Bullying? That’s on the naughty list.
A sixth-grader would like to have a word with everyone about “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”
“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” has long been known and loved by kids throughout the country. We all know the basic story: Everyone bullies a reindeer named Rudolph just because he looks a little different, until Santa comes around and asks him to guide the sleigh for Christmas. Then suddenly, he’s important and popular.
And that’s it, that’s the song’s happy ending.
Many love this story and listen to the song with happiness. But I don’t understand how a song that’s so meanspirited got to be so popular.
An animal gets bullied based on his appearance until “the boss” comes around and gives him a position of power. It just doesn’t make sense. Imagine if this happened in real life: A man has a job, and everyone there is snide to him and calls him names because of something unusual about his face. Then the boss promotes the man and suddenly everyone wants to be friends with him. Doesn’t seem so sweet now, right? Is the moral, “Be hurtful to someone until a more important person starts liking them”?
Let me remind you of some of the lyrics. “All of the other reindeer used to laugh and call him names. They never let poor Rudolph join in any reindeer games.” And, later: “Then all the reindeer loved him.” I mean, come on! Is this the best message for Christmas? Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a time when we give to the poor and help people who are different from us — like Rudolph?
Let me give a little advice to the reindeer —— and to all children everywhere.
First of all, if someone is bullying you, speak up! Rudolph should have reached out to Santa for help long before he gave him an important job.
If that doesn’t work, leave. Why does Rudolph even bother working in a place where the others are so brutal? He should find a workplace where everyone respects him and treats him the same as the others. He has skills. I mean, he can fly!
Third, don’t be a bully. It makes others feel bad, and there is not a Santa in every situation to turn things around. Don’t be like the other reindeer that bullied Rudolph, and don’t name-call and exclude people, either.
Fourth, one of the other reindeer should have stood up for Rudolph. Don’t any of them know that if you see someone bullying someone else, you should speak up?
Also, I think that Santa should have at least punished the other reindeers for being so obnoxious. He could have tried to talk to them, or maybe even threatened to have them skip the sleigh ride on Christmas unless they were kinder to poor Rudy.
This Christmas season, we can still enjoy this familiar song, but as we do, let’s remember what Christmas is all about: kindness, generosity and goodwill to all.