Last week, three classic playthings were chosen as inductees into the National Toy Hall of Fame: The Baby Doll (a given), the skateboard (well-deserved) and ... the stick. Yeah, you heard me. A plain, old wooden stick, which is technically not a toy but -- thanks to the wonders of a child's imagination -- can substitute as one. 
The stick got the nod for the same reason that in 2005, the cardboard box made the Hall of Fame: It's simple, all-purpose, cheap and can entertain a child for hours. I understand that next year, the Hall of Fame is inducting a tin can. Because, you know, you can kick it.
Look, I don't mean to be a killjoy, but this seems a little absurd to me. I get the cardboard box, even though it's technically not a toy either. All of us have taken a box and turned it into a racing car or an awesome fort or a sweet robot costume. But a stick? That seems like more of a leap. You shouldn't go around inducting things based on what kids imagine they might be. Hell, I often imagine that I'm the frontwoman in a kickass punk band. That doesn't mean I should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In its 10 years of existence, the Toy Hall of Fame (which was acquired in 2002 by the Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y.) has added 41 toys to its ranks. This year, the stick beat out several finalists for inductee status, including Hot Wheels (!), the Flexible Flyer sled (!!), Wiffle Ball (!!!), Yahtzee (!!!!!) and the Rubik's Cube (!!!!!). I'm sorry, sticks have their charms but there is no way that they are more iconic than the Rubik's Cube or the Wiffle Ball, which, I should also point out, are actually legit toys.
Perhaps I am too fired up about all this. After all, this "Hall of Fame" thing is just a nice way to recognize the beauty of being a kid. Still, something about this stick selection makes me want to whack the members of the selection committee upside the head with something. If only I could find an object suitable for whacking people...
Image: AP Photo
