Exactly. They treated Rudouph so badly, until they needed him. As a child, this movie made me feel like Santa was an ass hole.
I woke up this way

This is exactly how I feel. I saw it once when I was 5 and vowed not only never to see it again, but wouldn't let my kids see it either. I think it was so horrible how Rudolph was treated. I remember crying to my bio Dad and asked why are they so mean to Rudolph. It wasn't his fault for being different, and even if it was, being mean isn't the answer. My bio Dad then hugged me and said that he agreed with me, and even in real life animals and people are this way. He told me about chickens and the expression "the pecking order" and what it meant. I was horrified. I was teased a lot from the age of 5-college, but I remembered that being being mean to another is not the answer.

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Well, if we did it YOUR way, there'd be no story to tell. Did you ever think that? You must be from Generation Moron.

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They start their journey from the North Pole on the evening of 12/24. I can't imagine this was the first ever snow storm they have ever experienced. So, when Santa met Rudolph for the first time and saw that nose and how much it glowed, the first thing in his mind should have been how much he could use him when the weather is bad.
Welcome Christmas while we stand, heart to heart, and hand in hand.

I don't know why I am replying to this 3 year old post, but it seems that it has stayed active and I will throw my 2 cents in for what it's worth. This made me laugh a bit as it basically goes through the whole Rudolph song, yet misses the take-home lesson. The movie is pretty much the literal events of the song made into a clay-mation narrative (though the Island of misfit toys is a bit extra, as well as the abominable snowman).
Rudolph had a shiny nose (you might even say it glows). Rudolph is made fun of and ostracized. Santa and Co realize Rudolph is useful as a headlight, Rudolph is accepted and celebrated. Per Wikipedia, the character of Rudolph and the song pre-date the Xmas special by about 25 years. The movie was telling a pre-existing tale of Rudolph that is overall, a tale of acceptance.
My point is that the show does NOT offer a terrible lesson to kids. The lesson is the lesson of the song. Differences can be hard to live with, but can also help you be stronger and can be unexpectedly beneficial. People/Society are judgy and not perfect, but they also generally accept differences after awhile though it may take some getting used to.
I agree the people around Rudolph seem very closed-minded and are often jerks in a way that is too un-PC for an XMas special made today, but I think the overall message is effective. I don't think anyone took the credit for Rudolph's hard work. Everyone felt bad for treating him poorly in the end and gave him full credit for saving Xmas.

Your comment is beep

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I think the point is that they needed someone who was different, or else Christmas would have been ruined (i.e "what makes us different makes us great"). The point of the story is that if the whole will be stronger if it accepts differences and doesn't insist on total conformity. It was definitely a timely message with it first being aired in the 60's, with a lot of people worried about the potential affects of the growing counter-cultural movements.
HO, HO, HO, MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!!!

I agree and I think The Grinch sent the better message. Even though those kids gifts were stolen , they still had their Xmas. I do not have a horse in the Xmas game, being I am not Xtian.

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Whoa!!!! Down boy!

"This entire thread is a glaring example that some people have WAY too much time on their hands"
That's just stupid. I didn't write it or make it. It doesn't take much time to watch Rudolph with your kids. It probably took more time for you to respond to this thread and by the way, are you saying that you have never had the time to watch this show, even as a kid? If so, then why would you even take the time to respond to this post or did you just want to chime in because you have too much time on your hands.
Before trying cookies for the first time, Cookie Monster's name was Sid.

This entire thread is a glaring example that some people have WAY too much time on their hands.

Remind me never to watch a fanciful tale with you.
This wasn't a miniseries. They had under and hour to get the points across.

you wanna know something? There is actually a terrible sequel to this called Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer & the Island of Misfit Toys, it's a crappy ASS 2001 cgi sequel that was released direct to video.
And I think the makers of that one noticed what you're saying from the original one. At the beginning of
the 2001 sequel, there's this part were they are having a party in this ballroom at the North Pole, and this
giant disco ball comes out of the ceiling because they want Rudolph to shine his nose at the ball so it will
give it that cool disco ball effect. Rudolph then walks away hanging his head saying, I guess I'm just a novelty act around here. So I think that proves that you are not the only one to notice this message they
are trying to send kids. They knew Rudolph was only good for one thing, and that was his glowing nose,
without that, the Holiday season wouldn't give two beep about Rudolph. LOL. And also in the movie,
everyone keeps telling Rudolph to shine his nose because it's so cool now. WHAT A JOKE!

Why don't we all just stop the bashing
here and let everyone have their opinion?
Almost Heaven, West Virginia!

There was nothing wrong with the message of this special as far as I was concerned, because when I was a kid, the message I took from it was, there's only a few people you can really trust, i.e. Hermey and Yukon Cornelius. And maybe people will come around and appreciate who you are and what you have to offer, but who cares, big deal, too late, the ones who are your real friends are the ones who stick by you when the chips are down. You can help the other people, like Rudolph does, because he's good, but just know who your real friends are.

I agree. I totally hated that message; even when I was a kid, I thought it was BS. What, so kids only shouldn't pick on the nerdy kid in their class, not because it's wrong or anything, but because s/he can help them with their homework? That's basically the same moral that this movie has.
The more people I meet, the more I get why Jane Goodall spends all of her time with chimps..

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