We’ve all heard of him, listened to his woeful plight, and secretly cheered him on when he finally won a place in the hearts of his peers after they discovered his usefulness. He is Rudolph, and he is just one of many who had to struggle past his differences in order to gain acceptance.
Rudolph is once again struggling to gain acceptance, but this time it’s not from his reindeer pals—it’s from parents. In our hyper-sensitive, super-politically correct world, Rudolph is being removed from childhood stories. It isn’t that Rudolph himself is politically incorrect, but apparently, some believe that Rudolph should be judged on his own merits, not on what service he can provide for others.
The Changing Narrative Around Rudolph
Throughout the story, Rudolph was picked on, made fun of, scoffed at, and denied basic reindeer privileges. He was forced into a life of isolation in the heart of the North Pole. His differences made him unique, and, of course, he had to go through the typical period of being ostracized and tormented. For some, it wasn’t enough that he was eventually accepted and that those who had originally tormented and scoffed at him realized they were wrong—based solely on a foggy Christmas night.
Rudolph gained acceptance by performing a task—in essence, becoming useful. Parents of children with special needs want to see Rudolph accepted for who he is, rather than for what services he can perform. After all, we teach our children that it’s who they are inside that counts.
Those who reject the story of Rudolph argue that he should have been accepted before the foggy Christmas night, based on another reindeer’s realization that they had been judging him solely on a physical characteristic. But we might be expecting too much from a bunch of flying reindeer.
In 1939, Rudolph burst onto the Christmas scene—not with a message of equality or a lesson in forgiveness, but as a gimmick. He was simply advertising. He wasn’t out to change the perceptions of millions of Americans who unfairly judge people based on their physical appearance. He was there to sell Christmas items, and nothing more.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was originally a Christmas promotion for the Montgomery Ward department store, a cost-effective method of handing out coloring books to children. Every year, the department store was known to give out these books as children entered the store with their parents, simply a way to attract more customers. After all, a parent is more likely to take their children to a store where they will be entertained, rather than dragging them through endless aisles. The store soon realized they could save money on this annual promotion if they asked an in-house employee to create the story.
And so, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was born in the office of Robert L. May in 1939. The story became a huge success, leading to songs, literature, spin-off productions, and the now-famous cartoon.
Of course, Rudolph underwent many revisions before the final, now-immortalized version. Originally, Rudolph lived in an entirely segregated reindeer village, still the victim of taunting and teasing but in a warm and loving household. Santa had been unaware of the reindeer’s glowing nose until he saw the red light shining from under Rudolph’s bedroom door while delivering presents to Rudolph and his family. The foggy, nasty weather outside had already caused delays and accidents, so Santa woke Rudolph from his sleep to ask for his help. Rudolph was instantly heralded as a hero by the reindeer who had never met him before, and Santa adored him without hesitation.
In this version of the story, Rudolph did not have to win the respect of his tormenting peers—he simply showed up. Perhaps this version would resonate more with the current Rudolph critics of today.
Just like all classic children’s stories, the morals don’t always perfectly align with what we would teach our children, but the basic message remains. Rudolph still learned to be himself. He never tried to remove or amend his shining red nose. He knew how to love himself, and eventually, others saw that he was a gift, just like all other reindeer. Sometimes, all our children can do is love themselves and hope that one day someone will recognize their true potential.
