The most famous annual children's Christmas television special, "Rudolph, the Red-nosed Reindeer," while reaffirming many of the mythical facets of the Santa Claus tradition, not only undermines the figure of Santa Claus himself (as well as most other adult males), but also erodes the American ideal of individuality within society. Falling clearly within the paradigm of the fairy tale as set out by Russian Formalists, Vladimir Propp and Viktor Shklovsky, "Rudolph," rather than simply presenting the rejuvenating saga of a young deer who will "go down in history," is more likely to create enduring Christmas anxiety in its diminutive audience. This article has a tripartite structure: first, the Russian Formalist paradigm will be used to demonstrate how "Rudolph" fits the parameters of a fairy tale; second, an examination of male roles, especially that of Santa Claus, will illustrate how these roles are undermined and identify the immense anxiety this corruption of character creates in an audience of young children; and finally, the ramifications of the show's message to that audience will be explored in terms of the American struggle to find the individual's position within a larger community.

Regardless of the legitimate questions Frederic Jameson raises in The Prison-House of Language concerning certain general facets of Russian Formalist theoretical approaches, "Rudolph" fits securely into both Propp's and Shklovsky's structural analysis of the fairy tale, which includes several categories of defamiliarization (Jameson’s "ostranenie"): "retardation, composition by steps (i.e., decomposition of the action into episodes), double-plotting (including the interpolation of heterogeneous anecdotes and stories), and, finally, the 'baring of the device' (the deliberate attracting of the reader's attention to the basic techniques of narration itself . . .)"  1  "Rudolph" employs each of these four crucial points, especially through the narrator of the snowman, Sam, who uses a variety of interruptive techniques including songs and anecdotes to fragment the already-episodic forward motion of the plot. Furthermore, just as Propp suggests, the course of the fairy tale's movement toward the hero's acceptance/achievement becomes inevitable in the final showdown between the hero (Rudolph) and the villain (the Abominable Snowman), serving as neither climax nor resolution, but rather as one more retarding device that postpones the inevitable denouement of Rudolph guiding Santa's sleigh. 2  Although numerous correlations exist, "Rudolph" diverges from Propp's and Shklovsky's fairy tale paradigm in a crucial aspect which might better be called an "Americanization" of the form. Rather than the figure of the "donor" 3  following the American ideal of the individual, Rudolph is born without the necessity for the "donor"; he is the complete individual, able to achieve his ends without some intervening agency granting him the means to accomplish his quest.

The male adult figures in "Rudolph" (with one brief but crucial exception) appropriate a condescending, irascible, and/or self-congratulatory demeanor which, though perhaps not completely alien to some young children in the audience, erodes the foundation of a child's belief in the consistent beneficence of the adult male world. The reindeer coach, along with the chief elf, Clarice's father and even Rudolph's friend Yukon Cornelius, appear alternately judgmental and foolish. Even the "objective" narrating snowman, Sam, when given the opportunity, indulges in self-congratulation, praising his own fortuitous role in sending Yukon Cornelius and Hermie, Rudolph’s traveling companion, to find Rudolph in the storm. Equally unsettling is the disgust that Rudolph’s father, Donner, shows towards his son's physical difference; he tries initially to hide Rudolph’s offending nose before silently acquiescing to Santa's admonition that he "ought to be ashamed" of his son's physical abnormality.

While the roles of the functioning males in this fairy tale disseminate problematic messages, an even greater concern centers on Santa Claus. The very essence of most American children's visions of Christmas revolves around the jolly patriarchal figure of an omniscient, benevolent Santa Claus, prepared to reward worthy children, while ignoring the recalcitrant. The Santa presented in "Rudolph," however, is not only irascible and grumpy, but is also neither omniscient nor, by extension, in any position to be put in charge of "the list." Even if Santa’s initial directive that Rudolph must physically conform in order to join the sleigh team can be overlooked, he later chastises the father, Donner, for his son's difference in appearance. Perhaps even Santa’s brusquely belittling dismissal of the elves' song (practiced and sung in a special performance specifically for him) can be understood in terms of the stress-levels of the peak holiday season. Yet, what remains more difficult to comprehend is Santa’s apparent unfamiliarity with the world of toys. The lion king who rules the island of misfit toys spends more time in the real world (he travels throughout the real world each night searching for abandoned or unwanted misfit toys which he brings back to the island) than Santa Claus himself (who spends one night a year traveling through the real world). Furthermore, the lion king is far more knowledgeable about both the world of toys (he tells Rudolph to inform Santa of the island's existence) and its inhabitants. 4 

The nuances of these various roles have a marked impact upon an audience of children. Fathers reject sons out of embarrassment when confronted by their own social peers as Donner agrees with Santa about the shame of Rudolph's nose. One might suggest that at least Rudolph has a father who will eventually pursue him no matter how imprudently, while the Hermie character apparently has neither friend nor family to regret his absence.

Furthermore, the chasm created between father and son can just as clearly be seen in other crucial relationships: employer/employee, father/daughter, husband/wife, and young peers (male/female and male/male); to this audience, however, the figure of Santa Claus remains of paramount importance, especially because the show has become one of the heralds of the Christmas season.

Unfortunately, for a young audience, the very figure invested with the mythical duty of creating the naughty/nice list turns out to be an old grump who cannot appreciate gestures of devotion (as evidenced by his rejection of the elves' song). More importantly, Santa’s knowledge of the real world is marred by lapses (no intimation of the island of misfit toys). Most crucial, however, is that Santa’s judgment is impaired (he rejects Rudolph for inappropriate reasons). This catalogue of discrepancies concerning the individual who decides "who has been naughty and who has been nice" cannot help but create anxiety in the mesmerized audience.

When one examines "Rudolph" in view of the American ideal of individuality within society, the Christmas special conveys an even bleaker message. As mentioned above, in a uniquely American twist, "Rudolph" contains no "donor" to give the hero-reindeer the means to accomplish his quest; he innately possesses that (the nose) which will both set him (the individual) apart and create a unique place for him within the community (society). Unfortunately, this deletion of the "donor" removes all control from the hero. It matters little that Rudolph voluntarily isolates himself from society; his community had already ostracized him. Nothing that Rudolph does makes any impact on the outcome of the tale. He travels the world, first with Hermie and Yukon, but later spends an undetermined period of time wandering alone. He grows into a young adult male reindeer. He returns home, only to subsequently attempt an ineffectual rescue of his parents and Clarice. He, in turn, is saved by old friends and brought home once again, but nothing has changed. The community's tolerance of Rudolph remains minimal.

It is only due to a unique meteorological phenomenon (which apparently had never occurred before) that Santa Claus recognizes the singular capability of Rudolph, causing the entire community to suddenly accept him and his nose with glorious fanfare. The audience, however, while probably not responding with acute alarm, nevertheless reacts with a sense of unspecified anxiety, recognizing that Rudolph is now a hero, but that he never performed an effective action to achieve this status. Hence, these young children can only conclude that individual action per se has little if anything to do with societal recognition. We can only wait for the appropriate moment to arrive (assuming that it even will), hoping to be recognized when and if it does. At best, this is a rather distressing message, but at worst a nihilistic one for another generation of toddlers and kindergartners to absorb in the midst of an already stress-filled Christmas season.

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² During the final showdown, Rudolph is struck unconscious by the Abominable Snowman and must be rescued by the unlikely pair of Hermie and Yukon Cornelius.

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³ The pivotal figure who gives the hero the means/object to accomplish the quest.

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⁴ Rather than ostracize Rudolph for his physical difference, the lion king reminds the reindeer that all living things must exist within the community of the world rather than isolating themselves on islands.

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