tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300274096976708238.post7396456092035676246..comments2024-03-15T00:28:21.349-07:00Comments on THE WORLD ACCORDING TO KIMBA: NEW AMERICAN GIRL DOLL, OR THE TROUBLE WITH TCHOTCHKESKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15313026985830190914noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300274096976708238.post-21392912146589785712009-05-29T21:33:18.540-07:002009-05-29T21:33:18.540-07:00Jennifer, I think every child should have a doll t...Jennifer, I think every child should have a doll they can relate to. Imagine a world where all dolls were caucasian. <br /><br />But I absolutely agree with you....the backstory is creepy. Makes me wonder about the backstories for the Hispanic doll, the African-American doll and the American Indian doll, et al. Did they paint historical pictures for them with the same creepy brush? <br /><br />I wonder if the manufacturers (the ones who bought the line from Mattel) are remotely qualified to make historical references to support these dolls? <br /><br />I did see the correspondence, and decided to weasel my way out of the discussion.Kimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15313026985830190914noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1300274096976708238.post-79055012379735826892009-05-29T20:40:08.228-07:002009-05-29T20:40:08.228-07:00Hi, Kimba. If my sister (who disagrees with me on...Hi, Kimba. If my sister (who disagrees with me on this) has shared with you any of our recent correspondence, you'll know that the concept of this new "Rebecca" doll has weirded me out in a big way. According to this <A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/fashion/24Doll.html?_r=1" REL="nofollow">New York Times article</A>, the American Girl people are hoping that the doll will inspire little girls to want to "play tenement house." Now someone needs to correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't the tenements of the turn-of-the-20th-century Lower East Side overcrowded slums that most of its residents dreamed of getting <I>out</I> of? <br /><br />To be fair, I have to say that I haven't read the books that tell Rebecca's backstory, so perhaps I shouldn't judge. Maybe it <I>is</I> a good thing for today's girls to learn about a time when people, even children, worked long hours in sweatshops just to scrape by. As you point out, though, it's a pretty expensive lesson. I guess my main problem is that I always thought playing with dolls was supposed to be fun, and "tenement house" just seems like such a downer.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10704445452708945880noreply@blogger.com