I'm An Eldergay & I Still Love Rudolf The Red Nosed Reindeer

Hermey is a total flamer.

Just remember if you are going to love Rudolph make sure you have his consent.

everyone loves Rudolph OP, who cares if you're old

You know, when people have fond memories of childhood things I am OK with quality stuff, like Rudolph and Charlie Brown. This is classic animation with with and good songs. I always look askance when people like shows like I Dream of Jeannie or Bewitched, or God forbid, The Brady Bunch.

^^with wit and good songs^^

I tried to watch this with the Christmas Moose last year, but it was too scary and we had to switch to “The Bells of St. Mary’s”. We’re gonna give it another try now.

Ahhhh, just in time for the Bumble! I guess it’s Bing Crosby, again this year. **sigh**. I guess there’s always tomorrow, for dreams to come true.

Hermey is obviously transgender. Otherwise his name would be Hismey.

[quote] “Good-bye, Hermie. Whatever a dentist is, I hope someday, that you’re the greatest.”

Bwaaaaaaaa!

[quote] “Yukon! He’s gone! Oh, he’s gone!”

Bwaaaaaaaaaaa!

There’s no question that this is an allegory about growing up Gay, right?

I’m a cynical jaded old eldergay - but I love this show.

OMG, They almost cancelled Christmas!!!

I always had the hots for the tall elf with the glasses.

Santa was such an asshole in this.

Me too OP.

This is for you.

Rudolph always reminded me of Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Jealous, bitches?

Here’s a Norwegian reindeer!

Yukon Cornelius!

OK, forgive my ignorance - but is a reindeer relation to a deer? Because I know deer is tasty when prepared properly.

Lucifer, you totally freaked-out the Christmas Moose. SHAME ON YOU!

Here’s a wee little polar bear. Notice that he’s got some pretty sharp claws already.

Reindeer are also called Caribou. Both males and females can have antlers. Their eye color changes from gold to blue, seasonally. They can see into the ultraviolet spectrum, much further than humans. Most do not have noses that glow.

Nobody wants a Charley-in-the-Box!

Jeeze, R24, that movie ought to have an R rating.

I like Rudolph as well.

And the Charlie Brown and Mr. Magoo Christmas specials, and the Waltons Christmas movie with Patricia Neal.

And Sniffles . . .

“She said I’m cute!”

Love that line.

Was Prancer the gay reindeer?

[quote]Rudolph always reminded me of Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid.

R16, This is pretty amazing since Karate Kid came out like 20 years AFTER Rudolph!! How does that work?

" Mommy, mommy, Rudolph reminds of an actor from the future!"

I can't watch it anymore. once I reached 35 and it STILL made me cry every year I realized that I was far too sensitive for it and went back to watching criminal procedurals etc.

I just had an epiphany

I was absolutely TERRIFIED of the Abominable Snowman when I was a boy.

I love the mismatched pack of dogs that pulls Yukon Cornelius' sled. When push comes to shove, the dogs jump onto the sled and Yukon Cornelius pulls them.

I always identified with Rudolf long before I knew I was gay.

[quote] “Yukon! He’s gone! Oh, he’s gone!” Bwaaaaaaaaaaa!

The part that gets me is is when the Misfit Toys see a red light in the sky....

Bwaaaaaaaaaaa!

And let's face it DL, we are all Misfit Toys. Merry Christmas!

After his secret became known, I remember as little boy getting very upset when Comet told all the other reindeer kids that they would make sure to never let Rudolph join in any more reindeer games. I hated Comet for that. Later on in school life I noticed how so many male coaches in school turned out to have the same hateful attitude toward kids they deemed different or not up to par with the more athletic kids.

[quote] Rudolph always reminded me of Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid.

Why, his balls didn’t drop until he was 25, either?

[quote] Perhaps more people will tune-in to watch due to her name recognition and the curiosity.

Everybody likes a good carnival sideshow.

My great uncle worked on Rudolph. He made many of the puppets, and did repair work during the shoot.

It's called a rerun R29.

Ooops, wrong thread at R39

As with other Rankin-Bass productions, particularly "Mad Monster Party," there's a particular Mad Magazine style of Jewishness to it that I always liked. Wanting to be a professional rather than a line worker was heavily coded for being Jewish. So was having a big nose. Plus it's all about accepting yourself and others. A very progressive Jewish story. Perfect for those of us creeped out by the story of the rape baby born in a barn.

Rape baby? Are you off your meds?

I love all of these classic holiday specials. Anyone remember this little ditty from 'Twas the Night Before Christmas? I love this song!

When the misfit rag doll says she hadn’t any tears left - I identify with my inner bullied child from a broken home.

Don't forget Olive!

"There's always tomorrow for dreams to come true..."

I sobbed during that song the first year it was broadcast. I think it was then that my Dad figured me out...

I've told this story before here, but here goes again. For all the faults of my parents, they did two really wonderful things for me as a kid. One year for Christmas, I got a stuffed elephant with pink spots that my mother had dyed onto its fur. When the spots eventually wore off, she told me it was because I had loved him so much, and he was happy. The next year, my dad made me a wooden train engine with square wheels. I was told Santa brought them to me because he knew I would love them anyway.

Here's that old article that has been posted before about The Gay Subtext of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Even as a child, we picked up what a prejudiced, mean piece of shit Santa could be -

[quote] “For a year the Donner family did a good job hiding Rudolph’s — non-conformity,” the narrator tells us, pausing slightly before landing on the right euphemism. This is the closet of Rudolph’s parents devising, which he goes along with thanks to the internalized homophobia that he inherited from both his father and Santa, the superego of the North Pole, who is equally distressed by Rudolph’s difference. Santa even goes so far as to tell Donner that he should be ashamed of his son and try to change him. It’s almost as if Santa is a church elder trying to force Rudolph into conversion therapy.

At the end of the story, Santa gets all Kumbaya-y and accepts Rudolph and this Red Nose, but only because Rudolph's deformity proved useful to the old man. But deep inside you know Santa still hates men who sing show tunes, watch the Oscars, and can't guide his sleigh at night.

Merry Christmas!

Love,

When I was a kid when you took NBC Studio Tour they had the puppets in a glass case on display.

R31: island of misfit toys

Is that Fire Island?

Apparently in the original cut, Santa didn't even bother to go back for the misfit toys. They added that scene later.

Billie Mae Richards was the voice of Rankin/Bass' version of the character Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. She also had a bit part in the 1998 horror film Bram Stoker's Shadow Builder, in which her character was attacked with an axe by Paul Soles (who had played Hermey the elf in the original Rudolph special).

So Hermey had it in for Rudolph all along.

R49, I remember your story now when I see the film. It made me tear up both times I've read it.

OP, I, too, love this show. Thought you might be interested in this video done by a Rudolph devotee who compares and contrasts the different versions currently available.

(I always wanted to be King Moonracer. Partly because it is such a great name, partly because I could identify with his commitment to duty, partly because my father and brothers would sing Vaughn Monroe’s “Racing With The Moon” in four-part harmony.)

It's on FreeForm now. The film copy is very clean and bright, and the colors are great.