SantaCon Was Never Meant To Be a Bro-Fest: The Shocking Truth Behind the Infamous Holiday Party.
For years, SantaCon has become synonymous with debauchery and chaos. Thousands of people descend upon Manhattan each December, clad in red hats and costumes, ready to party and push the limits of good behavior. However, the origins of this infamous holiday bash are far removed from its current state.
The first SantaCon was born out of a humble prank by Rob Schmitt, an artist with the Cacophony Society, an alternative group known for their "meaningless madness." The initial idea was met with skepticism, but Schmitt's vision of a group of Santas gathering in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood came to life. It was a low-key affair, with 38 Santas gathered at Fisherman's Wharf.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and SantaCon began to spread across the country. Organizers like Chris Hackett brought the concept to New York City, where it quickly gained traction. The event evolved into a massive bar crawl, with thousands of participants reveling in the anonymity of their red hats and costumes.
However, as the years went by, something strange happened. The Santas' rebellion lost its spark, replaced by petty squabbles, excessive drinking, and general debauchery. It's clear that SantaCon's wild and free-spirited nature has given way to a more commercialized, party-hard approach.
The documentary "SantaCon" sheds light on the early days of this phenomenon, revealing that it was never meant to be an all-out brawlin' affair. Instead, its original intent was about disrupting society with a joyful, playful energy that brought people together in unexpected ways. As Seth Porges notes, "It created this moment of disruption, where people just stopped and went, 'Wait, what is this?'".
Rob Schmitt's vision for SantaCon was always about creating an experience – not just a wild party. He envisioned Santas taking on the most absurd and unexpected places, like running down a beach or invading a department store. Chris Hackett, who helped popularize the event in New York City, notes that the early days were more surreal than anything else.
However, one can't help but wonder if SantaCon's popularity stems from a deeper need for escapism – a way to temporarily abandon our mundane lives and indulge in reckless abandon. John Law believes that events like these serve as "safety release valves" for societies, allowing us to let off steam before we're coaxed back into the straightjacket of reality.
As SantaCon continues to grow and evolve, it's clear that its true purpose has been lost amidst commercialization and chaos. While some see this holiday party as a liberating force, others view it as a reflection of our culture's darker impulses – our willingness to throw caution to the wind and let our inner demons run wild.
Perhaps it's time for SantaCon to rediscover its roots – to reclaim the spirit of playful disruption that once defined it. Until then, we'll have to content ourselves with watching from afar, shaking our heads at the debauchery on display while wondering what could've been if only this holiday party had stayed true to its original intent: a joyful exercise in absurdity, creativity, and communal freedom.
For years, SantaCon has become synonymous with debauchery and chaos. Thousands of people descend upon Manhattan each December, clad in red hats and costumes, ready to party and push the limits of good behavior. However, the origins of this infamous holiday bash are far removed from its current state.
The first SantaCon was born out of a humble prank by Rob Schmitt, an artist with the Cacophony Society, an alternative group known for their "meaningless madness." The initial idea was met with skepticism, but Schmitt's vision of a group of Santas gathering in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood came to life. It was a low-key affair, with 38 Santas gathered at Fisherman's Wharf.
Fast-forward to the 1990s, and SantaCon began to spread across the country. Organizers like Chris Hackett brought the concept to New York City, where it quickly gained traction. The event evolved into a massive bar crawl, with thousands of participants reveling in the anonymity of their red hats and costumes.
However, as the years went by, something strange happened. The Santas' rebellion lost its spark, replaced by petty squabbles, excessive drinking, and general debauchery. It's clear that SantaCon's wild and free-spirited nature has given way to a more commercialized, party-hard approach.
The documentary "SantaCon" sheds light on the early days of this phenomenon, revealing that it was never meant to be an all-out brawlin' affair. Instead, its original intent was about disrupting society with a joyful, playful energy that brought people together in unexpected ways. As Seth Porges notes, "It created this moment of disruption, where people just stopped and went, 'Wait, what is this?'".
Rob Schmitt's vision for SantaCon was always about creating an experience – not just a wild party. He envisioned Santas taking on the most absurd and unexpected places, like running down a beach or invading a department store. Chris Hackett, who helped popularize the event in New York City, notes that the early days were more surreal than anything else.
However, one can't help but wonder if SantaCon's popularity stems from a deeper need for escapism – a way to temporarily abandon our mundane lives and indulge in reckless abandon. John Law believes that events like these serve as "safety release valves" for societies, allowing us to let off steam before we're coaxed back into the straightjacket of reality.
As SantaCon continues to grow and evolve, it's clear that its true purpose has been lost amidst commercialization and chaos. While some see this holiday party as a liberating force, others view it as a reflection of our culture's darker impulses – our willingness to throw caution to the wind and let our inner demons run wild.
Perhaps it's time for SantaCon to rediscover its roots – to reclaim the spirit of playful disruption that once defined it. Until then, we'll have to content ourselves with watching from afar, shaking our heads at the debauchery on display while wondering what could've been if only this holiday party had stayed true to its original intent: a joyful exercise in absurdity, creativity, and communal freedom.
... it used to be about having fun and being silly, but now it's just a bunch of people being super rowdy and out of control 
. I think the orginators wanted to do something different back in the day, like Rob Schmitt with the Cacophony Society. They just wanted to bring some joy and playfulness into their lives. But it seems like nowadays people have lost sight of that 
. It's all about letting loose and having a wild time, but at what cost? I mean, who wants to be part of a bunch of drunks causing trouble in the streets? Not me, that's for sure 
... maybe SantaCon should just go back to its roots and focus on being fun and quirky again 
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it makes sense when you think about it. people need an outlet to let loose and have fun, but at the same time, we gotta be responsible and respectful.
. maybe we can learn from our mistakes and create a more positive, playful experience for everyone involved 
so like santacon was never meant to be just another excuse for bros to get wild and stupid 
. it's all about making a quick buck off of people letting loose instead of creating something truly special 
. i feel like santacon is just a symptom of our society's need for escapism - we can't deal with the real issues so we just party away 
. anyway... 
, but now it's just like any other wild bar crawl 
. Maybe we should try to bring back some of those quirky, playful vibes that made it special in the first place 
.
. I remember when my friends first told me about the original SantaCon in San Francisco - it was like a fun little prank that brought people together in a weird way 
. I think the documentary got at the heart of what went wrong: people started to prioritize partying over the silly, absurd spirit of SantaCon 
. It's like John Law said, events like SantaCon serve as "safety release valves" for societies, but if we're not careful, they can become just another way to blow off steam without really addressing the underlying issues 
Either way, I think we can learn a valuable lesson from SantaCon's transformation: when we lose focus on what's truly important, things can get messy 
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what happened to that joyful, playful energy though? 
ugh, santacon has literally become the ultimate bro-fest 
i mean, where's the fun in just drinking and being rowdy? the whole point of it was supposed to be about disrupting society with a playful energy, not just getting tanked at a bunch of bars 
. Maybe we need to find ways to keep that playful energy without losing ourselves in the chaos 
. It's like they're trying to recreate the magic, but end up losing sight of what made it special in the first place 
Can we please get back to that playful energy that brought Santas together in the first place? 
I think SantaCon could be redeemed if they went back to its roots and focused on creating an experience that's actually meaningful. Until then, I'll just keep watching from afar with a mixture of amusement and disappointment 