Megyn Kelly was recently criticized for speaking about the cultural interpretation concerning the race of Santa Claus. Kelly discussed Santa Claus Should Not Be a White Man Anymore, which was written by Slate‘s Aisha Harris.

Harris wrote, “When I was a kid, I knew two different Santa Clauses. The first had a fat belly, rosy cheeks, a long white beard, and skin as pink as bubble gum. He was omnipresent, visiting my preschool and the local mall, visible in all of my favorite Christmas specials. Then there was the Santa in my family’s household, in the form of ornaments, cards, and holiday figurines. A near-carbon copy of the first one—big belly, rosy cheeks, long white beard: check, check, check. But his skin was as dark as mine. Seeing two different Santas was bewildering. Eventually I asked my father what Santa really looked like. Was he brown, like us? Or was he really a white guy?”

In the age of political correctness, Kelly’s opinion has not been swayed. The following statement was made by Megyn Kelly on her popular Fox television show The Kelly File, and has been subjected to recent criticism.

“Just because it [an idea] makes you feel uncomfortable doesn’t mean it has to change. You know, I mean, Jesus was a white man too. He was a historical figure; that’s a verifiable fact as is Santa, I want you kids watching to know that, but my point is: how do you revise it, in the middle of the legacy of the story, and change Santa from white to black?”

Does it really matter how Santa Claus is depicted, or should everyone be free to consider different interpretations of the icon? Kelly is not known for being easily influenced by pressure from others. In a previous interview with The Washington Post, the Fox anchor spoke directly about her method for handling criticism. “The more I respond to the naysayers, the less I have of myself. I don’t have to convince anybody. And nine times out of 10 the people who are haters are not convinceable anyway. In my experience, the people who believe all the negative things about you want to believe them. And the people who don’t believe, despite the negative things that are written, are fans of yours, people who watch and get you, and they’re not going to believe that stuff no matter what,” Kelly said.

Recent criticism comes after her popular appearance on Jay Leno.

Thx Liz! “@lizbuddie: Watch @megynkelly nail her Leno appearance. I think he and Simon are in love. http://t.co/YUtTV9K8kO”

— Megyn Kelly (@megynkelly) December 10, 2013

[Image Via Wikimedia Commons]