Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer needs therapy, or zen

All of the other reindeer, used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games. Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say: "Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?" Then how the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee: "Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, you'll go down in history!"

Dude, that is such the wrong message to be sending out to kids : )

So here you have this reindeer-kid, Rudolph, who's tortured by all the other kids at the schoolyard because his nose is off-color. Not only is he laughed at and called names by his peers, he's a social outcast. He's rejected. Then along comes The Man who says, "Don't worry Rudolph. I'm gonna make you a star!" What message are we sending here? Only after some big shot comes along and signs him to a sleigh-pulling gig, then is it OK to be Rudolph? Only after some dude with authority says, "He's cool", then it's socially acceptable, and we can love him, and we can shout with glee? No wonder there's millions of social rejects on YouTube crying for attention, hoping to be noticed.

Poor Rudolph needs some serious therapy!

Where's the story about the misfit red-nosed reindeer who gets laughed at and called names, but instead of enlisting in the carnival sideshow with the other freaks, decides that the real problem lies with what's considered "social norms", rather than his own peculiar shiny-nosed condition? Instead of searching for social acceptance, the reindeer-kid comes to terms with his own existence in a zen-like fashion: What nose? What red? What reindeer, even, but a spark of awareness that has no form?

I mean, the sleigh-pulling contract is nice too, don't get me wrong. But I think it'd be better for Rudolph in the long run if he sought his own acceptance rather than seeking the approval of others.