Hard to believe that the original puppets used in the stop-action Christmas movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer were almost lost to age and neglect. Of course, at the time nobody knew how popular the movie would become, even elevated to cult-status, sans people dressing as misfit toys. Even though they have been on recent tours (nostalgia or new markets?) that have not been in or around NYC, they still hold a certain fascination for me.
Philosophically and culturally speaking:
- Perhaps they hearken back to a simpler time (if there was such a thing?)?
- Perhaps they hold a gentleness for a violent and scary world (when was it never not that way?)?
- Perhaps they remind us of childhood (who really had a happy one, after all?)?
- Perhaps they are simply iconic or even somewhat archetypical (even in a Kantian perspective?)?
Whatever the case, in its simplest, they look good!
