Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

I love Rankin/Bass' Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer from 1964. It's filled with dollops of holiday absurdity amid a hero's journey. I think that Rudolph speaks to the outcast in me.

Rudolph's father was so stern, distant and judgemental. Why should a glowing, squeaking honker preclude reindeer games? What made Santa's animals so exclusionary and mean?

His girlfriend, Clarice, is just a little too sexy for kiddies. Those eyelashes have a come hither look:

And his friend, Hermy, the Dentist was so fey.

I didn't know when I was a munchkin, but upon review of the classic, "dentist" is seems to be a euphemism for the love that dare not speak its name.

Then there's the original gay bear, Yukon Cornelius.

Here we see him licking his tool. He's a loner, loves animals and jewelry (actually obsessed with silver and gold) and has a soft spot for pork.

I imagine that en route to the island of misfit toys, Hermy and Yukon were gay for each other.

Then there's Bumble the bouncing abominble snowman.

He seemed like my friendly but potentially dangerous developmentally disabled friend. His dentures were his achilles heel; lose them and bounce off a cliff!

The misfit toys themselves were just so adorable.

Led by King Moon Racer, the winged lion, they needed to find a child to love them.

Along with the polka-dotted elephant, the square-wheeled caboose train, and the cowboy who rode an ostrich with the fish-bird,

there was the water pistol which shot grape jelly.

Finally, there was Dolly for Sue, the ostensibly normal toy doll.

What makes her a misfit? According to Arthur Rankin, she actually had clinical depression from feeling unloved. Now there's a perfectly wonderful/awful revelation! Top this all off with a Charlie-in-the-box,

and you have a far-out and charming holiday yarn befitting good-natured outcasts everywhere.