You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
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You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
🎅🏽 Professional Santas | Part 1: Jolly Old St. Nicholas
Niche to Meet You
32 minutes 32 seconds
11 months ago
🎅🏽 Professional Santas | Part 1: Jolly Old St. Nicholas
The origins of the professional Santa.Email us with your favorite part of this episode or what it made you think about! TELL A FRIEND ABOUT US! Is there someone who should know about this project? Tell them. Seriously, just text them. Now!Find us on Instagram, or join our email list.Find pictures from Leslie’s time with Santas here.
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EPISODE NOTES:
This first episode in the Professional Santa miniseries is about history: where Santa came from with historian Stephanie Fulbright, and when the culture of PORTRAYING him started with Santa Phil. We cover the viral poem that made him famous, the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade, and the Mount Rushmore of Professional Santas while hearing from actual Santa Portrayal Artists and Santa historians.
SANTAS FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:Jerusalem SantaSanta ShedSanta GeorgeSanta BenSanta PhilSanta True
ABOUT NICHE TO MEET YOU:
Niche to Meet You is an investigative storytelling podcast about the little-known niche interests. Our work has been featured on Nashville Public Radio, has been seen by millions through a recent viral instagram reel, and has been featured in the likes of The Guardian and the 1440 newsletters. It's like if Mr. Rogers Neighborhood and Revisionist History teamed up for a Netflix special. We use miniseries and individual interviews to introduce listeners to folks involved with Warhammer 40,000, Rubik’s cube enthusiasts and competitors, armored combat champions, wild turkey conservationists, and more.Â
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOW HERE.
SHOW CREDITS:Â
Creator/Reporter/host: Leslie Thompson (IG: @leslieeilerthompson)
Associate script producer: Chris ThiessenÂ
Mastering by Kevin Morris
Show theme composed by Abigail Flowers with this holiday arrangement by Mike Hicks
Show artwork created by Rachel Hardacre
Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Jon McLaughlinÂ
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Niche to Meet You
You know that weirdly specific thing your friend’s obsessed with? Like speed jigsaw puzzling. Or dressing up as Santa. Or raising wild turkeys. This show is about those people.
Each episode, host Leslie Eiler Thompson finds a niche interest—and then gently, curiously, hilariously peels back the layers to find out why it matters for everyone. It’s funny. It’s surprisingly moving. It’s like a deep dive into the strange and beautiful stuff that makes us, us.
