Rudolph the bullied reindeer? A reasoned analysis

Perhaps no annual Christmas special is more beloved than "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

Perhaps no annual Christmas special is under more fire than "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

The story of a young reindeer overcoming the ridicule of his peers to heroically lead Santa's sleigh on a foggy Christmas Eve has become the subject of criticism in recent years due to allegations of bullying, bigotry, sexism and other indiscretions.

Is the annual TV special wrong or is it beautiful? Should we celebrate the great work of Arthur Rankin and Jules Bass or should we boycott the show because of the nastiness?

Let's look at it from both sides, now. Like love. (See 1968 Judi Collins hit, written by Joni Mitchell.)

Here are the accusations and the defense for four characters most called out for abusive behavior in the annual "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer," which showed twice this year on CBS, most recently Saturday night.

Donner. Rudolph's father is proud of his newborn son . . . until he sees his red nose, at which time he shouts to keep it covered in order to gain self-respect.

Accusation: Donner, whose love should be unconditional, teaches his son self-loathing and that being different is bad, likely dooming Rudolph to years of doubt.

Defense: Donner is typical of his generation. He knows Rudolph will have to toughen up to avoid being someone's venison dinner. Like the father in "A Boy Named Sue," Donner knows this world is rough and if a deer's going to make it, he's got to be tough.

Comet. In his role as reindeer coach, Comet not only mocks Rudolph for being different, he encourages the other young reindeer to ignore him. "Let's not let Rudolph join in any other reindeer games," he says, making exclusion an official policy.

Accusation: Simple. He is in power and not only excludes Rudolph, he coerces Rudolph's peers to join in.

Defense: He's a P.E. coach. The show was made in 1964. This is an accurate portrayal.

Clarise's father. When the cute doe shows interest in Rudolph, he says, "No doe of mine is going to be seen with a red-nosed reindeer!"

Accusation: Bigotry. Plain and simple.

Defense: In Clarise's father's culture, red-nosed reindeer are outcasts. He is blinded by years of cultural prejudice. He's a bigot, but he believes it's heritage, not hate.

Santa. Perhaps the biggest disappointment is that the CEO of the North Pole berates Donner for having a red-nosed son, chases Rudolph away and allows a culture of abuse led by Head Elf (no name, just a job title), who targets Hermey, an elf who is interested in dentistry, but is forced to make toys. We presume Hermey isn't the only dissatisfied elf, but their voices are muted.

Accusation: Allowing and encouraging a culture of slavery and abuse. Where are his human relations people?

Defense: He gives everyone gifts, he's old, it's always been like this. Ho ho ho.

Conclusion: While "Rudolph" is ultimately a story of redemption, a lot of (male, authoritarian) characters get a pass for unacceptable behavior before they find that the young reindeer is indeed useful. Watch the show, enjoy it, but don't trust the message, which is that you can get hateful people to love you if you just do something that benefits them.

Ho ho ho.

Reach Brad Stanhope at bradstanhope@hotmail.com.