Rudolph vs. Mean Girls: Pop culture Christmas Fave or Prequel to Modern Cinematic Features with Focus on Teenage Angst in Society?

You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid, and Donner (or Donder...who really knows) and Blitzen...but do you recall...the most famous (and probably the one that requires many hours of therapy) reindeer of all?

You all know the story of Rudolph, so I won't get into the plot too much. Have you ever REALLY watched this show? Year after year I do, and I have to tell you...I watched it the other night...and then I watched Mean Girls...and I think Mean Girls was actually based on this story!

And I'm not ripping off my cousin Nancy's post from the other day!

Now bare with me...Rudolph is obviously Cady (Lindsey Lohan). He's the new kid that just wants to fit in and play reindeer games, but the other reindeer ("the plastics") won't let him because he is different: he has a red nose...Cady's deemed "impaired" because she was home schooled in Africa and doesn't know anything about fashion. Cady wants to impress the Queen of the Plastics...Regina George, just as Rudolph wants to impress the King of Christmas...Santa Claus. (Coincidentally, BOTH Regina and Santa have eating disorders..."Eat, Papa...EAT!! No one wants a skinny Santa!!" Weird, right?)

Rudolph/Cady have their friends...in each case "the misfits." Cady almost loses her identity when she loses sight of the initial mission, and almost loses out on the people that made way for her when she was new. Rudolph did the wrong thing and ran away, thinking he was embarrassing his family and endangering his friends...what he didn't know was that it was more of an upset for him to leave them in the first place. Even though both characters want desperately to fit in, the end of the story is always the same you don't have to be the most popular kid at school to be a part of a good group. Generally the friends you do find are the ones that fit you best, and make a positive difference in your life.

Bottom Line, both are just kids tryng to "fit in" and make their way in a perpetually pretentious society that is devoted to what you have, what you don't have, and what you look like. It's unfortunate that this is the world we continue to live in...the theme is as common today as it was before Rudolph sprouted antlers. Don't be that person that changes yourself just to fit in with "the popular crowd." It just makes them feel stronger if you allow them to have that classification. Be you, as you are...Be happy, as you are. Remember the next time some new kid comes to school (or work, whatever) to take advantage of this amazing opportunity to be their "misfit friend." And if the guy has a giant red nose that lights up and makes a weird noise...let him play the stupid reindeer games...you know what they say about guys with giant red noses that light up right?? They use a LOT of kleenex;)