Topic: St Nicholas

The hosts compare the American tradition of reading *The Night Before Christmas* with a Swedish story about a troll who wants to become human. The Swedish tale involves the troll learning that helping others is the key to humanity, which the hosts liken to a mix of *The Grinch* and *Pinocchio*. Dvorak provides a satirical reading of the classic American poem interspersed with references to "brown shirts."

The hosts deconstruct the media controversy surrounding Megyn Kelly's comments that Santa Claus and Jesus were white. They reference the Dutch tradition of "Zwarte Piet" (Black Pete) and criticize MSNBC for ignoring the historical European context of St. Nicholas while focusing on racial identity politics.

The Dutch holiday tradition of Sinterklaas and his helper, Black Pete (Zwarte Piet), faces annual accusations of racism in the Netherlands. An activist was reportedly arrested in Amsterdam for protesting the fictional character without a permit. Supporters of the tradition argue the character's appearance is due to soot from chimneys rather than racial caricature, while critics point to its 19th-century origins during a period of systemic inequality.