What Rudolph Gets Right about Individualism (and We Get Wrong)
We do a disservice to our children if we don’t offer them sound ideals, philosophy, and moral principles.
When I was a youngster Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer was the gold standard of Christmas movies.
Every year, we’d watch for the commercials that would tell us on which night the classic would air on CBS (usually shortly after Thanksgiving). The movie remains a holiday favorite of mine, and we recently watched it together as a family. (My six-year old also loves it, though my older two children don’t seem as enthusiastic about it these days.)
Multiple moral themes in Rudolph are pretty clear. One is the idea that would should not treat others poorly because they look different than we do. Many of us are aware how cruel children can be, and it’s an important lesson for kids to learn. (Spend a few days on Twitter, and you’ll see that many adults could also benefit from this lesson.)
A second theme the movie gets right is non-conformity,
Rudolph’s father, Donner, attempts to hide Rudolph’s nose with a false one, and this is marginally successful.
“…the Donners did a pretty fair job of hiding Rudolph's, uh, nonconformity,” says the narrator Sam the Snowman (Burl Ives).
Of course, this makes matters worse when Rudolph’s fake nose pops off at sleigh practice.
The theme of nonconformity also comes up with Hermey the elf, who decides he doesn’t want to make toys; he wants to be a dentist. For this, Hermey is denounced by his fellow elves.
“Hermey doesn't like to make toys. Hermey doesn't like to make toys. Hermey doesn't like to make toys.”
These are powerful themes and good lessons. As readers know, I’m a champion of nonconformity myself, just as I am of individualism.
Still, part of my wonders if Americans have taken the wrong lesson from Rudolph. Or, perhaps to be more precise, I wonder if people have taken these values too far.
It’s good to accept ourselves—even our “nonconformities—but some would argue not unreasonably that a culture that celebrates “fat bodies” might be taking things a bit far. Now, I have no wish to shame anyone. I’m hardly in fighting shape these days myself; I could stand to lose a good 25 pounds. People should be treated well regardless of their physical appearance; but there’s a difference between accepting and celebrating.
Similarly, I celebrate people (young or old) forging their own path and deciding what they want to be in life—whether it’s a dentist, circus performer, or janitor. (Whatever you do, do it well is my philosophy.)
But there’s evidence our identity culture has gotten a bit out of hand. There are now more than 100 pronouns people can identify as. This is the earmark of a lost culture, not a healthy and vibrant.
Rudolph learned to accept his nose in the movie, and in doing so he grew and find strength. But if Rudolph would have told Donner he didn’t want to be a deer anymore, because he identified as a bear, Donner should probably consider sitting down and having a talk with the fawn.
In the end, we’re all responsible for making our own decisions, of course. People must be free to choose for themselves. But we do a disservice to our children if we don’t offer them sound ideals, philosophy, and moral principles.
For parents, there’s no greater job—and that job is far too important to outsource to a confused culture or government.