SeedSing's Advent Calendar of Awesome Holiday Television Programs: Day 5 - "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

The pre-Christmas Day season of Advent is upon us. Here at SeedSing we love the chocolaty goodness of getting a piece of candy once a day until we get to open our presents. As our gift to you we will present a new awesome holiday television program for every day of Advent. This is the greatest tv of the season. Enjoy.

Day 5: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Original air date, December 6th, 1964

Opened Doors: One, Two, Three, Four

Let's talk about Rudolph.

Usually I will talk about how our modern holiday struggles / joys relate to the television special I am writing about. Not today. Why? Well, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has no connection to what we see during our 21st-century pursuit of the perfect December. It is frankly an outdated story, with a message that is detrimental to the growth of society at large. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" should be an embarrassing relic of a confused time long ago, yet there is still so much charm to the television special. That charm is why we return every year to the tale of a mutant freak who one time saved Christmas.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" premiered on December 6th, 1964. It was already a well-known commodity due to the popular song that was based on a famous poem from 1939. The famous animated talents of Rankin and Bass gave Rudolph and his friends their iconic, beloved, look. The hour-long special holds the distinction of being the longest continuing broadcast Christmas special in the history of television. Multiple generations of kids and adults have been subjugated to the great look, and terrible lessons, of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The story of the Rudolph is filled with red flags. We have the father, Donner, telling his young son to hide his differences. We have the kids, and the gym teacher, laughing and excluding Rudolph. We have the benevolent dictator that is Santa Claus being angry and disappointed in Donner for creating a non-acceptable specimen for his sleigh engine. Hermey the elf not having a choice in life, he must be a toy making slave. The island of misfit toys being an excuse to discard anything not normal. The victory for the Island of junky toys is for kids around the world to be gifted defective gifts. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is an hour of terrible lessons to teach children. 

Yet, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" has become must watch in many families homes during the holiday season. The animation is awesome, and iconic, so that may be the reason. The song is catchy and part of our culture, that could be the ticket. I think the reason Rudolph persevere is because of it's archaic nature. Not accepting people is from a time we have gladly left behind. In 1964 Donner and Santa may have seemed normal, today they are downright comical. If Hermey wants to try something else, we celebrate that. The U.S.A. has long past the time of racist, uncaring, blowhards being the leaders we look to for guidance (ed. note: We wrote this sentence on November 7th of 2016.) We watch Rudolph because we know the red nosed reindeer, and his wanna be dentist buddy, will win at the end. They represent the society we evolved into away from. We rejected the idiots of Donner and Santa. Rudolph is our victory trophy.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" will always be a part of my holiday viewing pleasure. I am old enough to see the terrible lessons, but still love the music. Children everywhere will watch it for the first time, and question the behavior of their beloved Santa, but they will fall in love the iconic imagery. "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" is like an Ayn Rand novel, something filled with awesome imagery and terrible lessons. It is part of our holidays, for better or worse. Plus, Yukon Cornelius is all kinds of awesome.

RD

RD Kulik is the Head Editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast. This holiday season he only wishes for silver and gold. Want to help out? You can.

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