Great idea, but I read into it a little differently as it was created in the '60s. Gosh, when it 1st was broadcast, I was too young to realize the hippie influence in this Christmas special [but then again, I did not understand when the Dr examined Bugs Bunny when he got drafted, the 'turn your head and cough' reference either]. The house that the Kringles live in is Victorian style. Similar to the old Victorian houses that hippies moved into during the '60s? And the Kringles embraced some of the hippie beliefs: They were obviously counter-culture & anti-establishment, they made toys which were declared illegal by the Burgermeister [ruling class]. They made their own clothes and dressed in bright colors. They hand-crafted toys and gave them away for free. Even as adults they all habitated in the same residence to lessen their impact upon Mother Earth [perhaps could be a commune?].
Kris represented the pacifist and approached the Winter Warlock and offered him a gift [the gift represents 'peace & love' - hippie ideals] which melted his icy evil heart. The Winter Warlock represent 'the establishment' the war in Vietnam. You cannot dismiss 'Warlock" being broken down to 'war' and 'lock' as being locked into a war as the US was at that time AND 'winter' referring to cold as in 'cold war'.
Although only a captive of love [for Kris] Jessica caught a case of Stockholm Syndrome [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome ] AND IT WAS RELEASED 4 YEARS BEFORE THE PATTY HEARST KIDNAPPING!!! [ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patty_Hearst ]
Topper represented one of the many suburban white kids who went to the city [mostly Haight-Ashbury] to live in communes. Kris often refers to Topper as 'lost', just like the kids who were urged to 'tune in, turn on and drop out'. Pay attention to the outfit Kris Kringle is wearing before Tanta Kringle gives him the homemade fur outerwear. Gee, it is total Sonny Bono circa 1968 [see photo http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/recall/images/030912bono.jpg and I think you'll agree]
And when Kris & Topper make it to Sombertown, twice he is addressed about his clothing. Hippies were characterized by brightly colored clothing and often self-made in protest of Western consumerism.
Burgermeister sees Kris and calls him a 'non-conformist & rebel' and seeks to jail him for it.
Also Topper wears a brightly colored striped scarf. Hippies often wore head scarves. While it was worn in the traditional 'around-the-neck' fashion, Kris' long hair was pretty conformist looking too - kinda Glen Campbell circa 1969 [http://www.alhazan.com/images/glen-campbell.jpg ].
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sandrasguy
17 years ago
rship1-I appreciate your carefully thought out response-kinda has merit. I guess we both have different takes on the same story, but I think we agree it is a great teaching tool.
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TracesOfLove
17 years ago
Yes I was watching tonight too and noticed what you wrote also. Although you said it better than I could! It's interesting because I haven't watched this since I was a kid. They usually don't play this or The Year Without A Santa Claus. I guess one good thing came out of the writers' strike! I've seen Rudolph thousands of times and that one is definitely anti-establishment! It is a total parable of what it's like to be different specifically being a homosexual as well as other outcasts. I also thought little doll from the island of misfit toys must have represented a stripper. I roar with laughter when she says "I don't have any dreams left to dream"! I love how they even make Santa a jerk! Now I'm curious to see A Year Without Santa Claus to see what messages I missed as a child!
I see no beauty here, nor fit for breeding.
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pioneergrrrl
17 years ago
Actually Rudolph is about the deinstitutionalization of people with disabilities as the main storyline.
It parallels the changes which were begining off screen in the United States--and would pick up lots of steam in the 1970's.
A train with square wheels cannot move easily--so he is sequestered away from 'others' from his own protection on a gloomy island. He was not asked if he wanted to be on the island and could not get off that island voluntarily.
Ditto for the squirt gun which squirted jelly and the bird who could not swim. They too (among other toys) were disabled from the 'norm'. They were not 'working properly'.
Other websites said the dolly has psychological issues. Since dollys are supposed to be happy (like the one I had growing up) this is how she is disabled.
They were among their own kind, but this did not make them feel happy. They knew they were being isolated because of their disability. Unlike Hermey, they did not chose to be how they were.
The castle on the Island of Misfit toys itself looks like some of the facilities which were initially built to house people with disabilities from the outside.
They were also grand institutions as was the original intention of Victorian reformers (who honestly believed in seperating people with disabilities from the general society) But by the 1960's, the inside of these places were decrept, people were lying in their own waste, over medicated and just plain filthy---it would have been interesting to see the stop-animiated toy versions of these conditions and the interior of the castle.
Rudolph's disability is his nose. Reindeers are supposes to have black and non-glowing noses. His birth-defect (as it would then be called) made him an outcast among the other reindeer.
That is until Santa discovers how Rudolph can be accomodated when there is heavy fog and he would otherwise not be able to deliver the toys. Only Rudolph can do the job, ironically because of his disability.
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