Human also went into a woman's bathroom as well. And I I'm glad that they didn't make a big deal out of it. It was like whatever he chose, he chose,

31:36 you know, but this is the thing. What's to stop women from dressing as Santa to get into men's bathroom? someone. I don't know. I don't know like what locker room I don't know what goes what all goes on in there. But like if you were in there and Santa, right,

31:53 Santa performer came up to you or even let's say you someone you were an acquaintance of, would you drop your towel like that?

32:01 Paul, here's what I would say. Uh I saw Jason shake his head. Uh there's a lot of locker room behavior that is not universally accepted. It's not like there's one way of being. I have been in locker rooms where people are going to just [ __ ] be out there

32:18 proud and free and I'm going to be next to people who are so tidied up and wrapped up that you're in that

32:25 you can't even get a peek if you wanted to. Exactly. Well, I there was a pilot season where I joined the YMCA in Hollywood. uh just the one right there in Hollywood that we've all driven by a million times. And that locker room was naked dudes hanging out, chit chatting, talking on phones, nude, walking around, walking over there to do full lotion setup at the lotion station, walking over there, just just in their flip-flops. I when I was a kid, when I was a kid, our locker rooms uh for gym were divided just by like a cement wall and there was a small hole in the wall that we would all peer through, but it was only at the point where the Yeah.

33:09 Okay. What the back [clears throat] in my like my younger school when I went to a school like from kindergarten to like fourth or fifth grade, our locker room

33:18 very young. Yes. There was a wall. There was a wall that was separate. Oh, what?

33:23 No. No. And so the And so we would all be trying to sneak a peek at the girls locker

33:29 sneaking in fourth grade and third grade. That's so weird because in my when I was growing up, Porky's was big and you all you saw was that kid with his eye up against that eyehole, you know? So you're like that's what you thought you did. But the where the hole was was um the the separation between like the wash area and the the dressing area like the sinks. So there was no there was never saw anyone.

33:53 I will back I want to back Paul up in the sense that like yes like porkies and things like that gave us in our childhood established for us a world in which if you saw a hole in a wall no matter where you were in the world you looked through it in case there was boobs on the other side of reasons that you didn't know.

34:16 Exactly. That was it. Like I don't even know if it was titillating. It was just like, "Oh my gosh, this is the dream that there would be a hole in the wall that I can now see like that would be

34:25 and and I know that that there's a possibility that there are rooms in this building with boobs in them. Maybe on the other side of this wall is one of them."

34:34 And I I look back on my childhood and honestly even right now I want to remind myself like I should be looking for holes in walls

34:41 all the time. All the time. Oh yeah. All the time. Forever. That's why I'm uh traveling with like a little roll of duct tape everywhere I go to just cover up the holes. I mean, look, the the psycho is based on that whole idea.

34:52 No, it is true. In hotel rooms and stuff like I do know some women look around for holes. I just can't I can't There's only so much I can be concerned about in this lifetime.

35:00 Well, after you got to first you do your bed bug check, then you do your hole check, then you do your secret camera check. Uh and then you check if all the mirrors are actual mirrors rather than two-way mirrors.

35:11 And then you check out. Um, here's what I'll say. What I loved about this movie is that when Matthew gets up to present the human at the treelighting ceremony, he is heckled in a way that made me laugh harder than anything. I was like, "Hey, didn't see you in a fountain, motherfucker." Like, like he is being roasted by the town, which I think actually helped me. Like, I just like that this town was so aggro. like this is a tree. This is a kid there. He has neither the temperament of the um free spirit kind of artists. Uh uh maybe like like uh Nwell. He neither has that temperament nor does he have the trust fund rich dick entitled vibe to him. He is just awkward. He doesn't feel like he belongs and he feels out of place. So he's stammering through his speeches. He's like he's just an awkward guy. So I kept being like why are we into him?

36:15 I don't know. I also loved in the locker room scene that when because of the the locker room setup, we see he has a bunch of tattoos.

36:25 I love that about him. But here's the thing, like I I don't I think he's nice and so that's that's great, but I also couldn't tell why she was that into him because he didn't seem to have much of a personality. But I But then I went back and remember the locker room scene. She saw something.

36:44 Oh, she did. She sure did. She saw something. She saw something that honestly put put a magical Christmas spell on her. That's the only reason because he is very very blonde.

36:58 They both are. They're both dull. Thought she had No, no. I mean as characters as characters. You know what I mean? Like I'm not saying this about the actors. I'm saying they both feel aimless.

37:10 Yeah. Both of them both of them neither of them are striving towards anything. They are both just kind of treading water.

37:18 Well, yeah. I think they're both trying to find their anchor, which I think is each other. They are both,

37:24 you know, they're both looking for something to ground them where they need to be, like keep them there. You know, they're they are they are both

37:33 I needed, you know what I needed? I needed a scene in which we understood what it was like for her as a single mom in Lincoln and how like the pressures of having your kid in a rich town and being the poor worker in that town and how your kid wants to get along with all these other rich kids but you can't provide that. That's really interesting to me and compelling.

37:58 I would love this. Yes, I would have loved that vibe and that understanding that she's operating in a very rich town from a position of scarcity,

38:07 right? So then I would need to know that that's what she's bringing to Santa, her work as [snorts] human that sort of but instead like she's it made me think also that everybody in this small town is on the same economic level as her, which for a ski town simply doesn't make sense.

38:27 No. No. So they could afford all the things that they are asking for. Yes. Um well I mean I think she's also trying to teach lessons but I don't understand that I guess I don't understand where like nobody

38:44 is on an arc that I'm understanding. You know what I mean? Nobody nobody at the end of the movie isn't okay. I'm glad they have fallen in love with each other, but the the process has not the process has really only made it seem as though they both are more comfortable because they have found each other. They're more comfortable settling rather than figuring out

39:05 that's the story. Rather than figuring out who they are as individuals and how to be happy as themselves and then love themselves and then share that self with someone else, they are clinging to each other as the answer to their lost and aimless lives. I have found someone

39:23 who validates my limitations and my giving up. And by the way, what I also really needed to understand is like does Zoe like this man?

39:33 Who cares about Zoe? She's paralyzed after this or you know she is like she's hurt. She's like she's hurt. And then and um and they leave the big Christmas party and um and Taylor's dressed as Santa Claus and she runs to her daughter's side and but like and maybe it's just because once they get there where it's clear the daughter is going to be okay is is you know perhaps

39:57 she doesn't look okay. She looks very injured. She's on a she's on a she's got in a neck brace. She's on a backboard, you know. She's like Santa, why is Santa talking to me? It's like at this point you'd be able to be like I think that's my mom. It's my mom. happens is Taylor and the guy, they have a whole conversation. She should be exclusively talking to the medical personnel about what the diagnosis is

40:22 and instead she does her mission impossible tear off the mask reveal. Then she does apologies, then she tries to talk and it like is like a daughter might have a spinal injury.

40:34 What's the betrayal? The betrayal appears. It seems as though when she rips the mask off, you would think as though people thought she was actual Santa Claus.

40:42 Well, that's what I'm saying. That's why I mean she's being brought up on fraud charges. I mean, what the reveal IS LIKE WE KNOW it's Santa. So, the reveal is that it's Taylor. Okay.

40:52 And she's also not like here's the other version of it, right? This resort has a a worldrenowned Santa and he lives in the town. He dies of a heart attack. She hides the heart attack and dresses up as him. So, she is pretending to be human, the guy who has been doing Santa there for 20 years. And

41:11 that's a betrayal. That's a betrayal. Here she did go into the locker room. Maybe he's upset that she saw him half naked.

41:19 If Listen, if I'm [clears throat] this guy, I'm like, "Hey, man. Hey man, you you saw my dick and you didn't say anything." Like, what the [ __ ]

41:28 Well, that means that she was still interested in him. Jim, would you care? I mean that the the lip gloss that she's carrying around like I thought when it dropped out of Human's pocket I was like oh that's her daughter's lip gloss because it's got a

41:39 Did they set that up that it was her daughter's okay because even if it is her daughter's though it's still it's

41:46 No it's hers because later No it's hers but I'm saying it's bizarre that it's hers even if it was if it was her daughters who's 16 it would still be weird because that is the lip gloss of an 8-year-old girl

41:58 100% very strange. strange, very strange. I did want to say that this movie, just to go back to the daughter potentially being incredibly uh wounded. Um I do think this movie does a couple of things where it doesn't really highlight uh any disabilities. Like the daughter could be paralyzed. She's like, I got to take I got to do my apology to her now. Meanwhile, when that girl comes over with a stutter, she's like, I got this.

42:22 Oh my god, I forgot about that. Like she cures cures absolutely irresponsible is a little irresponsible with sort of like like I mean the fact that like she cures a stutter and then that's and that video gets thousands of likes which moves up to a million uh likes. Um but that to me was really like an in like not like oh her good heart or her common sense Santaing that's what people want. parents want to bring their kids here to be get like kind of slapped in the face by Santa. No, she cur like she is a Christlike.

42:56 It's magic. It's ma it becomes like a like a very soft magical element enters because this is a movie unlike a lot of the other Christmas movies. There is no magic. There is no like oh the nutcracker turned into a man or there's not like a like a magical element to this but there is a little bit of like the lesson learned is that she like by accepting the the Christmas spirit I don't know what she yes she's able to do cures she's able to be so desirable that the the the billionaire villain dad is like that's my Santa when he keeps saying my Santa

43:33 was so weird but here's the thing that I I I I guess I disagree with I to me this movie had nothing to do with Christmas.

43:42 Okay. Do you tell I think that this with the exception of like Santa and the device of Santa the movie the stories had nothing to do with remembering the reason for the season with all of the Christmas narratives that we hold dear to our heart to settle babe. It is literally to give up your dreams and to settle with whatever life

44:07 dealt you up until this point to accept it. It's It's time. It's time to settle down. Settle down and take responsibility for your action.

44:17 And by the way, that could happen any time of year. She could be the Easter Bunny. She could be I agree. I agree.

44:22 You know, a leprechaun. It could be This is holiday agnostic. Well, and for for everybody for not just for Taylor and Hugh Man and the Santa Claus character, but for the uh the guy why he I cannot remember Matt Matthew.

44:39 That whole story line is also not really on a Christmas trajectory, you know. Not at all. I I think that the issue that this movie has is it is taking place during the holidays, but it's more of a romcom, right? More of a of a general romcom. Um, and there's no Christmas spirit. There's no magical ending. The movie doesn't even try to give you one of those like moralistic things. Like we're we're pulling that out of it. Like the movie doesn't lean there at all. And

45:10 it doesn't. And when they have their like um even the end of movie big kind of like, hey, I want to apologize and blah blah blah. kind of big talk that inexplicably happens on stage in front of a microphone so everybody in town can hear their private conversation. That whole conversation isn't is also not about Christmas the it's not about the anything. It's really just about ah I'm sorry I I I lied blah blah blah you know it's really just you're to your point romcom type stuff you know.

45:45 Yes. Yes. in a big public setting and then they sing a song together. Um, Rudolph, which is also weird. Um, but like I I mean

45:59 I don't know because I think I think what if I think the movie might be trying to tell us that they should both get this is what's weird. They should both get back into pursuing their dreams together as a new screaming kittens. Now, what if and sorry, what if the setup of the movie is that they know each other from both growing up in this incredibly small town. She hated him because he was Richy Rich, like you know, rude, entitled Richy Rich. And he always like bullied her the way her daughter is bullied for being the poor kid who blah blah blah.

46:34 And so they were from opposite sides then. And now they come, he's now returned to town as an adult. They haven't seen each other in 30, 20, whatever years, blah blah blah. So that's a movie that their history informs their present story because right now none of it feels anything other than so surface level.

46:53 What if they were in the band together? I mean, or what if he was the one who knocked her up? Because that's the story, right? He she got knocked up. She had to quit the band. All of her life went on hold to take care of her daughter. That's the dramatic monologue in the movie. If he was the one who did it as the party guy, he never came back to town until then. Then he becomes

47:14 he's the Christopher in responsibility or or maybe even better, he didn't know because she hated himself so much.

47:23 Here's my question about his work as the general manager. By the way, I felt I know the movie's telling us that like Tia is a a villain, but I'm like I'm watching her the whole time and I'm like, "Yeah, it's so [ __ ] up that this guy came back with zero experience. He's just been swimming with swans and is taking over your job." Like, this is insane.

47:41 Well, don't say it like swimming with swans. What happened there was he got into a car accident. I feel like he ejected out of the the front and was thrown in and started swimming around like drunkenly swimming around with swans. She she's at least understanding and trying to protect the business from lawsuits that are no doubt going to come from this this rogue Santa.

48:01 Here's my question though. One of the first kind of tests he has and and that she has that Hugh Hugh man has as Santa is the initial tree lighting. Now,

48:14 oh yeah, I have a question about this. Yeah. Who who was responsible for setting up the lighting and all the electricity there? And did Tia do that on purpose? And or did he [ __ ] that up? What actually happened?

48:28 First of all, let me just The thing breaks. The thing breaks. Aren't those things ceremonial? Aren't they just ceremonial? Like they're not really like It's not really You're not really putting a candy cane on an electrical outlet. They're like you you you move that

48:42 and then someone's backstage and hitting an on button. That's all that's happening. like we're not connecting a giant present to that like but they made it like an electrician came there and wired this thing up and they create this moment as if again you're right this moment like uhoh someone [ __ ] up but it no we don't know and nor was it anyone's mistake cuz he's there too early they couldn't have planned that or or shortch changed it like we see nothing

49:05 think so it's not it's it's it's something that purports to be such a big event and in fact a catastrophic failure

49:13 yes but is also really just an accident that is not the responsibility of anybody there.

49:19 But was it like his accident in Italy? Oh boy. Do you think he was up there hooking up the electrical stuff?

49:27 Oh no. It's like I don't like you think that everything he does he's like I don't care. Just run it like just go forward.

49:32 He does say at one point like I'm signing papers. I don't even know what I'm signing.

49:36 So yeah. So he's hiring he's hiring the wrong people. Don't Okay, let me ask you this. Don't you think it's pretty weird? The the part that I found very difficult to swallow was when Taylor dressed as human dressed as Santa. So Santa Claus, when Taylor is Santa Claus,

49:54 when Taylor is speaking with Zoe, her daughter, I was like, "This is irresponsible." Zoe would be like, "You're my mother. You're my mother. This is my mother." Like they have I mean

50:06 why doesn't Zoe just ask like how are you paying for this? Yes. By the way, here's a simple solution. Ask your brother

50:15 to sell a couple of those masks. He has this mission of you. You have the tuition for this elite snowboarding school.

50:24 I mean, I also am like I feel like the movie really wants us to feel like Taylor is like out on the outs. She drives that like really sketchy looking like 1980s era van.

50:39 It must have been her old tour. Got to be her old tour. She's dressed in all black when she's not in Santa. She's dressed in all black all the time like she's still like a punk rocker, you know. But I'm I So the idea of the movie is neither Taylor nor Matthew have grown up since teenage years at all. They still are who they were then now, right?

51:05 I can't. Yeah, sure. Let's Yeah, let's buy that. But they're just it's it's so like her daughter is strangely a more three-dimensional character to me

51:13 in many ways. In many ways, when they reveal, by the way, that her daughter's bully is Tia's daughter.

51:21 Yeah. I was like, what the [ __ ] is happening? Well, that's what I'm saying. Like that moment is when I was like,

51:28 make any sense. Yeah. I was like, oh. So, and then and the daughter had to be like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. She actually is a good person." But like I was like, "Does Tia actually have an issue with that?"

51:37 And by the way, it does seem now that it it will become so clear that she didn't really have any injuries. They were so minor. She only has like a sling on her a couple days later, it seems,

51:50 which seems like they were supporting the wrong part of her body when they put her on that.

51:53 But Tia, when her daughter asks like, "Have you heard anything? Is she going to be okay?" The way Tia answers that question is like she's on the verge of death. Like she's not gonna She's like they're

52:06 she has great doctors taking care of her. It's like what? They're doing everything they can. Like she's fine.

52:13 Yeah. Well, I will say Tia's character in this is so overly dramatic about everything.

52:19 That's true. in a way that is like in a way that is good because she uncovers truly like the fraud of the movie by doing some light Googling

52:29 on on Jason on not Google last resort which uh I believe it was called look path

52:36 look path wow lookath look path can I just say something too that I had an issue with

52:42 seek trail I don't feel there was so much kind of managing of Human as Santa as a Santa performer. Like people are checking in on him, people are watching him. The interactions with the children seem to go on forever. I don't know that like anyone needs that level of interaction from a Santa. You're usually pushed in there. They say, "What do you want for Christmas?" You say one thing. They say, "Merry Christmas." And they usually say something like, "I can't make any promises, but you've it turns out you're on the nice list. Have a merry Christmas." That's it. or kiss me.

53:20 By the way, Paul, this this this is the only thing I walked away from as the moral of the story. It's actually a great idea for women to play Santaas,

53:31 okay? For women to take over the Santa industrial complex and just get those special masks. Like, we should not be having older men sit there and have tons and tons of children come sit on their laps every year. Like, that has to end. Okay.

53:48 It should be a job only for women. Here's what I'll say. I I'm inclined to agree. Um I think that the only caveat I would put on that is I do think I think that older men or middle-aged men can play Santa if the women are adults.

54:07 Okay. Well, look. So, so in a scenario where the people sitting on laps are are adults.

54:17 Yeah. Okay. I would say this. Right Santa for the right job. I once I I once sat

54:24 This is how we're going to end up with uh with AI Santa. I I once sat on a I once had a monkey Santa sit on my lap.

54:31 Wait a minute. Were you at that party? Monkey Santa? Yeah. Were you at that party? Uh there was a party back uh there was No. Oh, sorry. for you, Jason. Um, back in New York, there was a party where they had a Now, knowing how dangerous these [ __ ] monkeys are, I would have never have done it. Um, they had a monkey dressed as Santa and you would go in this room and then you would I have plenty of pictures with me and this monkey. Hugle and the monkey. A lot of people with this monkey. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's a lot of monkey.

54:57 That sounds like something that maybe I would have gone to and then someone was like, "Oh, there's a monkey Santa there." And I would have been like, "No, I'm not going to go." I mean, the fact that I just I I I just recklessly just

55:08 This is when you you were chimp crazy, though. Yeah, this was your chimp era. This was like when The Hangover was coming out and everybody was like, "Oh, yeah, like little monkeys are so cute."

55:20 And like the Friends had a monkey on monkey. Everyone loved that monkey. By the way, didn't didn't you feel like in the scenes between Santa performed by Human and Matthew in the locker room and even a couple of the other early scenes that they had that there was a charged and I'm not just saying I want to talk about this. Yes.

55:45 Yeah. I I want to talk about this too. Let's say later on that like he felt like he knew he felt like he could talk to her. He felt comfortable sharing things. That's all well and good, but there was something about the way that Matthew I'm not going to put this on Human. Matthew was looking at Santa Claus.

56:04 Matthew wanted to [ __ ] Santa, but Santa wanted to [ __ ] Matthew. And that's okay. It's okay. Well, not okay, but like she was looking at him because she would be attracted to him. But what was interesting was like, oh,

56:14 he was looking right on back. Matthew was connecting. Matthew is connecting with another man in a way that you could tell the length of the movie his sexuality was being challenged.

56:24 It's not just another But why is his sexuality being challenged by like the most in terms of just our like you know our iconic characters like the most asexual the most sort of like oh like what's happening? What was amazing to me is when he's telling Taylor in one of their cute repart reparte moments, he's telling her all about how excited he is for her to meet his best friend, Hugh Man and how he loves like it made me so sad that Matthew has gotten to be 41 or whatever you said, Paul, and has never had a friend. And the only friend he's ever had is Hugh Man, who he now is so excited to talk about his buddy Hugh.

57:17 You got to meet Hugh. I'm I just I feel so at ease talking to you. This is a red flag, ladies.

57:23 And And by the way, your guy's only friend is Santa. You're [ __ ] And by the way, have they talked that much? Have they really gotten into it that much? They had like two conversations.

57:34 There's literally four sentences exchanged. But I guess it see or they do or they you know what I mean? Like I would have loved a bro down hoown for these guys out for beers or whatever. Try like that's a funny setup that we never get

58:00 right that they have to like bro out together. I mean, I will say I think there was a missed opportunity with the bathroom scene.

58:06 Okay. And this also makes me question Matthew, by the way, as a general manager

58:11 when she's do going back and forth between Taylor and Santa and changing costumes. She's in the bathroom with her brother and there's lots of grunting, getting on the fat suit, all

58:24 he's watching Santa get [ __ ] right? Well, here's the thing. Yes, he is watching Santa get [ __ ] or Santa [ __ ] someone. I don't know. either way right?

58:34 But he is fine fine with it. He's like okay with an employee of his at the lodge [ __ ] someone in the bathroom.

58:45 Sure. During a company event during the Christmas party where s where the Santa that is getting drilled has to be present is is currently absent. Absent. They're like, "Where's Santa? Where's Santa?" I think it might have worked better though if he had heard Taylor's voice in there if we didn't see the Santa boots because then that would have added a little bit more of a

59:08 spice. Yeah, a little bit more of a spice. What would have been cool is if he thinks he hears Taylor outside, opens the door and is like Taylor and like oh hey you know what I mean? Like if there's like a

59:22 So then you would think Hugh his best friend is [ __ ] Taylor his girlfriend. That's a great scene.

59:28 Yes. I want in. I want in on this. How great if he thinks because of something she does or says or a miscommunication, he thinks he's in competition with you for the hand of Taylor.

59:43 I mean, someone makes it light it right now. Wow. I would love that, but that's the kind of stuff this movie would never go near because it's too like sketchy or it's too like uh you know overtly sexual. I will tell you that this is one of the only movies that we have ever done to get a 10 plus on common sense media which mean that common sense media media is like a um like a a conservative website that rates movies is it okay for families and stuff like that a 10 plus like this movie is beyond good for families they love it for families

1:00:19 like yeah there's nothing in here that's unoured whatsoever you know like like the most scandalous thing that's happens in this movie is someone has a glass of red wine that they don't even finish.

1:00:30 Now, I will say this, with all these uh, you know, critiques, I went down easy. I was very happy with this movie. I I I enjoyed my time watching it, and it made me actually go, you know what? They got they figured it out. There's snow on the ground. It's dumb. It's fun. I like this chemistry. I liked everybody in it. Uh, to a, you know, I I I was I wasn't mad at it. I was not It wasn't a slog to get through. had a harder time.

1:00:58 Okay. Because I did like the premise and I did think that there was a lot left on the table that wasn't explored.

1:01:07 And I'm I think I'm in between because I I well I think I'm I feel similarly be because both the way what you're saying Paul it goes down smooth. It is easy and it's a fun easy watch. So much more so than um

1:01:22 the one we just watched whatever we watched last night. Merry Christmas. Thank you. This is so much better than Merry Christmas. But to your point, June, it's so much better that it almost promises that a better movie is there and is possible. And in falling short, you're like, "Oh, no. You had it all there. You had the ingredients. Why didn't you just mix them this way instead and have it be a little more coherent or a little bit more fun or whatever?" Um, it's closer to a good movie. That would have been a blast. Uh but it falls short.

1:01:57 Well, if they would have pushed some, you know, pushed some boundaries. Now, look, obviously we have opinions about this movie, but there are people out there with a different opinion. It is now time for second opinions.

1:02:12 The movie was a piece of [ __ ] yet this person recommends it. Tell me what is the message. Maybe that art is subjective. I need a second opinion. Here we go, people. Uh, so far this movie is only out a handful of days at the time of recording here. There are no Amazon reviews. Uh, so we have to turn to Letterbox and IMDb. Uh the average letter box rating is two out of five stars and that's out of 18,000 ratings. So a lot of people watching this and uh on IMDb there are 43 written reviews. Um now I will say on IMDb uh the user identifies themselves a little bit and I will say that the name of the user is J Eold. That rings a bell. It's because our lead Matthew, his name is Ryan Egold. So, okay,

1:03:18 we might believe that J Eold is related to Ryan Egold. And we'll take a look as um we hear this 10 out of 10 review. For all the cynics out there, take a moment to heat up some hot cocoa, even throw in some mini marshmallows, and just have some good old-fashioned heartwarming fun. In this crazy world, we truly need light-hearted, lift me up stories like this. Ryan Egold is such a fun and talented actor to watch. And you can see how he navigates comedy and seriousness with ease. Watch this and your heart will feel squishy and warm,

1:03:56 which we could all use this holiday season. 10 out of 10. We need more films like this from Jay Egold.

1:04:04 Oh, wow. So it doesn't even reference the the possible relationship. No, it just it does give Ryan a shout out.

1:04:12 Yeah. Yeah. But it's not like and he's my brother. It's not like one of those. Now, I will say that Karen 95 writes, "I'm sorry, but this movie was bisexual as [ __ ] for everywhere you look at it. I mean, literally got Matthew looking at who he thought was a man, aka Santa Claus, and catching feelings for Santa when they were talking at the bar. I mean, you could see Matthew's face in that moment because he couldn't believe he was feeling like that about a man until that moment in time. He had never pondered the question of bisexuality.

1:04:43 So, eventually when he goes on a date with Taylor and they're both walking with their hot chocolates, all the trees were decorated with bisexual lighting, which was obviously a hint at his bisexuality. And at the end of the date, he has a unicorn on his hand. Okay. Also, we have Dory, who was attracted to Santa, like genuinely at some point thought they were going to be brave and let both women kiss or for Matthew to kiss Taylor while she was wearing the suit. Also, obviously, Taylor was bisexual. She literally had a unicorn chapstick and unicorns represent bisexuality. So, in conclusion, this was bisexual and no one is going to change my mind. P.S., confession time.

1:05:24 Alexander Breenidge, this is a lead, was my bisexual awakening. It was because of her that I realized I was into women at age 16. I saw her as young Moira in American Horror Story. I mean, when they aired that series back in the day, I started watching because there were actors I was a fan of. And I also thought Dylan McDermott was so hot. He is still very sexy. I was also invested in the series even before it aired. So, when I saw her appearing for the first time in that series, I was so mesmerized by her beauty. And I wasn't sure why I was feeling that way about a woman. I mean, I was thinking to myself back then, well, obviously I like men. I like, you know, get all hot and bothered by Dylan McDermott, but I was also having those same thoughts about her, like sexual fantasies about her. I felt guilt, I mean, I was raised Catholic, in a somewhat conservative country/household. So, thinking about

1:06:08 women in such a way was considered sinful. And I was scared of admitting it to myself that I also like women. And I mean I did eventually at the age of 16 come to you know blinky blinky emoji the conclusion I was indeed bisexual after a very erotic fantasy involving Alexander Breenidge and Alex Olaflin. I mean both at the same time. And if you think about it that's the real meaning of Christmas finding out your true self. Also Christmas is not

1:06:32 is it is this the still the same? Finding out we also Christmas is not just sad for some of us. is also horny and most women my age want to sit on an old man's lap and ask for nice things. Yes, I understand Dora Lee because I also want to [ __ ] Santa. That would give that Santa Claus is coming to town a whole new meaning if you know what I mean. Five out of five stars.

1:06:56 I think she this person means they would like to [ __ ] Tara as as I don't know. I don't know what she's saying.

1:07:04 This was wild. What a wild ride. What a ride. My god. But I do think the person is correctly uh drilling down into some stuff that is pretty interesting and I would have loved more of. Not only is Matthew confronted with is starting to have feelings and connection to an another man, but an elderly man at that.

1:07:24 Well, that's the thing. Like I think there's a world in which Matthew just is bisexual and like starts the movie off that way. Who knows? Like maybe he is just bisexual. It doesn't have to tell us. But what's more interesting is that he is not that he's attracted to a man that he is attracted to a man that is Santa. A Santa man.

1:07:45 Yes. That is subversive. Yes. Like and is that his type now? Is this the Are we watching him develop? Like when he fell in love with her, it was in some ways as Santa. And does that does that enter the bedroom at all? Do they do they role play? Does he sit? Why don't we ever get him on her lap?

1:08:06 Huh? Well, cuz we don't want that. We don't We don't want the big buff man on the little the little uh Santa lamp.

1:08:15 I want to just read one more line here uh from Mu who writes, "Through this film, I learned what a single mother could do. Five stars." And I want and I want to answer you both with Grant KF's review, which says, um, you know, this movie is great. It it breaks the mold. It's It's better than the Hallmark movies, but at the end, Grant says, "We need a sequel to see this couple running the resort and having a child on Christmas Eve." I will be waiting. 10 out of 10.

1:08:46 Great. I like that. Why not? Why not? Um, uh, our shirt, uh, it ain't Christmas [ __ ] is available right now in the Tublic store. It's a beautiful picture of Santa with with, uh, magical writing right on it. And I got to say, Jason, I'm glad that you brought this into our lives. Jason's hope.

1:09:04 Me, too, Jason. Me, too. I I did, as I was watching it in full, feel very responsible. I was like, "Oh, wow. They're they're having to do this, boy." But I think worth it.

1:09:13 I mean, they're apparently making you an executive producer. They are retroactively. Yes, I am now an EP on the on the on the thing. And and and when they come around to making the sequel, I hope that they ask us to be an integral part of it. Maybe we're doing a live podcast at the resort in the in the room in the conference room.

1:09:32 Booked us as part of our job as director of family events. Yeah, that's Now I I wanted to save the best piece of information for last. This was written by Ron Oliver, who wrote Hello Maryl Prom Night 2. So a little connection back.

1:09:50 Oh, interesting. Yes. So that's a that's that isn't that a very old movie? it 1987. Um

1:09:58 people are still Yeah. and uh has made a a nice uh name for uh himself writing movies like Christmas at the Plaza, Falling for Christmas. Uh he writes primarily Christmas and Wedding movies right now. Uh but it was also uh directed and this is why I think it the quality is good by the director who directed all the Princess Switch movies. Uh which I enjoy. Princess Switch One, Princess Switch Switched again.

1:10:24 Vanessa Hudins. Yes. Yeah. The uh the VH CU the Vanessa Hudins cinematic universe or I guess streaming universe. VH SU. Um there we go. Single uh the tagline single mom double life.

1:10:40 Love it. I love it. It's a great setup uh you know for a movie. And uh absolutely recommend. And and I'll just say one final thing which is this uh that uh you might have been saying Paul Jason June why didn't you bring up the fact that Alexander Breenidge uh also has remade the 12th night with Amanda Bines and she's the man where uh where also the same idea a female dresses up as a man. Um yeah so that just yes there it is. We acknowledge it.

1:11:07 Just one of the guys. Just one of the guys. Right. That was just one of the guys. Um all right well we did it. Happy holidays and remember if you want to watch our very special live holiday episode, it is up right now on hdtgm.com. You can buy that and the deep dive holiday special. It is great and for less than $20, you can enjoy so much good stuff. Remember, if you have a correction or omission for this episode, leave us a voicemail at 619 P A L or write a comment in our Discord at discord.gg/hdtgm GG/HDTGM and I'll respond to those messages on Last Looks. And without spoiling anything, I will just say we have a very special two-part episode in store for you all that will be dropping on Tuesday and Friday of next week. Yes, it's a year-long event starting in 2025, ending in 2026. So, be on the lookout for a little end of the year gift from us. And lastly, thank you to our entire team,

1:12:03 Molly, Scott, Cody, Casey, and Zoe. Bye for now. Happy holidays.

Questions about this episode

What is discussed in "My Secret Santa"?

In order: 0:00 Taylor Jacobson; 10:00 Tia Maui; 20:00 Screaming Kittens; 40:00 Screaming Kittens; 50:00 Look Path; 1:00:00 American Horror Story.

What is mentioned in this How Did This Get Made? episode?

5 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Taylor Jacobson, Tia Maui, Screaming Kittens, American Horror Story, Look Path. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "My Secret Santa"?

The episode runs 1 h 12 min; the transcript is about 13,265 words in 280 timestamped sections.

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