Novel TV ad turns Santa Claus into a gay man

Santa Claus disguised himself as a gay man in an advertisement put out by the Norwegian postal service.

The holiday ad is called “When Harry Meets Santa,” a reference to the classic romantic comedy “When Harry Met Sally.”

The ad launched on Monday and has already had more than 1 million views on YouTube.

The four-minute trailer begins with a topless man catching sight of Santa delivering presents to his living room. The two looked at each other in surprise before Santa sped up the chimney.

The man is later shown celebrating the holidays, but his mind is clearly elsewhere. He attends a concert by a children’s choir in a church and smiles as they sing a Christmas carol.

He caught sight of Santa again, this time staring at a picture of him on the mantle.

Then he sprayed some perfume, fixed his hair, and fell asleep on the couch waiting for Santa. He is awakened by Santa Claus telling him, “You are asleep.”

The men smiled at each other before Santa Claus said, “I’ll be back next year.”

They spent time together in the man’s living room one day a year. When Santa Claus had to deliver presents, the man cried in his room.

The man ended up writing a letter to Santa that read, “All I want for Christmas is you.”

Then he opened the door and received a Christmas present in the mail. When he went back inside, confused that the packages had been mailed instead of being delivered by Santa, Santa was standing in his living room.

“Well, I have arranged some help this year so I can be with you,” explains Santa. The two then kissed softly.

The ad ends with the message “In 2022, Norway marks 50 years of being able to love whoever we want”. The country is canceled homosexuality in 1971.

Based on NBC News, the ad received an “overwhelming” positive response in Norway. The Norwegian Postal Service told NBC its goal is “to show love that knows no bounds.”

Norway has been known for decades for having some of the world’s most progressive LGBT policies.

Follow Pew Research. The Norwegian Church begins to sanction same-sex wedding in 2017.

Gay Santa Claus ads have attracted worldwide attention.

Randall Garrison, a member of the Canadian Parliament, called it a “strong and moving message of inclusion” on Twitter.

Okay, I’ll be breaking my no-Christmas rule before December to thank Posten Norge for this powerful and moving message of inclusion celebrating 50 years since gay elimination in Norway. https://t.co/Sl7StxQ6Gm

– Randall Garrison (@r_garrison) November 23, 2021

Not all responses to ads are positive.

Life in Norway reported that RT, a Russian state-controlled television network, criticized the act of robbing Santa “in accordance with the cause of waking”.

Although the ad got 20,000 likes on YouTube, the number of dislikes was withheld due to the tech giant’s recent policy change.