CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS?
THAT'S RIGHT. HIS SANTA CLAUS BODY.
JAMES BAILEY HAS BEEN A PROFESSIONAL SANTA
FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
AND IF YOU LOOKED LIKE HIM, YOU'D BE ONE TOO.
- I AM 6'4", AND I DO WEIGH 350 POUNDS.
- HOLY [bleep]. - YEAH, HOLY [bleep].
- YEAH.
- I MEAN, MY DOCTORS WOULD LIKE ME TO LOSE SOME WEIGHT.
- SO IT'S THE TRADE-OFF BETWEEN LIVING LONGER
OR DYING AND GETTING TO BE SANTA.
IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S BETTER? IT'S HARD TO SAY.
- WELL, IT'S VERY HARD TO SAY.
- BUT FOR SOMEONE SO COMMITTED TO BRINGING US JOY,
IT'S A SHAME THAT, FOR MOST OF THE YEAR,
JAMES IS COMPLETELY OUT OF WORK.
- IN THE SUMMERTIME,
SANTA CLAUS BECOMES A HOMELESS PERSON.
- BUT I WOULDN'T BE HERE IF I DIDN'T HAVE A SOLUTION.
SO YOU KNOW HOW THE BEST TIME TO BUY
A WINTER COAT IS IN THE SUMMER?
'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN ALL THE SALES ARE.
- YES.
- SO WHAT I'M THINKING IS THAT SAME APPROACH...
WITH SANTA.
- I'M NOT SEEING HOW THAT APPLIES TO SANTA CLAUS.
- EVERY CHRISTMAS, PEOPLE LINE UP IN MALLS
TO GET THEIR PICTURES TAKEN WITH SANTA.
BUT WHAT IF YOU COULD DO IT WHEN IT'S LESS CROWDED
AND AT HALF THE COST?
THE PLAN:
DISCOUNT PHOTOS WITH SANTA IN THE SUMMER.
- YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA.
- I CAN SEE THE DOLLAR SIGNS IN YOUR EYES.
- [laughing] - YEAH.
- RIGHT.
- FOR THIS TO WORK,
WE NEEDED TO GET A SHOPPING MALL ONBOARD,
AND MALL MANAGER SWEENEY MONTINOLA
AT THE SOUTHBAY PAVILION IN CARSON, CALIFORNIA,
WAS HAPPY TO LET US TRY OUT OUR CONCEPT.
- I THINK SANTA IN THE SUMMER IS A FUN AND UNIQUE IDEA,
AND IT WILL BE GREAT FOR SOUTHBAY PAVILION.
- WITH A MALL ONBOARD, IT WAS NOW TIME TO BUY
THE SUPPLIES FOR OUR CHRISTMAS VILLAGE.
WHICH STUFF DO YOU RENT FOR THE MOST, WHICH HOLIDAY?
- CHRISTMAS. - CHRISTMAS?
- YES. - OKAY.
YOU REALLY SHOVED THIS AWAY IN A CORNER, HUH?
- YEP. [laughing]
- NO ONE LIKES THIS? - YES.
- BUT AFTER RENTING OUR PROPS, SOMETHING BAD HAPPENED.
THE MALL'S POLICY REQUIRES A BACKGROUND CHECK
ON ALL EMPLOYEES.
BUT WHEN WE HAD ONE RUN ON JAMES,
SOMETHING ACTUALLY TURNED UP.
SO I PAID HIM A VISIT TO SEE WHAT THE STORY WAS.
YOU HAVE A CRIMINAL RECORD?
- WELL, YEAH.
THE ONLY-- IT WAS A MISDEMEANOR,
REALLY, FROM A DUI MANY YEARS AGO.
- OKAY.
I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT I WAS HEARING,
BUT THEN AGAIN, FROM THE FIRST DAY I MET JAMES,
I COULD TELL HE WAS DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SANTAS.
- THIS IS A SMITH & WESSON .500 MAGNUM.
THIS IS A .45 CALIBER SEMI-AUTOMATIC.
.22 RIFLE.
THE AK-47. THIS IS A .300.
LITTLE SHOTGUN IN CASE YOU'RE INTO SHOTGUNS.
THIS IS A .357 MAGNUM, AND THAT ONE IS LOADED.
- OKAY, WE CAN'T TAKE OUT A LOADED GUN.
AND THERE HASN'T BEEN
ANY OTHER CRIMES THAT I SHOULD KNOW ABOUT.
- NO, THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
- EVEN THOUGH JAMES HAD A CRIMINAL RECORD
AND A CLOSET FULL OF GUNS,
I COULD STILL TELL HE WAS A GOOD GUY.
BUT WHEN I WENT BACK TO SOUTHBAY PAVILION,
THEY DIDN'T SEE IT THAT WAY.
- I WOULDN'T ALLOW ANYONE THAT HAS ANY KIND OF BACKGROUND
TO BE THAT CLOSE TO KIDS.
- I MEAN, HE'S A REALLY GOOD GUY.
I THINK YOU'D REALLY LIKE HIM.
- NO AND NO.
- OKAY. - DEFINITELY NO.
- I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO TELL JAMES
THAT THE MALL DIDN'T WANT HIM,
BUT I PAID HIM A VISIT TO BREAK THE NEWS.
- IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT IF WE COULD HAVE IT SET UP
SO THAT WE COULD PRINT THE PHOTOS RIGHT THERE.
- RIGHT.
- YOU KNOW, SO WE DO THE DIGITAL.
WE GET THE PICTURES TAKEN. - SURE, SURE.
- SO THAT MIGHT HELP DRAW MORE PEOPLE IN.
- RIGHT, SO I SPOKE
TO THE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT THE MALL.
- OKAY.
- AND...UH...
- THEY'RE OKAY WITH US DOING IT?
YEAH? GREAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA MAKE THIS HAPPEN THEN.
THAT'S OUTSTANDING. [laughter]
- YEAH. - GOOD.
- YEAH. - I JUST GOTTA SAY THANK YOU.
REALLY. I THINK THIS IS AWESOME.
- JAMES SEEMED SO EXCITED,
AND I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE HEART
TO TELL HIM THAT HE WASN'T WANTED BY THE MALL.
SO MY ONLY GOAL WAS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
MY HOPE WAS THAT, IF WE GOT IN THERE EARLY,
WE COULD DO ABOUT 1/2 HOUR'S WORTH OF PHOTOS WITH JAMES
BEFORE ANYONE REALIZED WE WEREN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE.
SO ON THE MORNING OF AUGUST 2ND,
WE QUIETLY PULLED OUR TRUCK UP BEHIND THE JCPENNEY.
AND BEFORE UNLOADING THE VILLAGE,
I HAD A QUICK WORD WITH JAMES.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, IF I EVER SAY "ABORT,"
WE SHOULD JUST WALK TO THE EXIT IF YOU CAN.
- ABORT. - YEAH.
- UM...
OKAY.
- OKAY. THAT'S IT.
ALL RIGHT, QUICKER, GUYS.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING A SANTA DISPLAY SOON.
MAYBE OVER HERE.
MAYBE, LIKE, THE BACKGROUND IS HERE.
DO YOU WANT YOUR PICTURE TAKEN WITH SANTA?
COME.
- HI, THERE. - HEY, YEAH!
- WHAT'S YOUR NAME? - HERE, COME HERE, LITTLE ONE.
YES. YOU KNOW HOW TO DO IT.
YEAH.
BIG SMILE. LOOK AT THE CAMERA.
- THE MALL MANAGER. WHAT'S HER NAME AGAIN?
I'M, UH, NAT-- I'M JUST AN ELF.
WAIT. UM--
WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR PHOTO TAKEN WITH SANTA?
$5 ONLY.
IT'S DISCOUNTED PRICES 'CAUSE IT'S EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
- EXCUSE ME. - OKAY, COME.
OKAY.
LET'S GO. COME ON.
- THIS WAY.
[radio chatter]
EXCUSE ME.
HEY, CAN YOU STAY AWAY FROM THE CAMERAS, PLEASE?
YOU CAN'T GO IN FRONT OF-- PLEASE.
CAN YOU STAY AWAY FROM OUR CAMERA PERSON?
OKAY, WE'RE GOING. - THAT'S NICE.
- WE ARE LEAVING.
- NATHAN, YOU WANT ME TO STOP HIM?
I SAID, DOES HE WANT ME TO STOP YOU?
YEAH.
[cackling]
YOU'VE NEVER MESSED WITH SANTA CLAUS, HAVE YOU?
- ALL RIGHT, OKAY. - JUST COOL IT, DUDE.
- NO, IT'S OKAY. JAMES.
I'M OUT OF THE DOOR. STOP IT.
- OH, MY GOODNESS. - JAMES, COME WITH ME.
[We Wish You a Merry Christmas
♪ ♪
OKAY, I KNOW--WE'RE BOTH TRYING TO DO OUR JOBS.
OKAY, DON'T SWEAR. THERE'S KIDS AROUND.
DO NOT SWEAR. - NOW!
- THERE'S KIDS AROUND.
YOU CAN'T SWEAR WHEN THERE'S CHILDREN AROUND.
YES, I'M WALKING.
WE'RE BOTH TRYING TO DO OUR JOBS, OKAY?
SO YOU CAN'T THINK YOUR JOB'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN MINE.
- WELL--
- WATCH OUT.
- STAY BACK, PLEASE.
YOU CAN'T SAY THE "F" WORD AROUND KIDS.
- WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
- OKAY, UM...
[sighs]
WHEN I TALKED TO THE MALL MANAGER
AND I TOLD HER ABOUT THE CRIMINAL RECORD THING,
SHE DIDN'T WANNA HAVE US.
- [sighs] - SO WE WEREN'T ALLOWED...
TO BE IN THERE. - THAT CAME UP?
- BUT I DIDN'T WANNA TELL YOU BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU'D BE SAD.
- [grunts]
- SO I WANTED TO GO THROUGH WITH IT.
I MEAN, I--I HONESTLY FELT LIKE IT'S A HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE.
YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS
WHEN YOU DID SOMETHING SO SMALL IN THE PAST.
- THAT GUY ALMOST WANTED TO FIGHT.
- BUT JUST WHAT YOU DID, STEPPING UP TO HIM,
JUST AGAIN PROVES, LIKE, MY POINT
OF HOW GREAT OF A GUY YOU ARE.
- [laughing] OH.
- AND JUST HOW MUCH YOU DESERVE TO BE DOING THIS.
- WELL, YEAH, THIS IS GREAT.
THE LITTLE KIDS ARE ENJOYING IT. THAT WAS FUN.
- THE MAIN POINT IS WE MADE A STANCE.
- OKAY. - AND WE DID WHAT WAS RIGHT.
- ALL RIGHT.
- YOU UNDERSTAND?
- YEAH, I'M WITH YOU THERE.
- MERRY CHRISTMAS, BRO. - OKAY, GUY.
[laughing] ALL RIGHT. - OKAY.
- ♪ NOEL, NOEL ♪