Rudolph as a Metaphor for Coming Out

by Michael Jones · 2009-12-25 10:16:00 UTC
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RudolphRudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. And if you ever saw it, you would even say...that Rudolph was gay.

'Tis the season for holiday specials, and Rudolph is one of the most famous. But is Rudolph gay? Well, if Santa can be, then why not the most famous reindeer of all?

Sean Smith at EW drops the analysis. What does he see? Well, when you look at the particulars of Rudolph's story -- a reindeer with a secret, worried that no one will accept him if he bears his true identity, feeling like he's the only one in the world, and not fitting in with those other game-playing reindeer -- you get a coming out story of truly epic proportions.

And that's all before you even get to the elf who wants to be a dentist who doesn't fit in, or an island of misfit toys cast away because they didn't belong. Has Rudolph been the gayest Christmas special around without anyone taking notice?

To hear Smith tell it, yup, Rudolph sure was a metaphor that makes the 1964 special seem...well, way the heck ahead of its time. Take the relationship between Rudolph and Hermey the Elf.

"The two boys meet and discover they have a connection, and, realizing that they can’t be their true selves in this oppressive, small-town North Pole, the flamboyant reindeer and the elf with the oral fixation set off in search of a place where they belong," writes Smith.

This coming out story has a happy ending, of course, with the reindeer (and the elf, and an abominable snowman at that) saving Santa and Christmas. Hey, we already saved the institution of marriage, and we're working on saving the economy. Might as well save Christmas, too :)

(Photo courtesy of narcosislabs' photostream on Flickr.)

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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