Rudolph Revisited

Cafe Society
1

Ok, I’m going try restarting this discussion on the animated Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer special (the ORIGNAL one) because I don’t think the old tread from a couple of years ago nearly plumbed all the depths of this seminal and disturbing holiday classic.

See the earlier thread for the insightful commentary on Herbie’s little secret, the Santa’s Sleigh Massacre, the Misfit Dolls’ psych profile, and Santa’s management style.

So here’s my querry: What’s the deal with King Moonracer? He seems to have this whole alternate mythology going on a nearby island, where he collects misfit toys and protects them from the harsh cruel world. And he seems to know all about Santa and Co., because he asks Rudolph and friends to tell Santa about the poor misfit toys when they get back. So what… are Moonracer and Santa not on speaking terms? They’re neighbors, for God’s sake!

And is it just me, or does Moonracer seem to be a recycled version of the mystical lion (AKA Jesus) from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe series? Does that mean Jesus has set up shop down the street from Santa? Are the misfit toys symbolic of lost souls?

And there is more that puzzles me. I was watching the scene between Moonracer and the boys on network the other night. First the boys introduce themselves as being from “Christmas Town” and Moonracer doesn’t say much (which strikes me as implying “yes, I know all about the sort of riff-raff that comes out of THAT place”, but maybe I’m just projecting some unresolved childhood hostility or something). Then he tells them that they can’t stay because only misfit TOYS can stay and hide from the real world, and they (Rudolph, Herbie, and Yukon) are real and will have to go back out. Oh yeah, a gay elf and a flying reindeer with a beam weapon for a nose are “real”.

Then our pal Yukon pipes up “How about that! Even among misfits you are misfits!” How considerate of him.

Then Old Moonracer makes his request by saying “but there is a favor you can do for the misfits here” - and makes the mention us to Santa request. And they are going to do this, why?.. Out of gratitude for all the swell treatment they are getting here on Cold-shoulder Island. Then he concludes by saying “you may stay the night”, implying “but checkout time is 11:00 and then you are On Your Own.”

So, is Moonracer just a pretentious snit? Or have our boys wandered out of their host story and into a mythology next door where they don’t match the scenery? And why doesn’t old He-Sees-You-When-You’re-Sleeping know about the Island of Misfit Toys already?

I’m thinking maybe Moonracer and Santa have some ugly history that is being covered up. Maybe some sort of Battle of the Titans thing or something.

2

Well, think about it. Santa gives toys to good little boys and girls. Moonracer takes in toys that are misfit. Obviously these toys must have a rather low opinion of Santa et al., while at the same time longing to be placed with a child by Santa. I would imagine the request was more to look like he was Doing Something than to actually send the toys off. He didn’t really expect Rudolph and Company to survive the Arctic. But if by some chance they did, hey, he’d get some toys off his hands.

3

Here is the deal as I see it: The misfit toys are from all over the real world, where they became cast-asides. They all began a pilgrimage to find Santa to become wanted again. They get as close as Misfit Island and discover they can’t just waltz into Christmastown - there is some magic key or handshake required to get in there. So they are the equivalent of the teenagers outside the liquor store asking any grown up that passes by to buy for them (in our case, get a word into Santa).

And why doesn’t Santa know they exist? Because they are toys. Inanimate objects that didn’t get counted in the last census.

4

Well… I had kind of wondered what the hell Moonracer was supposed to be. A winged lion? Life sized? What the hell?

He tells Herbie and Rudolph that they can’t stay because they aren’t TOYS… but… what the hell is Moonracer supposed to be? True, legislators have traditionally exempted themselves from their own laws, but… what the hell?

I mean, wouldn’t The Island Of Misfit Toys actually be ruled by… um… I dunno, maybe a Barbie with a GI Joe head, or something?

5

[hijack]
Scott529, I can’t help but notice your reg date and your post count. I’ve always wondered, do folks like you regulary read the boards? Why do you post so seldom? Did you forget about the SDMB for a long time and then accidently “re-discover” it? Have you been in prison? :wink:
[/hijack]

6

God, this is bringing back memories.

Yeah, King Moonracer (like you ever actually raced the moon- and won? As if!) was a bit snotty to the Christmas gang.

But I wouldn’t put it past Santa to know about the Misfit toys and not care. This isn’t the Santa from “The Year Without a Santa Claus”- this is the Santa who believes in literally whipping the reindeers into shape. Who hires elf slave drivers who preach conformity and nothing but. Who prefers a skinny physique (perhaps in order to carry out mad schemes) to a jolly toddler comforting bowful of jelly belly frame. Who takes elves along who THROW birds who can’t fly to their deaths!!!

But I’ve wondered about that. Toys can’t really hold onto umbrellas, even if they aren’t birds. I mean, so they can hold onto umbrellas with their “hands” when they’re with Santa but they turn inanimate when they’re with kids? Those toys just feel a little too vivid for me.

And why WERE the elves tossing toys out the sleigh? In my opinion, Santa’s a hardass for not stopping at roofs like he should be.

And is it just me or was this whole movie terribly patriarchal? Donner, who punches his kid in the nose to cover it up, Coach who wants to be everybody’s “pal,” Santa himself, who’s, let’s face it, pure evil, King Moonracer, and even Yukon Cornelius, a most sensitive chap.

7

You know, the whole thing also reminds of a disability rights tract, too. Sort of a pre-ADA lobbying effort or something.

I mean, we have all these characters being cast out: Rudolph for his beamernose, Hermie/Herbie for his…well his SPECIALNESS let’s say, and the various dolls for their misfittedness. And short-sighted society (being the S-man and company) refuses to accommodate their differences, forcing them out into the cold. Then, through the lobbying and activism of a valiant few, they are suddenly recognized as Valuable And Special Individuals after all. And in the end they are all able to achieve successful community inclusion and satisfying career paths with minimal accommodations. THEN how the reindeer loved him! Why can’t WE all get along too?

It reads like something out of a radical disability activist magazine.

Heck, even the Abominable Snow Monster finds a home and becomes “bumbles” to his friends (following a little minor, involuntary surgery to remove all his teeth), proving once again that a big old, slobbering, murdering monster with great big nasty teeth is just a friend you haven’t met yet.

But that still leaves another puzzle - what the heck are all those tress growing on? The North Pole is an ICE PACK!

Or did I miss a passage about that in the reference manual on cartoon physics?

8

HAVE YOU PEOPLE NEVER SEEN THE WINGED LION, WINGED MAN, WINGED OX, WINGED (yeah, that’s redundant) EAGLE ICONS?!?!?!?

The Four Evangel Cherubim- I think tradition has assigned the Lion to Mark (Man to Matthew, Ox to Luke, Eagle to John)- anyway they are supposed to represent four aspects of Christ-
the Lion of Judah, the Incarnation as a Man, the Suffering Servant- the Lowly Ox, Eagle as Deity.

So yeah, King M is definitely a Christian Icon- which explains why he’s a bit uppity around the North Pole bunch- he gathers all their rejects.

But RE the Misfit toys which just would not be liked by any kid- I give Santa & CO the benefit of the doubt that they fixed the toys.