Yesterday, the Susan Lucci of toys finally got the nod. Sixteen years after the first class of inductees to the National Toy Hall of Fame, the Rubik’s Cube has finally secured its place among the legendary toys of all time.Somehow the National Toy Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1998, managed to exist for ten or eleven years without me knowing about it. Then, a few years ago NPR had a story about the newest class of inductees. During the story, the reporter pointed out that the Rubik’s Cube was not a member of the Hall.I immediately felt the sort of intense rage that overcomes an otherwise rational person when confronted with completely trivial news. How can you have a National Toy Hall of Fame without the Rubik’s Cube? That’s like having a National Baseball Hall of Fame without the person who got more hits than anyone who’s ever played the game, Pete Rose.Ah-ha! That’s it. Rubik’s Cube must have admitted that it used to gamble on other toys.Turns out I was wrong. Rubik’s Cube is an inanimate object, so it can’t gamble. And if gambling was grounds to keep a toy out of the hall of fame, then there’s no way jacks (inducted in the second class of inductees) would have ever made it in!Every year when the new class of toy inductees was announced, I experienced an occurrence of ridiculous Rubik’s rage. As a guy who grew up in the eighties, enjoys puzzles, and is capable of steady persistence to meaningless pursuits, the Rubik’s Cube seemed specifically designed for me. I have vivid memories of watching my older sister play with it at the height of its popularity, and I have a Cubs-themed Cube tucked away in my dresser drawer. (I may like to spend time with my kids, but I’ll be damned if I’m sharing my Cubs Rubik’s Cube. They might wreck it!)And then this year, victory!Yet even though the National Toy Hall of Fame had finally recognized the Rubik’s Cube, for me it seemed too little, too late. Sort of the like the stories I used to hear of parents adding their names to the waitlist for tickets to The Bozo Show, only to have the tickets finally come through when their child was sixteen years old, and didn’t give a crap about Bozo anymore.The National Toy Hall of Fame had permanently damaged its credibility in my eyes. No way could I support an organization that took so long to recognize such a cool toy. And I was all ready to write a post about how the HOF was a joke, and they should be ashamed of themselves for taking so long to honor obvious cubical greatness, when I saw the toys inducted before Rubik’s Cube.Barbie, Crayola crayons, Etch-a-Sketch, Lego, Lincoln Logs, Hula hoops, Monopoly, bicycles, Mr. Potato Head, Tonka Truck, checkers, rocking horse, Easy-Bake Oven, kites, ball, Big Wheels, dollhouses, rubber ducks and three dozen other toys.Holy cow! No wonder Rubik’s Cube didn’t make it in until now. There’s just too much toy awesomeness. I can’t make a case against including any of those things I listed. They’re all hall worthy.So now I sort of feel bad about the years-long scorn I’ve heaped upon the National Toy Hall of Fame. And not only over the Rubik’s Cube thing, but it turns out they’ve made some pretty awesome inductions decisions.In 2005 they inducted the cardboard box. Genius! What parent hasn’t purchased some fancy toy for their kid, only to see the rascal ignore the toy and play with the box? All of my kids have spent countless hours pretending a simple cardboard box is a castle, or a pirate ship, or a sometimes even just a box.In 2008 they inducted the stick, and in 2011, the blanket. A kid’s creativity and imagination lets them do more things with a stick than you can shake a stick at! And blanket forts are so cool they need no explanation.So my apologies, National Toy Hall of Fame. Turns out you’re pretty cool, with or without the Rubik’s Cube. In fact, since you’re just down the road from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, maybe it’s time for a little HOF road trip.If only I could think of something to bring along to keep my kids occupied during the drive.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++You know what else doesn't suck? My Facebook page, Brett Baker Writes. Like it, please.
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