Just after we watched Rudolph this year, we watched Santa In Animal Land (1948) on TCM. It’s nine minutes of freaky hand puppets along the lines of what you might see on Mister Roger’s Neighborhood, but done by an insane person. It has a well-deserved 3.9 rating on IMDB. If you can catch it again on TCM (the restored version!), watch it but don’t blame me if you have nightmares.
I’m probably not the first person to post this but at any rate…
Who knows? I threw up the MadTV one and I know there’s even a third satire - yet kudos to Smigel for doing this in 2001. You indeed have a classic piece of work if it can be satired over and over again (said no moron philosopher)
“Right this way, Mr. Dylan”
I just found out that Corinne Conley, the voice of Rudolph’s mother and the misfit island sad girl doll in Rudolph is still alive at 96. She is the last remaining living voice from the show. I thought that deserved a 25th anniversary revival of this fun thread.
Who knew Rudolph’s mom and the sad misfit doll were the same person?
Especially apt since the OP, 25 years ago, was about the misfit doll.
A few observations after my annual viewing:
Donner’s antlers change shape considerably. When he’s bending over baby Rudolph, they almost look like they’re wadded up halfway into a ball. Later they’ve extended into a more normal configuration.
According to Clement-Clarke Moore’s poem, Santa’s sleigh is drawn by eight reindeer. I count only six plus Rudolph in the special.
Why is the head elf’s voice suddenly very different just as he’s starting to lead the elf-choir? He sounds like a completely different elf for one or two sentences.
He’s obviously sucking up to that rat bastard, Santa. It won’t matter, Head Elf. He’ll still ignore you.
What if Amazon were to buy up the whole production and distribution system? The Santa brand has good name recognition and Amazon has the means of overnight delivery. I imagine drones eliminating the need for reindeer. They could also likely use modern guidance systems to continue chimney distribution and thwart Christmas Eve porch pirates. AI and online history could be used to determine naught/nice. Amazon’s vast distribution system would surely be more efficient than a North Pole centered operation. And non-union Amazon employees would remove the need for alternative-career dreaming elves.
Heck you could even get a photo confirming delivery and a text/e-mail so kids can get right downstairs to the gifts.
(I’ll say again)
Post that every couple years if you can/like. The Burl Ives and all the other characters are right on.
Funny stuff was on its comeback (at least in New York) at the time. Yet at the same time, Rumsfeld press conferences, and Ashcroft telling us to get plastic sheeting and duct tape and the random/constant “Special Reports” were likely nationwide.
And I’m glad I can repeat:
“Right this way, Mr. Dylan”