Christmas Eve Spotlight: Clarice

Several times this season I’ve been approached on the streets of Santa Paula and very bluntly asked the question…”Gringo, who’s your pick for most attractive doe in a stop motion animation film?”. My answer never wavers, I do need not think twice about the answer-it’s gotta be Clarice. Clarice is the attractive little doe that inspires young Rudolph to come out of his crimson-hued shell and lets his individuality soar through the clouds and into our collective hearts. A modern day Howard Roarke rebelling against the establishment and excelling like no other reindeer…or architect.

And what really sets her apart from all of her peers is her confidence and her conviction when she tells Rudolph early in the film to get off your lazy butt, ditch the nose cover and learn to fly. “I think your cute” she seductively whispers to Rudolph which sends him into a frenzy like the amphetamine-riddled Johnny Cash of the early 60’s. She was the muse for Rudolph, she motivated Rudolph unlike others that surrounded him. Hermey the Misfit Elf and his delusions of dentistry was a mere nuisance to this petite siren of a doe. Hermey the elf dentist? An elf dentist?!? What’s next…a black president?

“I think it’s a handsome nose” she announces in a manner only Doris Day would be proud of. Now, either she’s nefariously setting him up to be completely ridiculed by his peers or she cares for him so much that she’s trying to boost his confidence thereby elevating him to new heights. My initial impulse is to believe she is as the Electric Light Orchestra once put it…an “Evil Woman”. However, since then I’ve come to the conclusion that Clarice has good intentions. I’m inclined to believe the polka dot bow on the top of her head represents symbolism at its finest! She's a present with a bow on top and a card which simply reads…

To: Rudolph
From: God



Am I becoming soft? Is there some deep fundamental change in my approach to the opposite sex now that I have daughters. This post is becoming very cathartic. It took writing the above paragraphs to take notice of this metamorphosis in my mind.

I hope Jeff doesn’t find out about this. He’ll kick me out of the club.