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#1
08-01-2006, 03:43 PM
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Those other reindeer sure are mean
Is the christmas carol classic (aren't I awesome at alliterations?) Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer supposed to be a racism metaphor? I mean, he's essentially the same as every other reindeer, just has a slight superficial difference (although a glowing nose is quite a startling leap in evolution without sugical procedures, has anybody looked into rudolph's medical history?). Then when this trait proves useful, he becomes a valued member of the community? Are the other reindeer just bigots who found a reason to quell their hatred for the time being, until the time came that his nose stopped being useful? Or are they truly sorry for their actions against Rudolph, and just want him to join their reindeer games afterall?
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#2
08-01-2006, 04:11 PM
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I interpret it as a metaphor, but not for racism. Rather, Rudolph stands in for children born with physical/mental disability or some unusual characteristic. He's one individual different from everyone else in his community; even his parents don't have glowing red noses. He's not a member of an oppressed minority.
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#3
08-01-2006, 04:19 PM
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And I'd say it's rather judgemental to label to other reindeer as bigots. This is a children's song, and seen in that light, the behavior of Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, etc... is forgiveable, though still wrong. All children, unfortunately, have a tendency to gang up on and mock those with physical deformities. Most children, fortunately, grow out of it. The entire Rudolph episode is a learning experience for the rest of the herd. We'll note that it's the authorty figure, Santa, who forces the others to recognize the usefulness of Rudolph's nose, just as it's the dutiful parents, teachers, and church leaders who insist that children treat disabled outsiders with respect.
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#4
08-01-2006, 05:40 PM
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Yeah, I'd not necessarily say it was a metaphor for racism, but rather, for prejudice generally, but even so, it may not be intentionally a morality-play; the underdog-cum-hero is just a rather strong plot to hang a story about; see also The Ugly Duckling.
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#5
08-01-2006, 05:55 PM
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In the wild, reindeer bands have strict social structures. A miscreant, or mutant, may be forced to do Lapps.
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#6
08-01-2006, 06:27 PM
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The OP reminds me of a similar monologue from Frasier Crane on Cheers. "And after Rudolph proves useful, do the other reindeer accept him into their games? No! They still ostracize him even while they're exploiting his unique talents!"
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#7
08-01-2006, 06:28 PM
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#9
08-01-2006, 07:02 PM
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#10
08-01-2006, 07:27 PM
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"Here's a new reindeer game for you all. It's called "Surviving off the carcasses of the dead until the spring thaw! And no, you don't have to let poor me join in this one either." Quote:
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#11
08-01-2006, 07:46 PM
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Was Poppa duck even there at all, come to think of it?
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#12
08-01-2006, 07:52 PM
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#13
08-01-2006, 09:08 PM
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Yep, it can be a metaphor for any group of people who feel that they are in a privileged position and wish to exclude others from their holier-than-thouness. Religion, for example.
Everybody believes they've picked the right one and, with the exception of a few out there, think that everybody else is going to hell for picking the wrong one. What a tragedy that would be, if all the good people like Ghandi went to hell because the Christians were right. Now here comes Rudolph, different from all the other reindeer, getting snow kicked in his face for being different and not being one of Santa's chosen. But one Christmas eve they found that themselves surrounded by the fog, unable to do the right thing by getting all the presents to the children of the world. They were incomplete. Rudolph was able to light the way, and get them to where they needed to go, and all the other reindeer realized why they should never judge a person by the color of their nose. We all have our purpose, so don't ever think you're better than anyone else.
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#15
08-01-2006, 09:23 PM
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If you're looking for a children's story about racism, check out Dr. Seuss' The Sneetches, though I just learned that some think of it as an allegory for antisemitism.
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#16
08-01-2006, 10:53 PM
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#17
08-01-2006, 10:54 PM
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I don't think it's a racism metaphor. That said, I got in trouble with my boss once (I was in retail) for singing the following song. (I have no idea whether it's copyrighted or not; I've only heard it sung by other black people in person:
Leroy & Roosevelt Reindeer The only reindeer that were black You hardly ever saw them They pushed the sleigh from the back All of other reindeer Used to laugh and put them down Cause Leroy & Roosevelt Reindeer Came from the black side of town... etc. My white store manager was irritated with me for singing the song in the mall. I pointed out that I was not on duty, I was not in our store, and I was wearing nothing that identified me as an employee of our chain. She was still vexed.
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#18
08-01-2006, 10:59 PM
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#19
08-01-2006, 11:00 PM
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Come to think of it, what business have talking, flying reindeer in singling out any of their number as a mutant?!
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#20
08-01-2006, 11:03 PM
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#21
08-02-2006, 07:20 AM
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Just a quick note for thosde of you who know Rudolph through the song, or the song and the Rankin-Bass special alone -- in the original book (which preceded the song), and in the 1940s Fleischer/Famous Studios cartoon made from it (betcha didn't know about that one) Rudolph is not a member of the family of Santa's reindeer!
Santa is out delivering the presents around the world and having difficulty in that snowstorm, and he gets to Rudloph's house (Rudolph's family unaccountably lives in a middle-class human-type house) and notices the glow from Rudolph's nose. He wakes the reindeer kid up and asks him to help out. Rudolph is thus a stranger to the classic team of eight. A ringer. Apparently any reindeer can fly if they put their minds to it, or Santa sprinkles them with pixie dust, or whatever. So the mean reindeer that wouldn't let him join in the games weren't Santa's team or their families. At least until Rank and Base made that 1960s animation.
__________________
"You know nothing, Sergeant Schultz"
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#22
08-02-2006, 07:52 AM
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The Story of Rudolf
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#23
08-02-2006, 10:43 AM
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#25
08-02-2006, 12:49 PM
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Hello there, duck, have you seen my adulterous, soon-to-be-castrated husband? Uhh, no, Your Majesty, have you seen my swan-fucking wife? I remember reading the Sneetches for the first time in grade school. I took it as a morality tale against racism in general, not for anti-semitism (especially since the sneetches with the stars were the privileged ones, IIRC.
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