One Christmas Movie That Led Too Many Kids To Learn Of a Very Adult Business

Summary:

• The Santa Clause is one of the most popular Christmas movies from 1994, starring Tim Allen as Santa Claus.
• In the movie, there is a short clip that mentions the phone number 1-800-SPANK-ME.
• It was supposed to be fictional but turned out to be a real phone line for intimate services.
• Disney was forced to edit the movie and remove the line after receiving several complaints.

There is a reason why so many people consider the holidays to be the best time of the year. Not only do you get to chill with your family, fill your stomach with comfort food, and receive endless gifts and souvenirs, but you also get to watch a lot of children's movies and shows without it being considered a guilty pleasure.

However, there is a reason why the holidays are always portrayed as so chaotic. The reality of having the whole family in one house can be far less relaxing than you might hope. Besides, said children's movies often turn out to be inappropriate for young kids.

As a matter of fact, one of the Christmas staples of the past was so bad that Disney had to re-edit it so as not to cause any more destruction than it had already done. The movie that taught children a lot more than they needed to know is The Santa Claus, and some parents have actually had to pay out real money to pay for their children's curiosity after seeing it.

1-800-SPANK-ME Disney Accident

If you happen to have a VHS version of The Santa Clause in your house, it still has the words that caused Disney some real trouble back in the day. In a brief scene, Tim Allen's character Scott Calvin, also known as Santa Claus himself, makes a sarcastic remark that mentions the mysterious number 1-800-SPANK-ME.

As anyone with a child at home knows, there's no limit to the imagination and curiosity that children can use to explore the world. Usually good parents encourage them to always seek the truth and ask questions, but this time curiosity cost some people a huge phone bill and long, uncomfortable conversations with their parents.

As reported by a local newspaper in 1994, some children tried to call the number they heard and were greeted by a message from the adult staff. According to The Orlando Sentinel, the message read:

“Hi sexy! You've just connected to the hottest phone line in America, brought to you by American TelNet. Our one-of-a-kind service lets you choose your own phone fantasy”.

Fortunately, the message itself wasn't too explicit, but it still wasn't something such young children should hear. Disney representatives fought to keep the scene in the movie and managed to hold out for three years before giving in to parental complaints and removing the scene from all future releases in 1997.

So if you happen to be watching The Santa Claus on Disney Plus, don't be surprised if the movie awkwardly skips over the famous line. And for the sake of the holiday spirit, don't try dialing the number at home!

Source: The Orlando Sentinel