12.05.05
I know that my random rantings usually focus on the tragic intrusion of religion into civilized society -- well, into American society anyway -- but I have a splinter under my skin of another sort today, and I'd greatly appreciate if you'd humor me through this little holiday-themed tangent. If not, feel free to skip it.
I heard the Paul Brandt cover of Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie's modern rockabilly holiday staple, "Run, Run Rudolph" at work today, and got to thinking about its musical ancestor (also written by Johnny Marks), "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer." I got to thinking about the story of that original song, and I realized in a subtle epiphany that the original story of "Rudolph" actually conveys a truly appalling message to children.
The first thing we learn about Rudolph is his most prominent physical characteristic, enforcing ocne more the notion that physical appearance is the most important trait in American culture. We are not given a glimpse into Rudolph's character or personality; we are told only that he has "a very shiny nose" that "glows." Because of this physical oddity, we are told that "all of the other reindeer / used to laugh and call him names," as well as never allowing Rudolph to "play in any reindeer games."
Rudolph's maltreatment is a clear reflection of American culture, wherein the physical appearance of the individual more often than not becomes the sole basis for the treatment of that individual by others; this kind of shallow discrimination has historically been the ideological foundation for racism, sexism, ethnocentrism, and other biases that drive rifts into human society.
If we take the 1964 Rankin/Bass claymation rendition into account, we learn that Rudolph's own father, Donner, and Santa Claus himself shunned the young misfit throughout his adolescence, despite his clear talent for flight. Once again, this enforces the idea that immediate physical characteristics -- a red nose -- are more important to society than practical abilities and personality.
Regardless, after untold years of public ridicule because of his physical handicap, Rudolph is approached "one foggy Christmas Eve" by Santa Claus, who comes bearing a request; because of Rudolph's "nose so bright," Santa wants the outcast reindeer to "guide [his] sleigh." Santa makes no attempt to cover the reason for his request; he only approaches Rudolph because, in this rare instance, Rudolph's handicap -- his red nose -- presents an advantage. Only when Rudolph is useful does Santa pay him any attention.
To add insult to this injury, Rudolph is suddenly thrust from his life of isolation to a life of public adoration; only after Rudolph earns Santa's acceptance do the rest of the reindeer suddenly reverse their opinions and "love...him," declaring that he will "go down in history." Thus, the rest of the reindeer only accept Rudolph as one of them when they need the one thing that only he can provide; no one accepted Rudolph for who he was -- differences included -- but rather they decided to tolerate him in their company when they needed something from him.
Clearly, then, Santa Claus is the source of the discrimination that Rudolph suffered for most of his adolescent life; the reindeer who ostracized Rudolph -- his entire social structure -- were acting in nothing more than mindless imitation of Santa's prejudice. When Santa's opinion of Rudolph changed -- based on nothing more than immediate need -- so too did the rest of the reindeer's. This is a clear indictment of the American public's tendency to mindlessly follow the opinions -- and prejudices -- of its leaders.
Sort of like when Bush the Appointed stands before America and lies that the Terrorists "hate us for our freedom." I'm sorry to that shiny little illusion, but men like Usama bin Laden do not hate America for its "freedom" -- which, incidentally, is being curtailed at a frightening rate. Those who hate America do so for very specific sociopolitical reasons, including our "one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states" (1).
As usual, America stuck its self-important nose into world-affairs that our none of its concern, and has consequently been punched in the face. How can we wonder why the world hates us when we ignore the homeless, starving and impoverished around the globe; when we have an organization called the National Federation of Eaters that exalts men for eating as much as most Third World Nations produce in a day; when we pay grown men ten-million dollars a year to play a child's game while families in some Asian countries are forced to sell their daughters into sexual slavery to survive; when we buy our five-year-old children $80 designer jeans that were sown by five-year-old children who were paid 29¢ a day for their services; when our President rolls back environmental regulations that increase exponentially the vast destruction our nation has already wrought upon this planet; when we invade foreign countries entirely without valid justification?
Didn't think I could dovetail an article about a fictional reindeer back into a rant about American politics, did you? That'll teach you to underestimate my inimitable powers of segue again.
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