What was wrong with Doll on the Island of Misfit Toys in the stop motion Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer special?
by 
glade221
ANSWERS: 7
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Here's a website writeup by someone who's supposed to be an expert, that has a huge writeup: http://www.tvparty.com/xmasrudolph.html According to this source, it's not really revealed in the program, and Arthur Rankin, one of the producers, simply says it's more psychological than physical. She wasn't in the original script apparently, and only got a few seconds of screen time, so nobody got around to giving her a malfunction. Now, I may be crazy, but I have it in my memory that she didin't say "mama" like she was supposed to, but made some other goofy sound. Now I've gotta watch it again and find out.
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There are a few clues (in Rudolph) BEYOND Rudolph's producer's comments about Misfit Dolly being a Misfit: 1) Foreman Elf to Hermey: "We have dolls that cry, talk, walk, and run a temperature . . .". This means that Santa's only making "realistic" dolls because that's what little girls wanted at the time. 2) Charley-In-The-Box says that a Misfit Toy is "one that NO little girl or boy loves". Since Dolly did not give a reason why she was a Misfit, that might be the answer in it of itself (a.k.a. she was unwanted for NO GOOD REASON, or the implied answer from Foreman Elf (earlier in the show), . . . she wasn't "realistic" enough (since she was a Rag Doll). 3) Rudolph's producer's comments about Dolly's problem being psychological. He said she was "cast away" by her little girl, and she suffered from depression because she was unloved. This "depression" was likely situational, caused by her being rejected by countless little girls, and one final rejection by a little girl that "got her" somehow (and didn't like or want her). The good news is that Dolly found a loving little girl who took her in, thanks to Rudolph and Santa.
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Crippling substance abuse.
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She couldn't say "Mama" so not one wanted her.
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Since she couldnt say mama right her owner got rid of her. She got depressed and was sent to the island of misfit toys.
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I agree that Dolly is depressed. Another blogger stated the following observations: 1) Dolly's voice is high-pitched, whiney, and with a touch of lethargy . . . characteristics of depression caused by loneliness, hurt, and rejection. 2) She cries at the drop of a hat. She claims that she has no more dreams of belonging to a loving little girl, and that she (and the other toys) will never leave the Island of Misfit Toys (e.g. See the part of Rudolph just before Santa and Rudolph arrive). Fortunately for her, Santa shows up,
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She is definitely depressed. You can sense it in her voice when she's crying just before Rudolph and Santa come for her and the other Misfit Toys.
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