Cold War Santa with Sarah Archer

Cold War Santa with Sarah Archer

From You're Wrong About by Sarah Marshall

November 25, 2025 · 1h 40m

About this episode

The episode explores how the Cold War era influenced the image of Santa Claus amidst consumerism and technological advancements.

What happens when Santa trades his sleigh for a rocket ship? Christmas correspondent Sarah Archer tells Sarah about how the Cold War era affected the image of old Kris Kringle through the rampant consumerism and shiny new technology of a post-war economy. Digressions include Reagan’s girlypop diet, the Freudian aspects of the Nutcracker, and the thrilling history of aluminum. Visit the YWA Instagram for visual references More Sarah Archer: https://www.sarah-archer.com/ Sarah on Instagra...

People in this episode

Guest: Sarah Archer

Topics covered

  • Cold War
  • Santa Claus
  • consumerism
  • technology
  • Christmas

Keywords

  • Reagan
  • Nutcracker
  • aluminum
  • post-war economy

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Nutcracker

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