How the Internet Just Ruined My Favorite Childhood Christmas Movie, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Like many of today's adults, one of my favorite childhood memories around the holidays was tuning into the annual television special of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. The Burl Ives-narrated claymation movie was created in 1964, and it served as an origin story of sorts for Santa's ninth reindeer.

Well, when CBS aired the movie this season, the internet — namely Twitter — decided to point out the, ahem, more problematic plot points of the film, and unfortunately for me, it's hard to watch the once-unassuming children's flick without seeing them as bright as Rudolph's blinding red nose.

If you want to continue enjoying the coming-of-age tale of little Rudy without overthinking the sheer awfulness of nearly every character (aside from the original hipster, Yukon Cornelius), read no further. But if you want to have your favorite Christmas memory tarnished like "silver and gold . . . silver and gold," then by all means, read on. For starters . . .

01

Buckle up: that's only the beginning.

02

Everyone's a Bully . . . Even Santa

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09

An Elf Murders a Disabled Bird

10

11

No One Explains Why That Doll Is on the Island of Misfit Toys

12

13

Rudolph Is Treated Like Crap Until Everyone Needs Something From Him

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But Maybe It Does Have a Happy Ending?

Or is that just what I'm telling myself so I can keep watching it year after year?