What a Jerk

Santa, that is.

Have you watched TV's Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer lately?

As a child, it seems to be a sweet story about a guy who started out all wrong, and ended up saving his friends, and Christmas for the children of the world. What it looks like now, though, is about a bunch of obnoxious conformists bullying the guy they don't like into packing up and leaving town. It's twisted to think that after how Santa and even his own father treated him, Rudolph agrees to save their pathetic asses from diaster.

We watched it last night--Santa is a first-class, no-holds-barred jerk. He wants everything to be done his way, and he wants all the reindeer to be exactly the same. That's a sociopathic dictator. He states, early on, that because Rudolph is DIFFERENT, he will NEVER pull Santa's sleigh--no matter how hard Rudolph works, he won't fit in. Santa has spoken.

Then, during the reindeer games, when his fake nose falls off, the other bucks make fun of him, but SO DO THE ADULTS. And the adult *coach* is the one who tells everyone, "Right. And remember, gang, we don't let Rudolph play in ANY of our reindeer games."

The pretty little doe who can see Rudolph for who he truly is, still wants to walk home with him, but when her father tracks them down, she's got no chance.

What jerks they all are.

In her defense, Rudolph's mother tries to protect him--at first. But, after the male "put his hoof down," she's silent for the rest of the story. How sad is that? Even at the end, when ol' Dad shows up to be proud of his kid, in spite of his deformity, she doesn't even roll her eyes.

I'd just really like to know, too, in a place that is totally intolerant of difference (hence Rudolph's banishment) how is it that the tall, geeky elf is accepted and allowed to sing and work with the other elves? How does Santa and his gang miss this guy?

So basically, the Christmas message they're sending to us is that unless you're the Token, don't be different. But if you are different, forgive us our jerkness and bail us out when we need you.

No wonder I have so much trouble playing nicely with others--I won't be the Token, and I won't bail you out when you're a jerk who created your own problems.