Okay, you can off Rudolph. But for the love of God please leave us the Heat Miser. As everyone knows, he’s an integral part of the whole nativity story! 
Attention all mothers: raise your hand if you think a touching gift for your newborn baby is to have someone beat on a drum for him while he’s trying to sleep.
The second time I copied from “Properties”. My address bar itself had the parentheses, though.
Hey —not fair!. We don’t have any indication the babe was trying to sleep. Certainly this tot would enjoy the music more than the myrrh. And there’s every indication that the other guests in the stable were appreciative. The ox and lamb even rock to the jam too, so that’s a bonus. I’m betting the baby enjoyed that.
Anyway, I’m pretty certain one of the hymns says Baby Jesus wasn’t the crying type of kid.
++++++
Now if someone wants to trash Frosty The Snowman…Go for it!!! I’ll be right there with you.
You bit. Good.
Did you know…? It was the stupid song “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” that butchered Donder’s name into “Donner”.
And before anyone else chimes in to say it was originally “Dunder”, dig one step deeper and you will learn that Clement Moore’s original notes show it as “Donder”, even though an early release of the poem has it as Dunder.
Back to Rudolph: This discussion is not about the show inasmuch as it is about Rudolph. I don’t want this thing hauled off to Cafe Society.
Do you know what a team is, especially a team that thrives on being “in step” and well synchronized?
Dude, Santa and the Mighty Eight (as I call them) have done a ton of world travel in all sorts of conditions. Fog? A simple “foggy night”? PUH-LEASE. Santa sees worse every year.
Rudolph belongs on Snopes.com, brightly listed in red as “FALSE”.
One person’s “butcher” is another person’s “set right.”
“Donner” and “Blitzen” are German for for “Thunder” and “Lightning.”
Oh, sure. And I suppose that Prancer is German for “Very very fightening me.”
Scaramouche!
I agree Rudolph cops a harsh bit, but that is life. How many little kids are harassed for being different, till that difference makes them useful.
Look at all the TV shows we have where the Jocks pick on the nerd, then it turns out he can sing or act, then they love him. Remember the Simpson’s episode where no one likes Ralph, till it turns out he CAN act and act WELL.
Then at the end, everyone appreciates him and even Lisa realizes she was mean to him.
The point of Rudolph is not to focus on how badly he was treated but in the end how people realized the error of their ways and made amends for it.
And Rudolph gladly helps Santa out, this is also important. The lesson is DON’T HOLD A GRUDGE. Get over it. You keep watching Oprah or other shows were it’s been 25 years and the person is still crying 'cause he got picked on in the 3rd grade.
By focusing on the first part and not the result you miss the point.
Yes bad things happen, but people can realize the error of their ways and ask forgiveness. The BIG thing to do is accept the apology, not hold a grudge and help them out.
I see a Muppet Nativity, with Animal pounding on the drum shouting “Jeezus, Jeezus!”
Odd how 160 year old made up crap is now tradition while 60 year old made up crap (taking the Autry version as the true start of the tradition) is crap.
And now I leave you to your goyisher nachus.
One of the local news sites actually felt the need to address why the rag doll is a misfit toy.
Not to contradict you, Cal, but I did enjoy when they brought the AS back in and found him a job putting the stars on Christmas trees. I used to teach job development for counselors who work with people with disabilities, and we talked a lot about job carving—find that one thing that this person is exceptionally good at, find where there’s a need for that skill, and…voila! Match made.
Actually, I don’t much like any of that particular special. for me it’s Charlie Brown, the Grinch, then nothing.
I disagree with your treatise, Philster. Rudolph is an intregal part of the reindeer team.
It’s like in the '60s and ‘70s when Congress mandated things like seat belts and air bags into cars. “oh no!” they proclaimed. “no one will want that. It’s going to cost too much. People won’t use them. It’s aesthetically unpleasing!”
And then, they put them in and realized that not only did the public want them, but, by God they had to have them. Who in the hell would buy a car nowadays without a freakin’ seatbelt? It would just be insane!
Well Rudolph is that necessary piece of safety equipment. Seriously, would you drive your car at night without headlights? HEADLIGHTS! For four hundred years Santa gambled with the lives of himself and eight Rangifer tarandus, not to mention the hopes and dreams of good little boys and girls around the world by zooming around the planet at close to the speed of light without any way of seeing where he was going.
And then, and THEN, came one foggy Christmas Eve. Santa finally said “hey, you know, seeing where I’m heading would probably be a good thing.” For hundreds of years, Santa played Russian Roulette and managed to get lucky. He needn’t play those reindeer games any more.
But Rudolph’s not part of the team in the Rankin Bass special either. Or do you mean that he was in training to be? (Because he goes to that flying practice with Comet as a kid.) I just assumed that he wasn’t because Santa doesn’t ask him to be part of the team until his nose glowed red at the Christmas party.
I’ve had trouble with Rudolph ever since I first heard Gene Autry singing the song. Even as a little kid I was bothered by the line “Do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?” If he is the most famous reindeer of all, why should there be any question about recalling him?
In the original story Rudolph didn’t live at the North Pole and wasn’t associated in any way with Santa Claus, Inc. It’s as if Santa came into some random kid’s house and asked him to guide the sleigh because he had a red nose.
In the Rankin-Bass special Rudolph lived in close proximity to Santa and certainly tried out for the sleigh team, and originally had a chance to do so before his distracting nose killed his chances. Vast difference.
Gene Autry used to be the most famous cowboy singer of all.
Ask your kids if they recall him.
It’s because she hasn’t any dreams left to dream.
Freak.
Side point on the poor Abominable Snowman – he was out of work until he scored that gig in The Empire Strikes Back (joke courtesy of a close friend)
Ah, okay.
And yeah, I agree, the idea of reindeer living in the suburbs in regular houses is…bizarre. Is there a version of this story online? I want to read it pretty badly now.