# Elves in blackface? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588 "2018-12-23T21:56:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/1 "2018-12-23T21:56:44Z")
Check out the Google splash page for today, 12/23, loading Santa’s sleigh… Are the elves in blackface? Dan ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/2 "2018-12-23T22:05:28Z")
No. They’re different colors, grinning broadly with bright white teeth. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/3 "2018-12-23T22:09:38Z")
If Black Pete or some random elf looks dark-skinned, it would be because that is their natural complexion, no? ---
**Author:** ![Dandan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a87d85/32.png) [@Dandan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/4 "2018-12-23T23:04:50Z")
OK, natural complexions, bright white teeth! Dan ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/5 "2018-12-24T01:27:27Z")
Only if you’re assuming all elves are white. ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/6 "2018-12-24T05:05:44Z")
Santa must be hiring [drow.](https://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/humanoids/drow-common) Naughty kids are sacrificed to [Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cxwWEmC1oI&t=10m41s) ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/7 "2018-12-24T06:00:43Z")
The elves are Afghan immigrants to Lapland, seasonal workers who are paid the minimum wage for working 24/7 in the runup to Christmas. As they are Muslims they don’t need Christmas holidays, so they are ideal workers. Other news from the North Pole: - Next year the naughty-nice database will be outsourced to India. - Santa’s sleigh will be delivered from China already pre-packed with presents, so the elvish seasonal workers will become redundant. - Rudolph has been fired for not having a company-approved nose, and all of the other reindeer have been forced to resign due to the #SantaEmploysBullies campaign. - Elon Musk is developing a new environment-friendly propulsion system for the sleigh, which will definitely be ready in time for Christmas 2019. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/8 "2018-12-24T15:55:45Z")
[Link.](https://www.google.com/doodles/holidays-2018-northern-hemisphere-day-1) No. There is one white elf, one dark brown (black) elf, and one lighter brown elf, and then a light brown elf with long hair at the end of the runway. Google is just trying to cover multiple skin colors. Though I admit I would have had the white elf be lighter (while keeping Santa’s skin where it is), both to provide a greater degree of contrast, and so that Santa is ambiguous rather than clearly white. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2018, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/elves-in-blackface/826588/9 "2018-12-24T20:42:27Z")
Here I thought this would be about the current contentious question in LARPing about whether Drow are blackface…