Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (story behind it!)

Claim: The character 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer' was created for the Montgomery Ward group of department stores.

Origins: To most of us, the character of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer — immortalized in song and a popular TV special — has always been an essential part of our Christmas folklore. But Rudolph is a decidedly twentieth-century invention whose creation can be traced to a specific time and person. Rudolph came to life in 1939 when the Chicago-based Montgomery Ward company (operators of a chain of department stores) asked one of their copywriters, 34-year-old Robert L. May, to come up with a Christmas story they could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick.

(snip) May, drawing in part on the tale of The Ugly Duckling and his own background (he was a often taunted as a child for being shy, small, and slight), settled on the idea of an underdog ostracized by the reindeer community because of his physical abnormality: a glowing red nose.

Remember the Scorcese spoof "Raging Rudolph" on MAD-TV? :)

Rudolph has inspired toys, TV specials ("Olive, The Other Reindeer", more recently), and more than a few other songs:

"Run Run Rudolph"--Chuck Berry

"Rudolph the Brown Nosed Reindeer"--Rudy and the Reindeer (heard on Dr. Demento)**

"Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer"--Elmo and Patsy

**--"Then one cold December day, Rudolph was heard to say,/"Santa, if I wash your sleigh/Can I stay inside all day?"/All of the other reindeer/Were jealous of old Rudolph's ways/Just as the smart deer told them/ Being nice to Santa PAYS!"

another parody, from Seattle morning DJ Bob Rivers

from "I AM SANTA CLAUS" by Bob Rivers & Twisted Radio.

Teddy the red-nosed senator
Had a very shiny car
And if you ever saw it
You were probably at a bar.
All of the other senators
Wondered how he got his dames
They thought he drank too many
To play in any bedroom games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say:
"Teddy with your nose so red,
Won't you help me guide my sled?"
That's how the police found them
Wrapped around a maple tree
Teddy the red-nosed senator
He's a drunken S.O.B.

Hey you forgot "Leroy, the redneck reindeer"!

You've all heard the story
About Rudolph and his nose
But I'll tell you a Christmas tale
That never has been told
You may think you've heard it all
But you ain't heard nothing yet
About that crazy Christmas
That the North Pole can't forget

Rudolph was under the weather
He had to call in sick
So he got on the horn to his cousin Leroy Who lived out in the sticks
He said "Santa's really countin' on me
And I hate to pass the buck"
Leroy said "Hey, I'm on my way"
And he jumped in his pickup truck

When Leroy got to the North Pole
All the reindeer snickered and laughed
They'd never seen a deer in overalls And a John Deere tractor hat
But Santa steped in and said "Just calm down"
Cause we've all got a job to do
And like it or not, Leroy's in charge
And he's gonna be leadin' you"

And it was Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer
Hooked to the front of the sleigh
Deliverin' toys to all the good ole boys And girls along the way
He's just a down home, party-animal
Two-stepping across the sky
He mixed jingle bells with a rebel yell And made history that night

Before that night was over
Leroy had changed their tune
He had'em scootin' a hoof on every single roof
By the light of the neon moon
Santa wrapped his bag with a dixie flag
He was havin' the time of his life.
And you could hear him call
"Merry Christmas to ya'll
And to all of ya'll a goodnight"

And it was Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer
Hooked to the front of the sleigh
Deliverin' toys to all the good ole boys And girls along the way
He's just a down home, party-animal
Two-stepping across the sky
He mixed jingle bells with a rebel yell And made history that night

He mixed jingle bells with rebel yell
And made history that night

Listen to Leroy's story here-
http://www.ruthann1.com/RedneckChristmas.htm

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