# Bad physics in Christmas movies and specials **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 11, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710 "2008-12-11T14:18:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/1 "2008-12-11T14:18:40Z")
I occasionally get the idea that the people that produce Christmas specials don’t always grok the way the universe works. Yeah, Santa, flying reindeer, yada yada yada. We all stopped believing that stuff by the age of eight. But what are some of the less obvious things? The one that gets me is sunlight. At the North Pole. In late December. ---
**Author:** ![jali](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecae2f/32.png) [@jali](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jali)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/2 "2008-12-11T14:22:47Z")
As a kid, I always stressed out, worrying about the kids without fireplaces. How would they get gifts from Santa? (the film The Santa Clause cleared it up nicely for me - I actually felt relieved although I’m middle aged and don’t _really_ believe…) ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/3 "2008-12-11T14:57:04Z")
Here is an [oldie but a goodie](http://www.main.com/~anns/other/humor/physicsofsanta.html). ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/4 "2008-12-11T15:14:23Z")
Well, even if reindeer could fly, the sleigh would be dangling behind them, with Santa clinging on for dear life to the back fender … unless they were going extremely fast I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/5 "2008-12-11T15:41:31Z")
Like Bumbles can \*really \*bounce. Sure. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/6 "2008-12-11T16:16:45Z")
Not physics but biology: The Rudolph special shows trees and animals like rabbits and racoons at the North pole. There isn’t even any land there. Santa Claus is coming to town also I think has an unrealistic depiction of the North Pole. And how did they get the huge blocks of granite to build their castle all the way up there? ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/7 "2008-12-11T16:22:25Z")
> [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](#): > > Not physics but biology: > > The Rudolph special shows trees and animals like rabbits and racoons at the North pole. There isn’t even any land there. > > Santa Claus is coming to town also I think has an unrealistic depiction of the North Pole. And how did they get the huge blocks of granite to build their castle all the way up there? Obviously a wizard did it. I mean, there’s a freaking wizard in the story. Even as wee lad, I wondered how Herbie managed to pull all the Bumble’s teeth without there being any bleeding. And how Frosty was supposed to ride a train all the way to the North Pole. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/8 "2008-12-11T16:26:03Z")
> [@](#): > > **Bad physics in Christmas movies and specials** > > … > > The one that gets me is sunlight. At the North Pole. In late December. That ain’t bad physics, it’s bad astronomy (or bad geography, depending on how you look at it). ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/9 "2008-12-11T16:27:59Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Obviously a wizard did it. I mean, there’s a freaking wizard in the story. Well, if he puts one foot in front of the other, soon he’ll be walking 'cross the floor… ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/10 "2008-12-11T16:29:14Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Well, if he puts one foot in front of the other, soon he’ll be walking 'cross the floor… You’ll pay for this, Superman. Oh, how you’ll pay. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/11 "2008-12-11T16:29:35Z")
[Art Carney’s version of Santa](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087797/) posited a villiage not at the North Pole proper but rather an extremely remote area of either Alaska or Canada and ringed by glaciers. That film also positied a sled that was self-propelled (but don’t tell the reindeer that), a matter transporter for homes with no chimneys, and a time-slowing device. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/12 "2008-12-11T16:31:44Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > And how Frosty was supposed to ride a train all the way to the North Pole. Obviously, he took the [Polar Express](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0338348/), duh 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/13 "2008-12-11T16:32:57Z")
Your typical roof wouldn’t support a reindeer, let alone a fully-laden sleigh. And, hello? not flat. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/14 "2008-12-11T16:34:27Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [Art Carney’s version of Santa](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087797/) posited a villiage not at the North Pole proper but rather an extremely remote area of either Alaska or Canada and ringed by glaciers. > > That film also positied a sled that was self-propelled (but don’t tell the reindeer that), a matter transporter for homes with no chimneys, and a time-slowing device. Ha! I read the whole post before I clicked the link and wondered where you saw any of that in [this Twilight Zone episode](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_of_the_Meek)! 😃 \*and can I just note that reading the synopsis for that ep, I got a little chill? I’ve seen that episode at least five times in the last decade, during TZ marathons on various cable stations, and the power of it to send chills of wonder down my spine never, ever fades. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/15 "2008-12-11T16:37:27Z")
More psychology than physics, but in all those movies where Santa Claus is real but the parents don’t believe in him, where do they think all those presents came from? ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/16 "2008-12-11T16:37:31Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Well, if he puts one foot in front of the other, soon he’ll be walking 'cross the floor… Allow me to be the first to go 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/17 "2008-12-11T16:39:18Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > More psychology than physics, but in all those movies where Santa Claus is real but the parents don’t believe in him, where do they think all those presents came from? Well, if you take movies like Miracles on 34th Street as a guide, it’s clear that other people are giving out presents as well as Santa. And it’s generally some middle-class or rich kid who disbelieves; Santa probably concentrates his resources on kids who wouldn’t get presents otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/18 "2008-12-11T16:40:01Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Allow me to be the first to go 😕 [Track #2.](http://www.amazon.com/Santa-Claus-Comin-Frosty-Snowman/dp/B00006JOFN/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1229013573&sr=1-1) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/19 "2008-12-11T16:40:20Z")
> [@chrisk](#): > > Allow me to be the first to go 😕 YouTube link to the song from “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-physics-in-christmas-movies-and-specials/476710/20 "2008-12-11T16:41:42Z")
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