MovieChat Forums > Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1964) Discussion > Terrible example for kids

Terrible example for kids

posted 13 years ago by Arimas01
190 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this and actually paid attention for once. This is a terrible example for kids. The whole town, including Santa Claus treats Rudoulph like a sack of sh!t just for being born different. The other reindeer want absolutely nothing to do with him. His own father is embarrassed by him and even his mother offers him little comfort. The other reindeer make fun, laugh at him and won't allow him to play with them just because he looks different. They are so nasty to him that he runs away but later, on X-Mas eve, he returns home to find all the ones that initially treated him like sh!t are in a huge bind because of the weather. Then they notice how bright Rudoulph's nose is, which gives Santa the bright idea that Rudoulph's nose could guide his sleigh through the snow storm. Now that Santa realize he could use him, Rudoulph is welcomed back with open arms. Poor Rudoulph's self esteem is so low from being treated like an outcast and made fun of his whole life that he's happy to allow them to use him just to be accepted and liked. Really? Who wrote this? What message are they trying to send? Its okay to allow people to ostracize and mistreat you if you are different and let them use you to do the hard work while they take all the credit?

[–] jonathan_k80 13 years ago

Everyone apologizes to Rudolph at the end. That's the moral of the story: don't ostracize anyone (even the Bumble Snow Monster) for being different.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 6 years ago

Look @ when it was written/produced (early 1960's) it doesn't excuse it....but it does explain cultural ideas

Racial segregation was still common/desegregation was slow....and people w disabilities were denied equal opportunities to prove they could be productive members of a society too. Contradicted w idea of a 'great society' promoted by Johnson.

[–] Arimas01 13 years ago

Sorry, I never saw all that, but its still too little too late. They would not have even given him the time of day if they didn't need to use him.

[–] JR541 13 years ago

You're argument is flawed They'd already apologized before they realized that he could lead the way with his nose.

He's taking the knife out of the Cheese!
Do you think he wants some cheese?

[–] sailorspysedna 10 years ago

Do you know what else that person is sounding like to me? An overprotective one. Not a good one. It's best to ignore him and just enjoy the special. I agree; they did already apologize before they discover the usage of Rudolph's nose. I think that was a wise decision to put in the story.

[–] YoungGun77 12 years ago

You completely missed the message...

[–] sailorspysedna 10 years ago

Speak and think for yourself. That's not what happened. You can think that it you want, but only keep it to yourself.😒

[–] Obnoxiously-Adorable 13 years ago

Mormons?

´¨*¨)) -:¦:-
¸.•´ .•´¨*¨))
((¸¸.•´ .•´ -:¦:-
-:¦:-Oooh, sparkly!

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Arimas01 13 years ago

"PC mornons like the OP are by far the most inconceivably lame and annoying people on the face of the earth. Get a *beep* life"

A mornon, huh? Yeah, you're really stupid. Learn how to spell moron, you dummy. Why would you set yourself up like that? How hard is it to do a simple spell chk before you call someone else stupid? At the very least you could have googled the word. Come on lets spell it together slowly: M O R O N, Moron.
You are on my thread I'm not on yours, dummy. If I'm so inconceivably lame and annoying what does that say about you? Why would you take the time to respond to my post? Your time must not be that valuable. Get it together, MORON.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] Arimas01 13 years ago

lol

[–] pensivewon 13 years ago

This indeed is a classic that I've enjoyed all my life and will continue to enjoy. My children love it too. However, the OP is correct.

I am certainly capable of enjoying a classic and recognizing that the behavior of the characters was really bad, particularly Santa and the coach of the Reindeer Team because they were supposed to set good examples.

The coach even told Donner that he should be ashamed of himself for having such son. Even as a kid, I was thinking, "What The ...!"

Someone replied, "Yea, right, like little kids are going to go out and treat someone differently because of a stop animation ..." Well, yes, kids can be very cruel and they don't even need stop animation for that. When kids see others treating people mean, it is justifiable to them.

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] cluvonj 13 years ago

I read on another thread someone comment that Santa did not actually say that. What he said to Donner was that he should be ashamed of himself. It seemed by that he was saying Donner should be ashamed by hiding Rudolph's nose with the disguise and allowing him to train or compete. But then Santa says "what a pity, he had a nice takeoff too". That does seem like Santa is alluding that Rudolph's nose interferes somehow with his ability to be one of his deer and early on when Santa see's Rudolph for the first time with the nose Donner tell's him he was sure it would stop as he grows up and Santa says "let's hope so if he wants to make the sleigh team some day." So that makes one think Santa believes something about having a red glowing nose keeps him from being able to guide a sleigh.

What also is bad is Rudolph's own father is ashamed of his nose and says "he will never make the sleigh team" which is why he tries to hide it with dirt. He also says other things which really makes it seem like he is a bad parent. He can't accept his own son unconditionally and this is definitely affecting Rudolph's self esteem.

ON top of that you have another adult, the coach who states his name is Comet also chimes in and tells rather cruelly "we won't let Rudolph join in any reindeer games". I mean what adult coach does that. They are supposed to set an example of how to treat others no matter what flaw they have and yet he states that. I really could not believe how many adults in that story treated Rudolph like an outcast. It is one thing for the other children reindeer to do it but the adults.

[–] sailorspysedna 10 years ago

I agree with what you said about Comet, but I don't think Santa was a jerk, he probably thought Rudolph's nose was something babies might have that would go away when they were older; I don't think it's alluding to the fact it could prevent him from guiding a sleigh. I definitely do NOT agree about Donner. Donner still taught Rudolph what to do as a reindeer as a young buck (and his nose is uncovered), and he wanted his son to join the sleigh team someday,and told him self-respect was more important than comfort, and does tell Rudolph to go out there and do what he could. I think he had good intentions, but was way too harsh.

All I have to say about others who may hate on this...

People these days...😖

[–] brunhilda2013 8 years ago

I think Rudolf's "self-respect" would have been just fine if his own family hadn't t
reated him like a freak just because he was different.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 6 years ago

….but yeah all of that was really common and completely legal when public schools could screen out kids with disabilities. They could send kids home

Look @ the movie Forrest Gump....and think abut what she ultimately does so Forrest does obtain a public school education. Why doe she resort to that when today a parent doesn't have to.

[–] pensivewon 13 years ago

Oooops,
You are right, it was Santa....even worse!

[–] novastar_6 13 years ago

Terrible example how? As others have said, you know who's right, and who's wrong. Why were all the elves mean to Herbie? Because he didn't do what everyone else did, but does that make him wrong? No it doesn't, and that's the way life often is, people don't appreciate what the outcasts have to offer, at least not at first. But there does come a time when their being different is going to pay off immensely.

[–] pensivewon 13 years ago

I was speaking about Santa telling Donner to be ashamed of himself for having a child with a physical difference; not about how the elves treated Herbie. It is out of character for Santa to do that. It is what it is. Santa's behavior at that time is so not Santa-like.

[–] d-boyce 8 years ago

The op is right,better not put this show on tv anymore.get a f*%#ing life.......

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 5 years ago

the show is difficult to understand now---but my parents and grandparents (for whom it was initially made) easily would have understood it. Rudolph can't attend reindeer school...etc for his own protection because he is different.

That era wasn't about celebrating diversity...there were no pride parades special education etc...you were supposed to conform and go along with the status quo or else.

Black power was much different than Dr. King who initially did want to assimilate. It argued for a new society with new values.

[–] sailorspysedna 10 years ago

Um, I don't think that was the case with Santa, I thought it was him telling Donner to be ashamed for covering up Rudolph's nose. He's not mad at Rudolph at all, he feels pity for him. That's what I see.

[–] pioneergrrrl (2411) 3 years ago

you're looking at it through 'today' not '1965' having a child with a disability was shameful then.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] 10 years ago

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[–] muppetlass87 13 years ago

I agree. I totally hated that message; even when I was a kid, I thought it was BS. What, so kids only shouldn't pick on the nerdy kid in their class, not because it's wrong or anything, but because s/he can help them with their homework? That's basically the same moral that this movie has.

The more people I meet, the more I get why Jane Goodall spends all of her time with chimps.....

[–] dustinthewind25 13 years ago

There was nothing wrong with the message of this special as far as I was concerned, because when I was a kid, the message I took from it was, there's only a few people you can really trust, i.e. Hermey and Yukon Cornelius. And maybe people will come around and appreciate who you are and what you have to offer, but who cares, big deal, too late, the ones who are your real friends are the ones who stick by you when the chips are down. You can help the other people, like Rudolph does, because he's good, but just know who your real friends are.

[–] westvirginia 13 years ago

Why don't we all just stop the bashing
here and let everyone have their opinion?

Almost Heaven, West Virginia!

[–] Arimas01 12 years ago

@johnnyutahx
You must be a child or you are the stupidest a$$hole to ever comment on my thread. If you had any intelligence you would know that chk is not a typo. Chk is actually short for check. What idiot does not know that? The next time you want to insult or correct someone do a spell chk or google your point so that you don't continue to make a dumb a$$ out of yourself.

I really hope that you are under the age of ten (if so then I apologize). If you are not then someone has really failed you. You should know how to spell moron and you should know that chk is short for check. Get it together.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Arimas01 11 years ago

No offense, but it you actually think chk is correct you're quite the moron yourself.

See, I just hate it when an idiot dumb ass says "no offense" right before saying something offensive. What the hell did you expect from calling someone a "moron", MORON? But I'm not going to stoop to your level with the insults. To be honest, I wasn't even going to respond to your whack ass post but I just had to let you know that you might want to do a little research the next time you try to correct someone and insult their intelligence. Most adults know that "CHK" is a commonly used abbreviation for the word "CHECK". Look it up, DUMMY. [sheesh] I can't believe that I had to educate, not 1 but 2 idiots on something as common as an abbreviation .

Don't Worry Be Happy.

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] alex-caruso1 12 years ago

you wanna know something? There is actually a terrible sequel to this called ``Rudolph the Red Nosed

Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys,`` it's a crappy ASS 2001 cgi sequel that was released direct to video.

And I think the makers of that one noticed what you're saying from the original one. At the beginning of

the 2001 sequel, there's this part were they are having a party in this ballroom at the North Pole, and this

giant disco ball comes out of the ceiling because they want Rudolph to shine his nose at the ball so it will

give it that cool disco ball effect. Rudolph then walks away hanging his head saying, ``I guess I'm just a

novelty act around here.`` So I think that proves that you are not the only one to notice this message they

are trying to send kids. They knew Rudolph was only good for one thing, and that was his glowing nose,

without that, the Holiday season wouldn't give two *beep* about Rudolph. LOL. And also in the movie,

everyone keeps telling Rudolph to shine his nose because it's so ``cool`` now. WHAT A JOKE!