> Yes, this was a bad, bad, bad move. My daughter was obsessed with the
> American Girl dolls for a few years and I kind of hated the whole idea,
> but then when I looked at their dolls and general literature, I was
> favorably impressed. Keep in mind that these are very pricey toys. One
> doll and her accessories runs into a couple of hundred dollars, so
> you're alienating some fairly well heeled people. In addition to which,
> what little girl is going to give up a perfectly innocent doll for
> ideology?
There is a sleepover tonight at my house involving a bunch of nine-year-old girls, so perhaps I can poll them.
American Girls are pricey, but it shouldn't be assumed that they are only being bought by the well-heeled. My sister winced when she told me how much she spent on a doll for my niece last month. She's just a single working mother who never graduated from high school. On the other hand, my other sister who has access to wealth, took to my niece to the American Girl museum in Chicago last month.
At least my niece likes American Girl and hates Barbies.
I can't stomach any of it: Raven, Lizzy McQuire, the Disney Channel. I just wish the young people like my niece were being brought up in a less hyper-capitalist environment.
Chuck