How much longer will we have to wait until the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame? If the last few years of finalists are any indication, we can probably expect it pretty soon. Unfortunately, despite being chosen as a finalist for the third year in a row, the Ninja Turtles did not make it into the Hall of Fame this year. This year’s inductees are Twister, Super Soaker and the Puppet.
At the very least, I’m sure we can all agree that the puppet is absolutely deserving of its place in the hall of fame. After all, without the puppet, we probably wouldn’t have experienced the amazing work of Jim Henson – and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies would have been vastly different. Puppets have played a major role in our culture for several years, so it’s fair to say that they belong in the National Toy Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, we can’t really say the same for some of the other inductees.
In this Sept. 24, 2015 photo provided by The Strongs National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, N.Y., a puppet, the game of Twister and a Super Soaker are shown in a studio photo. On Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015, The Strongs National Toy Hall of Fame announced that they have been chosen from a field of 12 finalists to be its 2015 inductees. (The Strongs National Toy Hall of Fame via AP)
For instance, despite the fact that millions of people have enjoyed both Twister and the Super Soaker, they haven’t exactly inspired the same level of play as other finalists – including the Ninja Turtles. Okay, maybe I’m a little bitter, but can you really blame me? The Super Soaker is essentially just an overpowered squirt gun. I have fond memories of playing with Super Soakers as a kid, but they were never exactly as inventive or creative as the TMNT toys from Playmates. On the other hand, Twister has been around for quite some time, but it has never really changed or inspired creativity.
With so many excellent finalists this year, I was concerned that the Ninja Turtles wouldn’t get inducted. Of course, I didn’t think that toys like Twister or Super Soaker would really be chosen over the TMNT. I think I speak for a lot of shellheads out there when I say that I’m a little disappointed in this year’s choices. Here’s hoping that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are chosen as finalists once again next year. They’ve got to make it into the Toy Hall of Fame at some point, right?
Instead of getting upset, let’s share some happy memories. Tell us about your favorite TMNT toys in the comments below, and let us know why you think the turtles should make it into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
