I originally posted this last December after someone started me thinking differently about Rudolph. This week political correctness run amuck has multiple sites talking about a segment on Fox News:
War On Christmas | Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer Ban | Mediaite.
Rudolph has always been one of my favorite Christmas shows, but we were too busy to watch it when it was on a week ago, so my family and I watched last night. Thanks to my fellow bloggers, I watched it with a fresh set of eyes.
Now obviously everyone knows Rudolph and his buddies were not treated very well. That I got! What I didn’t get initially is how the whole show is about being cruel to those who are different. When you look at it that way it makes you think.
My thoughts are that at the time Rudolph was made, it probably was meant to teach tolerance, but given today’s climate, it really does seem cruel. I can certainly see why there are people who do not like it, so I have some questions for you.
Do you think Rudolph should have let Santa and others off so easily? Remember I’m all about forgiveness, but even I can understand why many think he shouldn’t have. Still, I think Rudolph did the right thing. It would have been nice if Santa and everyone else had really changed, but that isn’t really clear in the story.
Should the classic be remade to make it politically correct? I love Burl Ives and I love “There’s Always Tomorrow,” so I would be sad if the original Rudolph was no longer a Christmas classic. I think it might be more important for parents to use it to talk about bullying and how wrong it is like my parents did instead.
For those watching Charlie Brown, what about Lucy? Is she a “mean girl?” Many are also talking about the Disney classics. Let me know if you think of others?
Delightfully Different Life 
I love when the kids explain why they behaved badly and it wasn’t about our kids. I only wish that were always the case, but unfortuantely it is not.
Yes, I agree that Rudolph handled things the right way. I too share your dream about kids seeing the potential of our children and realizing they need to be nice.
I think that Rudolph did behave correctly. Because otherwise a kid that is bullied could learn to give up. I try to teach my son if someone mean today there may be a reason they are mean and if nice tomorrow should give them a chance. One time a kid that was mean to my son came up to him a few months later and apologized and explained his parents were getting divorced at that time. I was so thankful for so many reasons! Otherwise our kids learn to retaliate and then they are in trouble for retaliating.
If only kids would watch Rudolph and think “Oh I should treat the different kid nice because some day I will need him when he invents____ or is my boss” Or someday leading us through a snow storm like Rudolph.
Rudolph behaved correctly in my book. Often it is those people we meet that were not nice to us but then through a kind act become our best friends. I do think Santa changed his tune as he stopped by the island of misfit toys which he had never done before.
Happy Holidays to you my friend. And as usual we are on the same page and will leave my link below so you can read my thoughts this week.
Yes Grace, I think he did too! I agree people can change and it is nice when they do. Loved your post and left a message for you there! Thanks for being my loyal blogging friend.