# Would you trust them if you were Rudolph? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 27, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320 "2012-12-27T21:34:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/1 "2012-12-27T21:34:28Z")
Stop and think about the lyrics of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names; They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games” So we have a clear case of emotional, social and verbal harassment and exclusion based on a facial disfigurement. BTW, what did Santa do about this situation in his workplace? NOTHING until one foggy Christmas eve when the old drunk suddenly realized he needed a red light to comply with international air regulations for small aircraft. So Rudolph gets a promotion and then what happens? “Then how the reindeer loved him. . . .” The same reindeer who had been abusing him the day before suddenly loved him???:dubious: I ask you, is this song about one red-nosed reindeer or eight brown-nosed ones? ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/2 "2012-12-27T21:37:54Z")
I’ve always thought Rudolph should keep on watching his back. What kind of friends are they if they only like him when his oddness becomes useful? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/3 "2012-12-27T21:44:49Z")
Those other reindeer sound like assholes, and if I were Rudolph, I wouldn’t trust 'em any farther than I could throw 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/4 "2012-12-27T21:47:28Z")
Clearly, [this thread was just _made_ for you](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=48886&highlight=rudolph). 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/5 "2012-12-27T21:47:45Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Those other reindeer sound like assholes, and if I were Rudolph, I wouldn’t trust 'em any farther than I could throw 'em. Santa doesn’t exactly seem like a kindly old elf, either. ---
**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 27, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/6 "2012-12-27T21:52:34Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Those other reindeer sound like assholes, and if I were Rudolph, I wouldn’t trust 'em any farther than I could throw 'em. On the contrary. People can change…why not deer? These other deer have had their eyes opened. Why not forgive them their past prejudice? Plus, in the song, Santa is guiltless. How can he be expected to know what is going on in the reindeer games? ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/7 "2012-12-27T21:52:50Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Santa doesn’t exactly seem like a kindly old elf, either. Well we all know Santa is a pedophile, so he can’t be trusted, but we’re talking about the other reindeer here. Buncha opportunist jerks! Edit: Biotop, forgiveness for me comes from believing the person/deer is truly sorry and won’t do it again. I can’t say the other reindeer have a good enough track record for me to believe they’re better than that, and aren’t just on the Rudolph bandwagon because he’s guiding the sleigh. Maybe next Christmas Eve when it’s not foggy and, say, Prancer is leading the way, I’ll know just how reformed the other guys are. Until then, no trust! ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/8 "2012-12-27T21:57:04Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Santa doesn’t exactly seem like a kindly old elf, either. Yeppers. He gives Rudolphs’ dad shit for Rudoplhs facial deformity. And that elf at the end tossing toys out the sleigh while the credits roll is a murderer. Notice how he hands umbrellas to all the toys he tosses out? Then he gets to the bird from the island of misfit toys. (You know, the bird that swims instead of flies?) That elf looks at the bird then looks at the umbrella and then back at the bird and then he just tosses the bird overboard WITHOUT an umbrella. ---
**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 27, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/9 "2012-12-27T22:02:55Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Edit: Biotop, forgiveness for me comes from believing the person/deer is truly sorry and won’t do it again. I can’t say the other reindeer have a good enough track record for me to believe they’re better than that, and aren’t just on the Rudolph bandwagon because he’s guiding the sleigh. Maybe next Christmas Eve when it’s not foggy and, say, Prancer is leading the way, I’ll know just how reformed the other guys are. Until then, no trust! Not a good enough track record??? They’ve been delivering your presents for free all these many years and surviving in the wicked climate at the North Pole. Cut them some slack. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/10 "2012-12-27T22:07:28Z")
You know what I got for Christmas? A hangover! I didn’t ask for that! ---
**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 27, 2012, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/11 "2012-12-27T22:23:44Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > You know what I got for Christmas? A hangover! I didn’t ask for that! Please don’t take this out on eight helpless reindeer whose only crime was the misguided teasing of a fellow deer and who have all repented for their past blindness. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/12 "2012-12-27T22:53:30Z")
At my local Starbuck’s, they used to play an updated Rudolph song with added lyrics telling about how Rudolph told the other reindeer how he didn’t appreciate how they were so mean to him, and now all of a sudden they want to be his friends. The other reindeer then feel ashamed of themselves and apologize to Rudolph. Yeah, that’s like real life. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2012, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/13 "2012-12-27T23:28:41Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > And that elf at the end tossing toys out the sleigh while the credits roll is a murderer. Notice how he hands umbrellas to all the toys he tosses out? Then he gets to the bird from the island of misfit toys. (You know, the bird that swims instead of flies?) That elf looks at the bird then looks at the umbrella and then back at the bird and then he just tosses the bird overboard WITHOUT an umbrella. By that time, the sleigh was over water. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/14 "2012-12-28T01:32:28Z")
I would have told Santa where he could put his request. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/15 "2012-12-28T02:52:03Z")
When I was in high school, I drew a mock movie poster (although what I actually conceived was a movie trailer). Imagine a chorus of children singing: "Then all the reindeer loved him, and they shouted out with glee: “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history…” [VO]: But Rudolph wasn’t satisfied. DECEMBER THE TWENTY-FIFTH, PART II: RUDOLPH’S REVENGE Unfortunately, I couldn’t draw even as well as the average teenager, so it sucked. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/16 "2012-12-28T04:24:01Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Santa doesn’t exactly seem like a kindly old elf, either. Hey, _Elf_. The _Fair Folk_. The guys who got called the _Fair_ Folk and so forth so they wouldn’t take offense and rip your face off. Of course he’s a nasty fellow under all that good cheer - we don’t really know what he’s so jolly _about_, now do we? > [@Biotop](#): > > Plus, in the song, Santa is guiltless. How can he be expected to know what is going on in the reindeer games? Hey, who do you think set up the Reindeer Games? And what do you think happened to the losers?! Santa: “I have one word for you - venison” ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/17 "2012-12-28T07:36:45Z")
Are you kidding? Unless you are the lead sleddog, the view never changes. Same with reindeer. They were checking out his sweet ass all night long and then they “loved him” and “shouted out with glee”, those initiation rites are worse than ours. Personally, if I were Rudolph, I would have had two bowls of chili before the flight. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/18 "2012-12-28T07:43:17Z")
Jack Johnson added another verse to [his version of the song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzCrdQXKx1U) specifically to address this question. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/19 "2012-12-28T07:58:37Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > You know what I got for Christmas? A hangover! I didn’t ask for that! Chick who hits the sauce the way you do is asking for all she gets. I’m just _saying_… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2012, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320/20 "2012-12-28T08:12:36Z")
I think you are forgetting the lesser known last two verse: Then Rudolph turned upon them and they shouted out with fright, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, had an AK47 that night! Then that bloody Christmas Eve Santa came to say: “Rudolph with your nose so bright, did it guide your slay tonight?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-trust-them-if-you-were-rudolph/645320.md?page=2)