Quick Tweet Thread Recap: There and Back Again, A Reindeer's Tale

Gandalf the White, meet Rudolph the Red

I love the internet. Where else can a silly little parody of a famous song take on a life of its own in quite the same way like what happened the past few days with my recent Rudolph/LOTR parody? (Threads like this, incidentally, are why a Gollum-like figure will need to pry twitter from my nine-fingered hands and plummet with my phone into the fires of Mount Doom if I’m ever going to leave the app.)

So it’s time for a Quick Recap! To start, I mashed up a few familiar lines as I am wont to do:

JRR Ho Ho Hokien 🗡️🏹🪓 @joshcarlosjosh

You know Dasher and Dancer And Prancer and Vixen, Comet and Cupid And Donner and Blitzen But they were all of them deceived for another reindeer was made

JRR Ho Ho Hokien 🗡️🏹🪓 @joshcarlosjosh

rudolph to lead them all, one nose to light them one glow to lead them all and through the dark night guide them

Though I’ve had tweets similar to this take off before, I can’t recall a time when it unleashed quite the same level of creativity and collaboration in the replies. Maybe it’s the holiday season or maybe it’s Maybelline, but whatever the reason I just can’t help but recap and share some of my personal highlights in the replies with you all!

First, a dramatic performance of the original:

J. Dianne Dotson @jdiannedotson

@joshcarlosjosh

And to you, Rudolph the Red-Nosed, I give you the light of Earendil our most beloved star:

Emily May @emtomology

@joshcarlosjosh

Mithreindeer, is that you?

Vampy McEyeroll 💋🙄 @prairievamp

@joshcarlosjosh YOU SHALL NOT PRANCE

You can touch his nose. It’s quite cool.

Rob Fawcett @mellonfactory

@joshcarlosjosh ❛ The nose shone piercingly bright, & yet remote, as if out of a great depth. ‘I cannot read the fiery nose,’ said Frodo in a quavering voice. ‘No,’ said Gandalf, ‘but I can… ❜

I chuckled aloud at this one:

Wobi || French Mario ur our only ho @LTDork

@joshcarlosjosh My precious...

You have to walk through the Lincoln Tunnel first:

Mondragon, The House of the @MondragonT

@joshcarlosjosh “One does not simply walk to the North Pole.”

And finally, an illustration inspired by and including the original text of the tweet:

Lar @lartist

Cartoon: You know Dasher and Dancer and.... With thanks, admiration and credit to @joshcarlosjosh for the idea and text.

After the past few days, I don’t think I’ll ever think of the song quite the same way. Thanks to all who participated or contributed and to all the new readers here who found this newsletter from the above thread!

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Reminder: need some last-minute gifts for the LOTR fan in your life? I’ve compiled a few ideas here.¹

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1. On these gifts I may receive a small commission of purchases at no additional cost to you, which will help support me and enable me to continue my activity with this newsletter, on twitter, etc.