I’ve always wondered about the Island of Misfit Toys in the adventures of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Who made these low quality toys? Certainly these unwanted misfit toys had to be built in Santa’s workshop. His quality control personal must have been on vacation to let so many misfits slip through. No child wants such misfits as a Charlie in the Box. Or a doll that cries and has no nose, a water pistol that only shoots jelly, a polka dotted elephant, a swimming bird, a Cowboy riding an ostrich. A sinking boat, a flightless airplane, a train with square wheels on it’s caboose. How did they get onto the island? Were they kidnapped by King Moonracer?
Early on we see Santa’s elves busily making toys and singing their silly elven songs. Heck even Santa wasn’t impressed by their singing. Hermey the elf seemed all too preoccupied with Dentistry rather than toy making. Strangely, he tries fixing doll’s teeth with a hammer and pliers. Not to sound anti dentite but what kind of Dentist uses a hammer and pliers to fix teeth? Could it be that Hermey the Dentist wanna’-be is the original quiet quitter? All the other elves cherish their toy making tasks and choir practice. All but Hermey, his painting skills and singing ability are lacking. Was Hermey responsible for all the toy misfits?
As the story unfolds, Rudolph the red nosed reindeer, a district outcast from the reindeer games, meets up with our pre-Dentistry elf Hermey. They begin their adventures together playing keep away from the Abominable Snowmonster. Only Rudolph’s bright red nose always gives them away. Prospector and North Pole Expedition guide Yukon Cornelius guides them directly to the Island of Misfit Toys. Hermey seems all to aloof and the misfit toys give him little attention. Something seems not too right there as though the misfit toys know, and Heremy doesn’t wish to draw attention to his poor toy making skills. Even King Moonracer wanted to be rid of this crew, as if he were plotting something.
It stands plausible that these misfit toys were created by Hermey the elf. His mind was not in the toy making business. Instead of working, he constantly read the book of dentite. Between reading dentistry skills and using a hammer improperly on doll’s teeth and toys, we see an elf in phycological distress. An elf clearly unsuited for toy making. Why wasn’t HR involved? Clearly this elf has no toy making skills. His manager in the green coat should have nurtured this hapless pre-dentite elf into a different position more suited to his skill level.
Was Santa’s work shop a Union Shop? Union rules were never brought forth, but its plausible. That may explain why Hermey was never fired. However, a Union shop would never allow cross job work. A dentist making toys? Never. Was this an independent shop? Possibly. Early on Hermey and Rudolph set out to be independent together. This foreshadowing may explain this not to be a Union shop. And the misfit toys a simple write off by Santa to King Moonracer who stands to profit by taking the misfits off Santa’s hands.
It seems Rudolph got his revenge by guiding Santa’s sleigh through a raging blizzard while earning kickbacks from King Moonracer by convincing Santa to pick up these misfit toys. Santa unwittingly redistributed his shoddy toys at his own expense. A win win for the island king. But do the good little children actually receive these unwanted toys? One of Santa’s elves hands an umbrella to the toys and carpet bombs the world with unwanted misfits. We do not see where these toys end up. Do they find their ways into children’s homes, the landfill, or, back on King Moonracer’s Island? More investigation is needed.
