History Main / SantasSweatshop

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'' has [[http://www.scpwiki.com/scp-4666 SCP-4666]] AKA "[[{{Santabomination}} The Yule Man]]", possess one of these. Hidden somewhere deep underground, most of the children he targets are taken here - usually after butchering their families. They are tasked with making presents for the few targeted kids who manage to escape the Yule Man's attention without displeasing him, and they are not to stop for any reason: anyone who slows down or falls asleep on their shift is punished with starvation, beating, burning, or even with having their fingers bitten off; repeat offenders are ''eaten'' by the Yule Man. Worst of all, children who fall ill or can't work anymore [[HumanResources are recycled into raw material for fresh toys]]. And [[AndIMustScream not all of them die from this treatment]], incidentally - hence why the Foundation knows of the workshop at all.

[[folder:Film]]
* The second film in ''Film/TheSantaClause'' has the toy replacement Santa go bad and turn the workshop into a toxic environment. The real Santa returns to set things right in the nick of time.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s Robot Santa rules Neptune with an iron fist, to the point that his "elves" are actually short due to malnourishment, and his actual workshop is more of a blatant fortress. Even when Fry, Leela, and Bender trap Robot Santa in the ice and take over the factory in [[Recap/FuturamaS3E3ATaleOfTwoSantas "A Tale of Two Santas,"]] they don't actually improve working conditions all that much.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s Robot Santa rules Neptune with an iron fist, to the point that his "elves" are actually short due to malnourishment, and his actual workshop is more of a blatant fortress. Even when Fry, Leela, and Bender trap Robot Santa in the ice and take over the factory in [[/Recap/FuturamaS3E3ATaleOfTwoSantas "A Tale of Two Santas,"]] they don't actually improve working conditions all that much.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'''s Robot Santa rules Neptune with an iron fist, to the point that his "elves" are actually short due to malnourishment, and his actual workshop is more of a blatant fortress.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' Santa kidnaps children to work as miners to dig out the eyes and head of a slain Sumerian giant. One of the kids that gets captured is Steve, who thinks it's all part of a holiday simulation. He realises the truth when one of the other kids collapses from fatigue and is thrown into a rift by a pair of elf's.

SubTrope of ChristmasTown. BadSanta is especially likely to run this kind of operation, though depending on the author's cynicism, even the regular version may not be immune. Often a form of a NightmarishFactory.

* [[Wiki/SCPFoundation SCP]]-[[http://www.scpwiki.com/scp-4666 4666]] AKA "[[{{Santabomination}} The Yule Man]]" is found to possess one of these: hidden somewhere deep underground, most of the children he targets are taken here - usually after butchering their families. They are tasked with making presents for the few targeted kids who manage to escape the Yule Man's attention without displeasing him, and they are not to stop for any reason: anyone who slows down or falls asleep on their shift is punished with starvation, beating, burning, or even with having their fingers bitten off; repeat offenders are ''eaten'' by the Yule Man. Worst of all, children who fall ill or can't work anymore [[HumanResources are recycled into raw material for fresh toys]]. And [[AndIMustScream not all of them die from this treatment]], incidentally - hence why the Foundation knows of the workshop at all.

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We all know the stories about Santa and his workshop staffed by elves over at the North Pole, where they build quaint wooden toys for the children of the world. Recently, however, a more cynical take on this concept has arisen, mostly due to the realization of the logistics necessary to even attempt such an endeavor. When the question of how to supply toys to billions of children each year arises, it's easy to conclude that these days, some form of sweatshop environment would be involved. Choking pollution, unsafe work conditions for elves, even Santa himself may be at risk of snapping under the pressure.

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* In ''WebVideo/EpicRapBattlesOfHistory'''s "Moses Vs. Santa Clause," Moses compares Santa to the pharaohs and implores him to "let [his] little people go." The elves themselves are quick to deny being slaves, though.

* This shows up often on ''Robot Chicken'', usually being played for laughs. A particularly noteworthy example of this is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4HeWqvU_A one skit where elves are in constant danger of being eaten.]]

* ''WesternAnimation/HowMurraySavedChristmas'' has an entire song dedicated to this.

[[folder:Video Games]]
* In ''VideoGame/VisceraCleanupDetail'', one level takes place in the aftermath of Santa having gone postal and slaughtering all the elves.
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* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "Kamp Krusty" has a summer camp version.

* The second film in Film/TheSantaClause has the toy replacement Santa go bad and turn the workshop into a toxic environment. The real Santa returns to set things right in the nick of time.

* In VideoGame/VisceraCleanupDetail, one level takes place in the aftermath of Santa having gone postal and slaughtering all the elves.

* In the WesternAnimation/FamilyGuy episode [[Recap/FamilyGuyS9E7RoadToTheNorthPole "Road to the North Pole"]], rampant demand for presents has reduced the North Pole to a polluted wasteland, the elves have devolved into barely sentient mutants, and Santa himself is suffering from a HeroicRROD.

* This shows up often on Robot Chicken, usually being played for laughs. A particularly noteworthy example of this is [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4HeWqvU_A one skit where elves are in constant danger of being eaten.]]

BadSanta is especially likely to run this kind of operation, though depending on the author's cynicism, even the regular version may not be immune. Often a form of a NightmarishFactory.

The second film in Film/TheSantaClause has the toy replacement Santa go bad and turn the workshop into a toxic environment. The real Santa returns to set things right in the nick of time.

The second film in Franchise/TheSantaClause has the toy replacement Santa go bad and turn the workshop into a toxic environment. The real Santa returns to set things right in the nick of time.

BadSanta is especially likely to run this kind of operation, though depending on the author's cynicism, even the regular version may not be immune.