I feel like Rudolph is actually what is needed in these stressful times. The whole show is about the merits of social distancing.
For those unimpressed by the ramblings of Caitlin Flanagan in Biotop’s link, 
CBS will broadcast Rudolph this year on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 7:00 CT.
I won’t be watching, but I emailed this info to my sister who is probably already deciding what flavor of popcorn to have during the show.
He was the ball turret gunner.
Caught the beginning of this last night. I couldn’t help noticing that the headlines telling about the Awful Winter Snowstorm were – uncharacteristically for this kind of thing – showing what were the names of actual newspapers. And at least two of them were no longer in existence.
Watched it last night. I’ve always liked it and it was clear that the snarky comments are from people who haven’t actually seen it (or have forgotten it).
Yes, people are dicks to Rudolph and Hermie. But once they leave, the realize they were being dicks and are remorseful about it. And they don’t accept Rudolph because he can help them – they’ve welcomed him back before they realized they would need him.
The message is clearly that Santa and the reindeer were in the wrong, but they regretted it.
Not so. When Rudolph first returns after being away, the reindeer laugh at him and call him “neon nose.”
Santa then meets Rudolph and tells him that his father, mother and Clarice are missing, gone for months. But is Santa worried primarily about the health of his reindeer? No. He says, “I’m worried. Christmas is only two days away, and without you father I’ll never be able to get my sleigh off the ground.” Clearly Santa is only regretful because of how he will be inconvenienced.
Later, when Santa is telling everyone that Christmas is going to be cancelled, he gets irritated at Rudolph’s nose and is in the midst of complaining about it yet again before he suddenly sees how that nose can be used to his benefit.
I think it is great that Rudolph’s father has seemingly come around and evolved, but that regret is hardly universal among the North Pole community.
Watch the show again. He has already admitted he was wrong and accepted Rudolph when that happens. They also accept Hermie, and even welcome the Bumble.
He does not ridicule Rudolph for his nose; he just asks him to turn it down so the bright light isn’t shining in his face.
The narrator, apologist Sam the Snowman, says Santa realizes that maybe he was wrong. But Santa himself never says those words. Instead he promises Rudolph he will find homes for all the misfit toys. Read through this thread to find out how that turned out!
Hermie is allowed to open a dentist office, but only a week after Christmas. Seeing how that Hermie’s entire endodontist training comes from reading a single book of dentistry and then wrenching out some poor animal’s teeth, and hearing the begrudging attitude of the Head Elf, I do not think the Dentist Office is in any way a done deal. And again, no admitting his being wrong on the part of the Head Elf. I bet when that 4:30 appointment comes round next week the Head Elf doesn’t.
Note also that they all only accept the Bumble after he has been humbled, his teeth removed, and is looking for a servile job. Once the Bumble is of use, he is OK.
And please rewatch the Santa/Rudolph scene in question (45:01). Santa does tell Rudolph to tone it down. But there is more.
“Rudolph, Rudolph please could you tone it down a bit. (In a disgusted tone) I mean that nose of yours…”
Here Santa is about to make some frustrated denigration of Rudolph’s nose until (ding!) he has an epiphany. Rudolph’s nose can be of use. Only now it is time to be nice to Rudolph.
“That nose. That beautiful wonderful nose!”
So the message is “do something for me and get accepted, otherwise misfits will not fit.”
Forget it, Jake, it’s Reality Chuck. He has a history of not understanding what’s right in front of him, movie-wise.
It’s right in the text of the original song. The reindeer, at least, were merciless to poor Rudolph.
But Santa hates his elves, too. The implications in this one little innocent children’s special are rather deep and dark.
I mean, it’s obvious Santa is Hermie/Herbie’s father. Look at those ears!
PS: this is the twentieth anniversary of this thread!
Yet male reindeer only live about 13 years. Both Rudolf and all his harassers have been dead for years.
The animation was good. They did a remake years later with computer graphics but I dont think it was as good. LINK
Now in this one they also have girl reindeer learning to fly and multi racial elves plus the next island over is rules by a female hippopotamus.
Twenty-one years ago, when this thread started, you had to wait each year for Rudolph on TV unless you owned the videotape. This year CBS is broadcasting it December 11th, but nowadays a network rebroadcast is not the event it was way back when. Makes me sad, somehow.
Someone rebroadcast it a couple days ago – I watched. I always try to catch it, specifically to see Yukon Cornelius’s sled dogs. I laugh and laugh. I was so naïve when I was a kid.
I think this show was so special because of its time and the collective experience of watching it every year. I wonder now, for kids seeing it the first time, if the magic is in any way still there. I hope so.
It was for my boys when they first watched it some 15-20 years ago. I feel that its eternal with the little ones.
Rudolph and Hermey abide.
I’m kicking myself for not noticing this one before. Santa could have saved himself hundreds of umbrellas if he had just used the bouncing Bumble.
He gives a misfit toy to Bumble, who drops out of the sleigh, and sets the toy down at the moment he hits the ground, after which he bounces back up to the sleigh. Woulda saved us all years of anxiety about the bird, too.