New Netflix Special Upsets Parents by ‘Ruining’ Santa Claus

Netflix and comedian Matt Rife are facing criticism after the release of Rife’s new Christmas special. Parents are upset, saying the comedian and the streaming service are ruining the magic of Santa Claus.

The problem started because Netflix automatically plays a preview of Matt Rife: Unwrapped – A Christmas Crowd Work Special when someone opens the app on a standard profile. In the preview, Rife jokes that Santa isn’t real and that it’s actually parents who play Santa. Many parents feel this is inappropriate for young children.

Social media has been full of complaints. On Reddit, one user wrote, “Netflix and Matt Rife ruining Santa for little kids if you open the app on its default setting.” People argue that Netflix is promoting the special too aggressively.

Since the app pushes the special as featured content, the preview shows up immediately for anyone opening the app. Some say this seems like a move for attention, even if it upsets families. One Reddit user commented, “Probably their marketing team pushing for edgy PR or even Matt, but potentially ruining the magical world of Santa for little kids for clicks imo is scummy.” Another added, “Yeah that’s definitely mildly infuriating. Intentional for sure, those autoplay previews are carefully selected in advance.”

Netflix has pointed out that there is a dedicated children’s profile, which is meant to prevent kids from seeing content not suitable for them. However, parents argue that many children still see the previews if they use a regular profile.

Many people feel this joke crosses a line, while others think it is just harmless comedy. Parents especially are concerned because children might see the joke accidentally and lose some of the magic of Christmas.

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