Comments on: “Rudoph’s” Santa: total frickin’ nightmare

By: Sungold

Sungold — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:28:58 +0000

I posted on this clip and the assholish Donner character around this time last year. He reminded me then – and he still reminds me – of an exceptionally sadistic P.E. teacher I had in junior high. Glad I’m not the only person who’s thin-skinned about bullies, even 30 years later.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:49:51 +0000

ej, you’re absolutely right. The women and girls in “Rudolph” are virtuous and heroic. The bad dads are really, really bad.

justme and Oroboros: I’ve thought about the Bumble historically too, but I think it’s just a personification of “fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror. . .”

By: Oroboros

Oroboros — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 18:58:52 +0000

Hah! When I saw it last night Sam the Snowman said something about the Bumble that made me think it was a more generic representation of Big Government- "just try to stay out of its way and hope it leaves you alone" or something like that. It reminded me of the most extreme Libertarian views I know. Government cannot possibly ever do anything good according to some, even as they drive on government-maintained road and send their kids to government-run schools and drink government-filtered water. Of course, that water is treated with fluoride which was always the real communist plot. So I'm just indoctrinated with the Komrade Kool-AID.

By: justme

justme — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:32:53 +0000

I love this.

A few years ago my ultimate inner geek came out at Christmas when I analyzed Rudolph in the context of the Cold War. Rudolf, Hermy, etc were gays and other “misfits” of society, in one of my interpretations Cornelius was Capitalism (or the United States, I can’t remember exactly), and the Bumble was Communism.

I blame it on a house full of extended family and too much food.

By: ej

ej — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:25:23 +0000

I do think there is a redeeming gender message here, though. If I’m remembering correctly, it was Clarice and Rudolph’s Mom (?) who went in search of him, because they didn’t buy the b.s. about the nose being a problem, so its really only the male characters (Hermey excepted) who were the jerks.

So as long as you end the show before Rudolph’s “redemption” at the end, I’m totally on board with the message.

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:13:04 +0000

GayProf: just because you failed to save Christmas is no reason to cast aspersions on Rudolph!

By: GayProf

GayProf — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:43:31 +0000

I never actually liked this particular special. Now I know why.

By: Paul

Paul — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:46:14 +0000

Good points. I liked this special when I was a kid, but looking at it again makes it seem more problematic. As another online review that I saw put it, the message seems to be “it’s OK to be different – as long as you do something extraordinary like saving Christmas.”

By: Historiann

Historiann — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:00:33 +0000

Clio Bluestocking wrote: “You know, now that I think about it, at the end, although all of the misfits emerge heroic and accepted, the whole goal is for them to be accepted by such jerks as Santa and Donner. That’s a set up for a life time of abusive relationships if there ever was one.”

Exactly! There’s not a lot of learning or growing on the part of the bullies, is there? Oh well: at least Hermie and Rudolph get a really loving daddy-figure in Yukon Cornelius, who’s also kind of a freak himself.

Thanks for all of your comments–glad you enjoyed it, too!

By: Miranda

Miranda — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 11:36:58 +0000

I always hated that show. It would have been much better if Rudolph hadn’t rescued everyone and/or told Santa ‘bite me, Beard Boy’ when asked to lead the sleigh team.

But then, A Christmas Carol always brings out my inner Libertarian. Scrooge needed to learn how to enjoy his wealth, but that was as far as it needed to go And where were all the ghosts when he was being treated badly as a kid?