Just Because It Amused Me

[shipperx]

From TVGuide's Watercooler:

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
I just want to point out that long before critics painted The Incredibles as an argument for Ayn Rand's Objectivism (egalitarian society tries to keep the superior superheroes down in the swamp of mediocrity, thus stifling their individual potential), I wrote a paper calling Rudolph a refutation of Francis Galton's eugenics, which holds that we should promote the pairing of the superior among us and prevent the "imperfect" from breeding, thus improving the race.

Think about it. Poor Rudolph's red nose is revealed after Donner tries to cover it up and what's Santa say? "Donner, how could you?" Like, oh, sure — I should just help the reindeer genetic-superiority crowd persecute my own son, you old bastard.

I know — I get carried away. Got an "E" on that paper, too. (My egalitarian high school eliminated the "F" so no one would feel like a failure, even though an "E" wasn't a passing grade and it was just pushing the bullet in by hand rather than shooting you.) Seems I was supposed to write a paper on Animal Farm instead of watching TV.

Comments

[rahirah]

I think the thing about Rudolph is that it came out just after the big push in the 50s to make sure your kids were 'well adjusted' and 'fit in'--i.e. looked and acted exactly like everyone else. Rudolph was promoting the idea that different was not just OK, sometimes different was better, and in its time that was a mildly subversive message.

I can see the point of the people who feel this message is less timely in the 21st century--but I'd point out to them that if you actually watch the film, it's obvious from the clothes, cars, etc. that The Incredibles is supposed to be set in the early-to-mid 60s. (The time frame of the Silver Age superheroes, as opposed to the WWII Golden Age heroes, for the comic geeks among us.)

There's one huge difference between Rand and The Incredibles: while the heroes-in-hiding inability to use their powers is presented as a hardship imposed by the unpowered masses, the WAY they long to use them--to save and protect the un-powered masses--is about as anti-Rand as you can get, according to my admittedly limited understanding of Rand. (I've read exactly one of her books--Anthem? The short science fiction one.) Mr. Incredible isn't miserable just because he can't beat up supervillains; he's miserable because he's not allowed to help people. Rand would roll over in her grave.