**WARNING: This post contains ideas about a children’s show that may be disturbing to some audiences. Reader discretion is advised**

I’ve discovered something recently–things lose their magic as you grow older.

I was watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer with my mother–you know, one of the classic Christmas specials. It’s tradition…we do it every year. And…I loved that show. I always thought it was cute and sappy, and Christmas-spirit-y. But tonight….

It’s like I had new eyes.

For one, Santa is a bigot. I mean, just because Rudolph’s nose glows is no reason to completely invalidate him as a reindeer! And he doesn’t even think about how Rudolph feels about it–all he can think of is how it would “look” to have someone like Rudolph on his sleigh team. Talk about self-centered!

And…has anyone noticed how…homogonous those elves are? With the exception of the leader–who has to look different so you can tell who’s in charge, I guess–all the elves look alike–one male type and one female type. The only one who looks different–and like he has a personality, mind you–is Hermey. And why does he look different? Because he wants to be more than an elf…which is wrong. Apparently all elves can do is make toys, giggle and wiggle their ears–and like it. Since Hermey is more than that, he of course can’t look the same as the “normal” elves…thus driving home the idea that “different” is bad. You look different—there’s something wrong with you.

And, of course, the Reindeer Games. (I’m going to just ignore my secret belief that Comet is really a pedophile for now–that’s a whole different story). If you look like everyone else, you’re golden. But…notice the reaction everyone had when Rudolph’s false nose came off–you’d have thought that he had pulled out a sub-machine gun and started blowing the other deer away! And, mind you, they had just been praising Rudolph like 2 seconds ago. What changed? His looks–Rudolph was different, and remember class …different equals bad.

Notice, though, it’s the female reindeer who are at all accepting of Rudolph–all two of them. And…where are the women, anyway? I guess all female reindeer are supposed to stay bare-hooved and pregnant, submissive and silent? I mean, look how easily Donner ignores his wife when it comes to the treatment of their son, and how Clarice’s attempts to talk to her father are just brushed aside. And how Donner won’t let his wife search for their son–”it’s man’s work.” And poor Mrs. Claus…she’s just brushed aside by her “better” husband. In fact, the only women in there that seem to have any sort of equality are the Stepford-esque female elves…but that might not matter, because clearly–if you go by dear Santa’s reactions–elves are inferior and so don’t really count for much time or attention. I’m trying to decide if this is merely a gender bias, or if this is truly showing misogyny.

I have no complaints about Yukon Cornelius–clearly anyone who can have a dog team like his must be able to accept diversity in the world around him.

And…the Island of Misfit Toys. Where everyone is different…unwanted. They know the pain of being discriminated against…or so you’d think. Notice, that only misfit toys can live there (well, and the flying lion thing…but if you’re a lion and have wings, I guess an exception can be made). Rudolph, Hermey, and Cornelius are not toys…and therefore are not welcome to stay–they are the wrong kind of different. Segregation, anyone?

I think the Bumble was misunderstood He’s been treated as a big meanie all this time–run away from, feared, maybe even hunted…of course he’d be a little cranky. Give the Bumble some love!

But, everyone is accepted, and it’s all good and happy in the end, right? Nope. Rudolph and Hermey–and Bumble too, when you get down to it–are only accepted because they can be useful to their “superiors”. Look: Santa needs to put headlights on his sleigh, but wait! Rudolph’s nose glows–we can use him! Isn’t that great? And Hermey…when you have a cavity, it’s a good time to allow a dentist to exist with you, isn’t it? So…what? Being different is bad…unless you can exploit those differences? And the women still had no real role to speak of, even after that.

I never used to watch and think that. But now…it’s all I can think. I’m afraid to watch any other specials…I don’t know what else I would see through these adult eyes.