Has there ever been a more "dickish" Santa than the one in Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer?

[Mike Daniels]

I was watching Rudolph yesterday (reliving my childhood) and my wife and I were amazed to the extent that Santa in Rudolph is pretty much a giant "tool".

He's nasty to the "Mrs.", dismissive of the elves, and after initially being impressed with Rudolph's flying proceeds to throw him under the bus when the red nose reveals itself. On top of that he berates Donner (Rudolph's father) for producing the freak of nature.

Only when does it look like Christmas will be cancelled does he realize that he needs Rudolph to pull his fat ass out of the fire and starts begging him to lead the sleigh and save Christmas

Personally, if I were Rudolph I would have told the jerk where he could stick Christmas at that point.

[JoDog]

1. Last night, I realized

that I had watched that show every year for 32 years. My entire life.

And your right, that version of Santa is kinda a jerk. Maybe it's just to help emphasize how nice Yukon Cornelius is.

I like that version of Mrs. Claus, though. "Eat! The children expect a fat Santa!"

[Mike Daniels]

2. Oh, I've watched every year either through the network broadcase or DVD for about 39 years

Pretty much my entire life as well. Same with The Grinch and Charlie Brown Christmas.

Mrs. Claus is pretty cool. Come to think of it Santa's mood could be due to his relatively malnourished state (for him) through most of the episode.

[KittyWampus]

3. LOL! Low Blood Sugar Santa

:D

You are correct, he is a dick.

[johnnie]

4. I've heard

That when they were filming that, Santa was having problems with a cocaine addiction he had developed because of the all night deliveries he had to make. It was also rumored that he checked himself into rehab after seeing his performance in "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer" and has been clean ever since.

In fact, there is a yet to be seen special shot for Biography titled "Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer: Behind the Laughter" that brings to light a few other sordid tidbits about the cast members.

A few examples:


Clarice and Rudolph did get married but it was said to have been a rocky relationship. Clarice disappeared in August of 1981 and has not been seen since. Coincidentally, that was about the same time that "Rudolph's spicy venison jerky" appeared on the market.

Yukon Cornelius is sitting on death row. His story can be seen on the episode "City Confidential: Silver and Gold "The Pick Ax Murders".

Charlie-In-The-Box actually sprang of the set a few times during filming because of "creative differences" with the films director. At one point Charlie suggested a scene where "A Dolly for Sue" crawls out from inside his box wiping her mouth, but of course the director nixed it. It was also reported by a few people on the set that Charlie had some weird fetishes and would make plaster casts of many of the reindeer's hooves.


Hermey the Elf actually did become a dentist, He was found dead in his office in 1972 apparently dead of a Nitrous oxide overdose. He was found sitting in his dentist chair with the mask still on his face, his pants down to his ankles and some "obscene" photos of Rudolph clutched in his hand.

[mitchum]

5. Greatest post ever!

nicely done :)

[guitar man]

7. !!!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

"A Dolly for Sue" crawls out from inside his box wiping her mouth, "

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Richardo]

11. johnnie, your posts are consistently hilarious

:applause: + :rofl:

[elehhhhna]

23. Yukon Cornelius is sitting on death row.

His story can be seen on the episode "City Confidential: Silver and Gold "The Pick Ax Murders".





I rarely laugh out loud on the internets but that cracked it.

[tigereye]

28. great to see you on the case, Johnnie!

:thumbsup: :rofl:

[Odin2005]

31. *laughs hysterically*

:rofl:

[jobycom]

34. Awesome!

Need a "We're not worthy!" smilie for that one! :rofl:

[azmouse]

6. I never thought about that when I was a kid but noticed it when I became an adult.

If anyone should have been kind to Rudolph it should have been Santa.

And what the hell was wrong with Rudolph parents that they couldn't accept their son just the way he was? There was absolutely nothing wrong with him! In fact, he was kinda cute. :)

[guitar man]

8. His parents were obviously freepers

They wanted him to stay in the closet ;)

[skygazer]

9. That whole movie is bizarre

Basically the message is that it's okay to taunt and belittle those who are different until you need them. Then there's the over-the-top sexism - my favorite line when Rudolph rescues everyone from the Bumble - "They knew the most important thing was to get the women home." :puke:

[Zomby Woof]

10. The other sexist part

Was when Donner went off to look for Rudolph, and his wife wanted to come along, he dismissively told her it was her place to stay at home.

I think there was a good message too - the word 'non-conformity' was actually in the script, in a positive sense. But I don't want to overanalyze a children's animated holiday special TOO much. But I agree the sexism dates the film.

[KittyWampus]

13. true, but Clarisse and Mom went out anyway! Just like Lucy always managed to get in

on the act :)

[elehhhhna]

24. Donner's kind of an asshat, now that you mention it.

[Zomby Woof]

33. I am definitely not leaving cookies out for him

[Mike Daniels]

12. Given the show was made in 1964 I think the tone was in tenor with the time

Admittedly, things were starting to change and I'm not saying that it's not out of place now. However, in the grand scheme of things I'm not going to let the odd whiff of sexism from an old animated show ruin my enjoyment of the overall story.

Given that it's one of the few Christmas shows from the 60's that is still shown on network TV it's obvious that its appeal crosses generations in that adults today who saw it as kids are now passing it on to their kids.

[AllenVanAllen]

36. "I think the tone was in tenor with the time "

Our cartoons really are a snapshot of where we are as a society. Here is a 1933 parody of King Kong that makes the sensibilities in Rudolf look like progress.


"King Klunk" 1933 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArKXdba3C8E

[tigereye]

29. we always laugh when we hear that line- so over the top...

[MissMillie]

14. What about the one in "A Christmas Story"?

:silly:

[JVS]

16. He ruled!

[Mike Daniels]

19. Totally forgot about the Christmas Story Santa

That said, I'd say he definitely gives Rudolph's Santa a good run for the money.

[arcadian]

15. What do you expect from a sweat shop owner?

[Zomby Woof]

17. When the Boss Elf denied Hermey his 10 minute break

I turned to my wife and said, "those elves need a union".

[Roland99]

18. HA! I noticed last night when they got to the Island of Misfit Toys that he was rather short w/them!

lol

[Mike Daniels]

20. Well, when the show first came out he skipped the Misfit Toys altogether

It seems there was a little bit of an outcry by the public about the fate of the toys so later editions of the show added the segment showing the "rescue" of the toys.

So perhaps Santa was miffed at having his regular route redirected to pick up a bunch of rejects.

[Zomby Woof]

22. Interesting

Now that you mention it, it IS tacked on. I noticed before the last commercial break it looked like Santa was flying off for good, and the music even swelled appropriately. Then they come back from the commercial, and suddenly, he appears on the horizon, ready to pick them up.

Nowadays, the Misfit Toys come from China, and Wal-Mart picks them up instead of Santa, because he doesn't want to get any toxic waste from the toys on himself.

[kimi]

21. I never noticed all that about the Rudolph story

:shrug: I don't know if I'll ever view it the same way again.

At least the abominable snowman (was he called Bumble or something?) turned out to be a decent guy at the end. But that's probably due to the drugs he got after getting his teeth fixed.

[elehhhhna]

25. since my bearded husband's gone gray he resembles Bumble

good thing I always liked Bumble

[rcrush]

26. Billy Bob Thornton?

[Noseyaboutpollution]

37. Bad santa was def the worst

[tigereye]

27. at least he doesn't have to "get the women home"

:eyes: That special is an exercise in old-school sexism and paternalism and intolerance. But I still watch it and quote it with abandon.


We were joking that Mrs. Santa is the only character that doesn't look like she walked out of 60s suburbia.

[Odin2005]

30. I always loved that movie because it read like my own childhood.

I was the freak nobody wanted to play with.

[Jamastiene]

32. OMG, I wish you would put this somewhere where I could K&R it.

I was thinking the same thing last night when I watched it again. God, what an asshole he was to Rudolph.

Also, did you notice at the end when they were dropping the misfit toys out with umbrellas, the elf didn't give the bird that swam an umbrella? That was hateful of that elf too, if you think about it. The bird couldn't fly. It swam. That's why it was on the Island of Misfit Toys to begin with. All the other Misfit Toys got an umbrella when the elf was dropping them out for the kids for Christmas at the end, but the little prick didn't give the swimming bird an umbrella.

I winced when I saw that. I had never noticed it before. Now that I have noticed it, I'll never be able to watch Rudolph again without thinking about the poor bird that swims. He's gonna go splat at the end because of an asshole elf that won't give him an umbrella. :cry:

[jobycom]

35. Maybe they dropped him over water.

Try to think of it that way. It might help.