ROUND 1: SING-ALONG SONG
RUDOLPH: Singing a good Christmas song is like drinking a cup of hot chocolate; it makes you feel all warm on the inside. However, singing a round of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” sometimes feels more like being pelted with icicles on a cold winter’s day. By the twelfth day of Christmas, the song can get repetitive!
FROSTY: “Frosty the Snowman” can also become tiresome, but because it’s a longer song, it’s also more interesting. And every time you sing it, Frosty comes to life again and again! It’s magical.
Frosty goes “thumpetty thump thump” on Rudolph’s nose. The snowman starts out in the lead!
SCORE: RUDOLPH – 0
FROSTY – 1
ROUND 2: CHILLIN’ VILLAINS
RUDOLPH: Nothing says “Happy Holidays” better than a good old death match! Aside from the other reindeer that used to laugh and call him names, Rudolph’s nemesis is the menacing abominable snow monster! So long as he still has his teeth, he’s a force to be reckoned with.
FROSTY: On the other hand, Professor Hinkle is the evil magician whose hat brings Frosty to life. Hinkle is one nasty character, but he wouldn’t stand a chance next to Bumble the abominable snow monster, magic or no magic. Bumble would crush Hinkle before he could say “Hocus Pocus!”
The snow monster rips apart Hinkle’s hat to score a point for Team Rudolph!
SCORE: RUDOLPH – 1
FROSTY – 1
ROUND 3: FRIENDLY FIGHT
RUDOLPH: Rudolph finds a friend in Hermey, the elf who doesn’t like to make toys and wants to be a dentist. The problem, though, is that unless you’ve got a cavity or you’re seeking “Fame and Fortune”, Hermey is more or less useless.
FROSTY: Meanwhile, Frosty befriends a little girl named Karen who goes out of her way to find him a refrigerated train car, so that he won’t melt. Plus, as if that’s not enough, she almost freezes to death by travelling with him all the way to the North Pole! Now, that’s dedication.
Karen sends Hermey off packing to the Isle of Misfit Toys! Frosty makes a comeback!
SCORE: RUDOLPH – 1
FROSTY – 2
ROUND 4: CHRISTMAS GIFTS
RUDOLPH: Some gifts can’t be bought or wrapped in a box. Rudolph has two unique gifts. Not only does his nose glow bright red (which sure came in handy on that foggy Christmas eve), but he can also fly! Have you ever heard of a flying snowman? Didn’t think so.
FROSTY: Frosty is special because he is a snowman that can come to life, but while Rudolph is naturally gifted, Frosty depends on Hinkle’s magical hat to survive. Without it, he’s no more than a puddle.
There are no gifts for Frosty under the tree! Rudolph snaps Frosty’s corncob pipe in two, as things turn ugly!
SCORE: RUDOLPH – 2
FROSTY – 2
ROUND 5: ANIMATION INNOVATION
RUDOLPH: In 1964, Rankin/Bass used stop motion puppets to animate the classic, hour-long Rudolph TV special, giving the show an iconic and memorable look that still dazzles many years later.
FROSTY: Finally, the animation in the original Frosty feature, released in 1969, was designed to look like a Christmas card. The result is a colourful, two-dimensional cartoon that has a unique style, but isn’t nearly as original as Rudolph’s format.
Frosty can’t take the heat! Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer runs away with the final point!
SCORE: RUDOLPH – 3
FROSTY – 2
ROUND UP: Frosty the Snowman knew the sun was hot today, so he said, “Let’s run since Rudolph has won and I’m going to melt away!” Both Frosty and Rudolph are cherished Christmas classics, but the fact that the reindeer won is really no mystery. Simply put, “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you’ll go down in history!”
Web Links:
www.cbs.com/specials/rudolph
www.cbs.com/specials/frosty