(OPINION) Actor Tim Allen’s “The Santa Clauses” on Disney+ has faced an array of press coverage, with some deriding the series and others supporting it. The latest hoopla centers on a brief reference to Satan. For those paying attention, the series has been fodder for a steady stream of news coverage and reaction.

To begin, the 69-year-old Allen recently sparked headlines after stating the show will address religion and pay homage to the Christian history of Christmas.

That came after a separate controversy over a line his Santa character uttered about saying “Merry Christmas.” But the latest drama surrounds a quick and fleeting reference to Satan seen in the third episode of “The Santa Clauses.” The central claim by some upset over the inclusion is that Disney pushed a “We love Satan” sentiment in the series.


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Considering other issues Disney has perpetuated, the claim caught on. The furor was apparently so swift Politifact got involved to weigh in on the matter.

The assertion centers on a scene in which elves are bidding Santa farewell. Each elf holds a letter, with the collective intending to spell the words, “We love you, Santa.” But when some of the elves end up in the wrong formation, the line briefly says, “We love you, Satan.”

Santa sees the word and corrects the elves, proclaiming, “Spelling.” They then freak out and fix their formation, delivering the “We love you, Santa” message they intended. Allen’s character, Santa, then gives them a thumbs up.

That’s the moment at the heart of claims about Disney and Satan, according to Politifact. Fact-checkers believe the outrage is based on an incomplete understanding of the scene, as some of the critiques appear to ignore both Santa correcting their error and their horror. Politifact, for its part, wrote, “In context that’s missing from both the blog and Instagram post, this is clearly a joke.” (READ MORE)