By Inara Scott
As a kid, I would wait impatiently every holiday season for the cartoon specials to come on television. No DVDs or videos back then, just a show that would air on the regular stations and if you missed it, that was it. No Frosty the Snowman until the next year. Of course, I loved Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, but I must admit to being completely freaked out by the Island of Misfit Toys. For those who haven’t seen the show, or don’t remember, in Rudolph’s world, if you weren’t a perfect toy you would be exiled to the Island of Misfit Toys, a sort of horrible purgatory-slash-hell, where you would wait endlessly every year for Christmas, hoping to be taken away to be given to a child, to no avail.
If you don’t remember just how scary the Island was, watch this video. It will bring back nightmares:
It was chilling. And a perfect commentary on the popular belief about the unloveability of people or things that aren’t Just So. Inhabitants of the island included a toy train with square wheels, a spotted elephant, a cowboy riding an ostrich, a Charlie-in-the-box, and a sad doll (I never did figure out what was wrong with her). Yet the older that I got, the more I realized just how ridiculous this was. Because the more that you ask people about where they fit in, you realize that everyone sees themselves as just minutes away from being exiled to the Island, if they aren’t there already.
Really, we’re all misfit toys.
Not unlike the Charlie-in-the-box, I happen to be a romance writer who also teaches law and writes treatises on clean energy policy. I am a proud feminist and also a sucker for the movie Pretty Woman. I don’t wear makeup, but I love shopping. I enjoy doing yoga, but sometimes I sneak a glance at my Twitter feed while I’m supposed to be deep in savasana.
Sometimes I feel like I don’t quite get anything right. Then I remember that neither does anyone else.
Here’s a little experiment—go ask three of your best friends if they feel like they “fit in.” Could be at work, in social settings, or in their roles as stay-at-home moms or single woman. I bet they will tell you there’s something holding them back. They love staying home with their kids, but they feel like they missed out on the homemaker gene, and hate making fancy cakes for their kids’ birthdays. Or maybe they have a busy career, but have a hard time paying attention in meetings when they come across the Legos they stashed in their pockets that morning.
Maybe your friend is single, but she secretly longs to stay home on Friday nights when everyone else seems to be having a great time at going out and partying. Or maybe your friend works at a steakhouse restaurant and is a vegetarian.
After years going to conferences and being in meetings where I felt like I wasn’t quite right—didn’t quite fit in—I started asking people these questions. Tell me more about yourself—not the stuff that is the same, but the stuff that’s different. What part of you stands out? What part of you feels out of place? I was surprised to find that everyone felt the same way I did. No one fits perfectly. We’re all secretly convinced that we’re headed for the Island of Misfit Toys.
Here’s the best part: it’s the imperfect, unusual part of ourselves that makes us special. There was a bird on the Island of Misfit Toys that could swim, and a water pistol that shot jelly. How much more fun would those toys be than a plain old parakeet or a water gun? In my latest novel, Falling for Mr. Wrong, my heroine is a high-altitude mountaineer—who also happens to be clumsy and terrified of going on her next climb. She definitely doesn’t fit into the box that life built around her. My hero is a single dad with three kids who thinks he’s got to play it safe to be a good dad to his kids. He’s got a lot to learn about taking risks and visiting the Island.
We are constantly bombarded with images in the media of people who are getting it “right.” They’ve got the perfect career, the perfect body, or the perfect family. But guess what? There’s a lot more of us on the Island of Misfit Toys than there are of those perfect ones. When you think about it, they’re the ones who don’t really fit in.
Poor things. Poor little misfits.
But we’ll be nice to them, won’t we? After all, there’s always more room on the Island.
Inara Scott is a proud misfit, cheesy movie addict, believer in happily ever after, and the author of many novels for teens and adults. Her latest novel is Falling for Mr. Wrong (from Entangled Publishing). You can find Inara on her website at www.inarascott.com, on Twitter at @inarascott, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/inarawrites.
It is probably because the majority of us aren’t “a perfect fit” that we love to read about those who are, or at least who are in the author’s imagination. There would be something ultimately boring of we were all the same and fit the same mold!
The thing is, as a kid, I am 100% none of us noticed that there was anything “wrong”. Those foolish ideas don’t come out until later when we’re adults. I don’t know why people can’t just all get along and stop picking on others.
I love the Land of the Misfit toys! I just wish there was a way that even though how we look, talk , or present that there is something special in all of us!
I love Rudolph’s land of the Misfit Toys. I try to teach my kids to be accepting of everyone. We live in a very small town so the prejudiced attitude toward anything that does not fit in is amplified 100 fold. Living here has definitely developed the character of my whole family. Tolerance is a good thing, especially since no one is perfect.
I can’t believe it! I just saw a picture of The Island of Misfit Toys on twitter yesterday and thought, “I’d probably be their union rep.” And I haven’t even joined the union! Yeah, I’m a misfit.
Happy Thanksgiving imperfect women. I suspect we could all use a little improvement, but it’s not usually in the areas we think.
I an in my 40s now and there are still times where I am feeling insecure and sometimes judged, but looking back at the time I wasted fretting over it was crazy. I agree that we all feel like we are heading to the island and that we have to be “ok” with it too.
I love this post, we all feel out of place at one point or another. For me I embrace it…LOL I love my missfitness!;-)
This part is my favorite
“But guess what? There’s a lot more of us on the Island of Misfit Toys than there are of those perfect ones. When you think about it, they’re the ones who don’t really fit in.
Poor things. Poor little misfits.
But we’ll be nice to them, won’t we? After all, there’s always more room on the Island.”
Inara Scott, love your writing! I must check out one of your books!
Great post! I just happened to see Rudolph on television last night, and I’d forgotten all about the Island of Misfit Toys. Even though it all worked out on the end, I was surprised (and upset!) by how mean everyone was to Rudolph and the elf that wanted to be a dentist and the poor misfit toys. I love your sentiment: “…there’s always more room on the island.” I think it’s probably more fun there, too!
I so needed this message today, I literally just had a horrible experience with a blogger group that left me feeling like a total outcast… I needed to be reminded that it’s okay to not always fit in. 🙂 Thanks for this. I’m following you now!
I love this movie/show…. I asked 3 of my friends if they feel like they fit in and I got answers like “no!” and “with whom”… Silly friends always over thinking things!
Thank you for sharing this though.. I think we are all different and adapt, but sometimes its just better to be a misfit.
What a great post! It’s nice to be reminded that I’m not the only one who feels like an outcast sometimes.
I have always had jobs where I worked alone, I was also the only one who could do what I do and so I fit a little too much (no time off when no one wants to fill your shoes). I used to feel like a misfit when I was younger, now I realize everyone is different and that is what makes things interesting. Nobody is a misfit. I do love the Christmas show though.
I remember this movie and always felt like the outcast when I was a kid
I frequently feel like I do not fit in. At 33 and with no kids yet and also a university student I am often angry. Motherhood is something I really want but haven’t been able to achieve yet. And where it ends up being a bit depressing is in the blog world where so many women my age are moms and the opportunities available often go to moms first. I feel ignored and left out. In that area of life all I want is to fit in with the rest of the moms. Just about everywhere else in my life? I’m actually kind of glad to be a non-fitting-in misfit.
LOL! Great article! I think sometimes we are to concerned with how we are feeling, and forgetting that others feel the same way! 🙂
I absolutely love this post! You’re so right, maybe they’re the ones who don’t really fit in =P
That is such a beautiful piece! I love the idea of comparing ourselves to the misfit toys! Because we truly are like them; we are all different; but we all have a place. And we all need to treat each other kindly.
haha- I love how you ended that one!! 🙂 This was a great post~ so true.
You’re so right, we’re all misfit toys and we should embrace everything that makes us misfits!
I totally remember the island of misfit toys from the original Rudolph. It was a great way of instilling self worth and boosting the self-esteem of kids who felt like they didn’t fit in.
Great post,i just wanted to say that to be honest i do not think anyone is perfect and if i do not fit in i really do not mind i am happy with myself and thats what matters to me,not what other people think and i teach the kiddies that they do not have to try to make themselves fit in just to be themselves and they are all very happy.
This is such a great post! My thing is I try not to fit in. I would much rather be myself and not fit in than be something I’m not just to fit in. I like when I’m accepted for who I am. No one is perfect.
My favorite part of this post is the end. We see all these celebrity all over not knowing they are misfit just like anyone of us. It very rear when we see or hear about their insecurities or what they are lacking to make them misfit.
This post is so inspiring!…and we’re all misfit 🙂
The funny thing about being a misfit is that we’re all one in one way or another. The island of misfit toys is a good example. So many of them there says something right?
Hi everyone! I’m so glad my column struck a chord with so many of you. And you’re all right that whether we feel like a misfit or not, we need to celebrate and support each other as women. Here’s to the Island where everyone’s joys, talents, and quirks are celebrated and appreciated. And happy Thanksgiving to all of you!
I absolutely love this. The Island of Misfit Toys was, and is, one of my favorite movies to watch during the holiday season. I’m a true misfit, and have been most of my life, so I always loved watching a whole movie about them. I’ll have to check out your novel; I love heights but am afraid of climbing a mountain. The total opposite of your heroine!
I love that movie, always have, and always wished that I was with the misfit toys because I never felt like I fit in either!!
i really like this analogy. PLUS i love rudolph!
Love, love, love this movie! I am going to check and see if its on netflix! My daughters would love to watch it!
I had never heard of the Island of Misfit toys before and I loved your post. I don’t think anyone is 100% perfect. Everyone goes through different experience in life and thinking we all should fit into one mould is not practical.
What a great post. No one is perfect and we all have to remember that.
I would feel way too much pressure to be perfect if I was in a perfect mold. When you’re on the island of misfit toys, you’re more free to just be who you are and I like that!
I totally agree with you. Truly, a great blog post.
Aaaaand THIS is why I love Inara Scott! What a great post!
I always thought that The Island of Misfit Toys was so sad..and as a kid that I belonged there. It took me years, but I now celebrate my unique characters!
Very interesting post, definitely food for thought! 🙂
I remember watching that movie! I think in some ways, all of us might feel like misfits at some point in time.
The Island of misfit toys and the child was my favorite part of rude off because I didn’t fit in very well at school. It showed me that just because you weren’t what everyone expected you to be didn’t mean that you were not special.
I so love the Land of the Misfit Toys. I have always tried to teach my Children and GrandChildren that no matter what you are who you are and you always remember TO SPARKLE AND SHINE!
I LOVED this cartoon as a child. I was a bit “odd” and it gave me hope that there were others like me out there and that together we would be ok.
I remember watching this movie along with all the other Rudolph stop-motion style shows. II never ‘caught-on’ to the meaning of this particular show, but the last time I seen it was about 40 years ago. Your article was very well written and I see the meaning of the show now. I’m definitely a misfit and I am happy to be one.
We should all embrace our imperfectness! After all, it is that, that makes those who love us, do! If we were all alike, we would either be disliked by many or be quite boring! Lol! I love being me! & hope that more people are learning to do the same! <3
we watch this show every year it is one of my favorite christmas shows we all gather around the tv to watch
Nice & beautiful
I loved this special as a kid and even now, years later, as an adult. I watched it with my son when he was young. It was great to see that all the toys could be loved just as we all should be loved no matter how imperfect we may be.
My kids loved this when they were younger. It is a good lesson for them to learn that people are all different in one way or another and to be honest…being different is good.
(Welcome to the Island of Misfit Toys) This movie was always watched in our house when my brothers and I were kids. We watched all the great Christmas Cartoons every year together.