Ron Hoskins/Getty ImagesHere comes Santa Claus David Letterman!
The 68-year-old retired host of The Late Show has clearly loosened his grip on the reins of his shaving routine. From the looks of new photos surfacing of the acclaimed media mogul, he has left his silver beard to grow wild and free despite the fact that No-Shave November is already a day beyond its expiration date.
This is clearly a confirmation that the beard is not only set to stay for good, but also that Mr. Letterman is in fact our new Santa Claus.
He may have taken the stage Monday night at Ball State University to announce the donation of all his Emmy statuettes and other career mementos to his alma mater for an upcoming permanent campus exhibit called "The David Letterman Experience," he forgot to mention that he is also completing his transformation into the famed jolly figure.
To start, the beard is simply identical to jolly character's full blown beard. Letterman's mustache has even fully connected to the rest of the body of hair, a symbol of true facial hair success and commitment. He already has the spectacles—all that's left is a fitting for a plush red fur-trimmed suit.
Still, this hairy triumph was not an overnight sensation. In late September, we noticed the host with a considerably shorter, but still prevalent set of silver whiskers while he was on his way to dinner with his son in New York City.
Fast forward nearly four months later and the jig is officially up—Letterman will be shimmying down our chimneys come Dec. 24. Plus, he still has a few weeks to bulk up to the classically plump body type required of any Santa Claus replacement.
So, the only question left to ask Letterman is: what type of cookie do you like best, Mr. Claus?