The Joy of Christmas and our Toys

December 24, 2015

Most of us can remember a gift we got as a kid during the holidays, and there are those you don't want to. The first two that remain vivid in my mind are the games "Rock Em Sock Em Robots" and Electric Football. I recall these gifts because of the images of my family and the stories that involve these items.

The Rock Em Sock Em Robots, a toy I desperately wanted, appeared under the tree Christmas morning. I couldn't believe my eyes. This particular toy got television airplay with the most obnoxious commercial, which aired during kid programs. RESE Robots were plastic molded and included a boxing ring with robots who threw punches based on your ability to push the buttons on a control handle. Of course, this was a controller without electricity or battery power, and you needed to provide the movement with your hands and thumbs. If you delivered the right punch to the other robot's jaw, his head would pop up with a buzzing noise. This is the extent of the game. You and another kid would try to shuffle your robot around to get in the knockout.

This toy provided hours of fun, soar thumbs, and mayhem. What kind of mayhem? The older kids around the house and neighborhood took liberty over my game. Even though these boys were well past the recommended ages listed on the box, they got fixated on playing with this thing with intensity and enthusiasm, unlike any of their own games. The makers of this toy were on to something, a taste of violence absorbed into children's toys. I think my parents thought of the Robots as a sports-related game that the whole family would enjoy. How the times felt innocent and free from political correctness.

The other toy, "Electric Football," which my brother and I shared, had to be the most illogical game ever invented. How this thing would ever represent football baffles me. It was essentially a flat piece of green painted metal representing the field, which included some vibrating mechanism underneath, making the plastic players move around. If you turned the knob on the device, the intensity of the vibration increased; therefore, the men would scurry around more. You couldn't control which direction the men would go making it so unreal. It should not have been called Electric Football. We spent hours playing this frustrating game, but somehow it lasted long enough on the market to warrant new and improved versions.

My parents, bless their soul, they meant well and tried to buy us toys and games considered fun and everybody wanted to play. I laugh at how these types of sports-related toys have morphed into video games that require little imagination. This is one thing I believe separates these generations of toys. But then again, videos take less room in the landfill when they get tossed away. I look on the internet for my old toys, and I laugh to see how well they are documented in halls of pop culture history. Damn, I remember those times with fondness. Happy Holidays!