# All of the other reindeer were jerks. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 22, 2018, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516 "2018-12-22T03:00:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/21 "2018-12-22T15:36:32Z")
You never seem to hear much about Cupid. Seems to be the one in the back quietly doing his job. I bet Cupid didn’t call Rudolph names, though he probably also didn’t do anything to prevent the bullying either. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/22 "2018-12-22T16:02:29Z")
It’s all revisionist history. Rudolph was a jerk. Along with being a horrible loser he consistently cheated during the reindeer games. That’s before we even get to the performance enhancing drug allegations. Sure, he saved Christmas the one year and deserves the credit. Some of the reality still managed to make it into the first draft of the script for the special. Studio execs thought it was too dark though and we got the rewrites we’re all familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/23 "2018-12-22T16:21:49Z")
I wonder what the reindeer games were? In the same special there is “Takeoff” which involved trying to fly. Yet the only time reindeer flew was Christmas Eve. It’s not like the reindeer were flying hither and thither all over the North Pole while doing the normal mundane tasks of everyday life. None of the reindeer games could have involved a ball. Deer cannot hold things. Perhaps they had a tug-of-war where they held the rope in their teeth? Or maybe simple running and flying relay races? If a running race, maybe that’s how Dasher got his name. Perhaps Prancer and Dancer were skilled at gymnastics or organized theatrical performance? ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/24 "2018-12-22T17:14:33Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > I always thought Santa was a jerk too. He let the abuse go on, but when he needed a favor… > > I would have told Santa to go to hell. > [@Tzigone](#): > > Just reading a thread somewhere else recently on how big a jerk Santa was in the tv special; went beyond the song. To be fair, in the original song there’s no indication that Santa knew how Rudolph was being treated. 14 years of working in schools has taught me that kids can be really good at hiding their antisocial behavior from adults, or even making it look like the victim was the instigator. But in the special, Santa not only witnessed it, he told Rudolph’s father that he should be ashamed. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/25 "2018-12-22T17:19:09Z")
Poor Comet, always stuck with cleaning the sink. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/26 "2018-12-22T17:35:36Z")
And now, [a word from Bil (“Family Circus”) Keane](https://goo.gl/images/2n1akd): ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/27 "2018-12-22T17:55:20Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > To be fair, in the original song there’s no indication that Santa knew how Rudolph was being treated. 14 years of working in schools has taught me that kids can be really good at hiding their antisocial behavior from adults, or even making it look like the victim was the instigator. > > But in the special, Santa not only witnessed it, he told Rudolph’s father that he should be ashamed. Bullying coaches are often accepted because of a misguided idea that building a winning team requires making the kids tough through the bullying. Santa should be ashamed… as should we as a culture that has tolerated this attitude for far too long. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/28 "2018-12-22T18:03:37Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Excluding poor Rudolph from their reindeer games and bullying him, until the Big Guy asks him to do a favour, then they’re all falling all over themselves to suck up to Rudolph. > > Nasty little ungulates, all of them! thank you, [Dr. Frasier Crane.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnv4pv9115o) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/29 "2018-12-22T18:13:59Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > How do you think Santa stayed warm during all those Thanksgiving Day parades? :o That got him fired one year, resulting in a Miracle on 34th Street. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/30 "2018-12-22T18:17:18Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > It’s all revisionist history. Rudolph was a jerk. Along with being a horrible loser he consistently cheated during the reindeer games. That’s before we even get to the performance enhancing drug allegations. Sure, he saved Christmas the one year and deserves the credit. > > Some of the reality still managed to make it into the first draft of the script for the special. Studio execs thought it was too dark though and we got the rewrites we’re all familiar with. I was thinking the same thing. We only hear one side of the story LOL ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/31 "2018-12-22T18:33:51Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I wonder what the reindeer games were? In the same special there is “Takeoff” which involved trying to fly. Yet the only time reindeer flew was Christmas Eve. It’s not like the reindeer were flying hither and thither all over the North Pole while doing the normal mundane tasks of everyday life. > > None of the reindeer games could have involved a ball. Deer cannot hold things. Perhaps they had a tug-of-war where they held the rope in their teeth? Or maybe simple running and flying relay races? If a running race, maybe that’s how Dasher got his name. Perhaps Prancer and Dancer were skilled at gymnastics or organized theatrical performance? You’ve never heard of Jolly Balls? Horses love to play with them. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/32 "2018-12-22T18:50:56Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > You’ve never heard of Jolly Balls? Horses love to play with them. no, but I do know that deer balls are the cheapest kind of meat. They’re under a buck. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/33 "2018-12-22T18:57:08Z")
After discovering his mutant nose powers, Rudolf takes over the North Pole and punishes all the other reindeer. Santa’s corpse is hung by the chimney with care. ---
**Author:** ![Tzigone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Tzigone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tzigone)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/34 "2018-12-22T20:24:56Z")
Saw this recently - [They should’ve let him join in all the reindeer games](https://i.redd.it/8kc3ss0lzm421.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/35 "2018-12-22T20:41:48Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > To be fair, in the original song there’s no indication that Santa knew how Rudolph was being treated. But Santa knows who’s been naughty and nice. Which means that Santa knew about the abuse all along, and never spoke out or intervened. Talk about a dysfunctional structure - years of willfully ignoring abuse and bullying - until the victim needs to be exploited for the needs of those at the top of the power structure. And Rudolf is supposed to simply pretend it never happened. I have a strong hunch the story of Rudolf afterwards is not a pretty one. He is obviously a closeted alcoholic, what with the red nose and all. Now suddenly he is at the top of the hierarchy. I expect his drinking to escalate, along (probably) with some serious acting out, sexual or otherwise. In his poor, twisted way, he is going to take his revenge on Olive the other reindeer. Merry Christmas, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2018, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/36 "2018-12-22T20:48:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I just never quite understood the beginning of the song, where it goes “you know Dasher and Dancer,” etc., as if it’s common knowledge to know the reindeer names (which I guess it is now because of the song), but then it goes, “but do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?” Well, if he’s the most famous reindeer of all, wouldn’t everyone, by definition, be able to recall him? Especially if they they know the other eight also-rans? Rudolph was famous among reindeer, elves and bumbles. The foggy night happened sometime after Moore wrote his poem, and May eventually got the rest of the story out to the human population. ---
**Author:** ![KittenKat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kittenkat/32/306_2.png) [@KittenKat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KittenKat)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/37 "2018-12-23T00:45:21Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > I wonder what the reindeer games were? In the same special there is “Takeoff” which involved trying to fly. Yet the only time reindeer flew was Christmas Eve. It’s not like the reindeer were flying hither and thither all over the North Pole while doing the normal mundane tasks of everyday life. > > None of the reindeer games could have involved a ball. Deer cannot hold things. Perhaps they had a tug-of-war where they held the rope in their teeth? Or maybe simple running and flying relay races? If a running race, maybe that’s how Dasher got his name. Perhaps Prancer and Dancer were skilled at gymnastics or organized theatrical performance? “Twas the day before Christmas and all through the hills, The reindeer were playing, enjoying the skills Of skating and skiing and climbing the willows, Of hopscotch and leap-frog (protected by pillows).” ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/38 "2018-12-23T01:32:15Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Shouldn’t Vixen be a doe too? Vixen _is_ a doe. My cite is “The Year Without a Santa Claus.” ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/39 "2018-12-23T01:42:19Z")
All of them should be female. Male reindeer lose their antlers in the winter, females keep them until spring. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2018, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516/40 "2018-12-23T02:29:03Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Olive was a doe. And Rudolph was a buck. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/all-of-the-other-reindeer-were-jerks/826516.md?page=3)