I understand the message they THOUGHT they had. But that’s not the message. The actual message that the story actually puts forth is: it’s OK to be a freak so long as you’re useful, and once you have powerful friends you’ll be accepted.
Here’s a longer slightly profane explanation:
http://www.cracked.com/article_18601_4-bad-lessons-rudolph-red-nosed-reindeer-teaches-kids.html
>> it’s OK to be a freak so long as you’re useful, and once you have powerful friends you’ll be accepted.
Why is this a bad message? It’s true. The best children’s stories are those that acknowledge the unpleasant aspects of human nature, along with the good.
I could read this as: It’s OK to be a freak [gays, black thugs, invading latinos, etc.] so long as you’re useful [vote democrat], and once you have powerful friends [government enforcers] you’ll be accepted [at gunpoint]. There. Now it conforms to all current PC mandates!