bye to barbie

[briannell]

The Politics of Playtime
A grass-roots revolt against American Girl dolls gathers steam.

By Susannah Meadows
Newsweek


Nov. 14, 2005 issue - Tracie and Richard Cross have four daughters, who have seven American Girl dolls between them. Every time a new American Girl catalog arrives at their Ft. Worth, Texas, home, the girls fight over who gets it first. Last Christmas their dad gave them wooden beds he'd made for the dolls. The girls adore them, but their parents, like so many other conservative Christians, love them, too. Unlike curvaceous Barbie or the tarted-up Bratz dolls, an American Girl doll, which comes with a whole book about who she is and the period of American history she hails from, teaches wholesome values. A few weeks ago Tracie read on the company's Web site that it was donating $50,000 and proceeds from its I CAN bracelet to Girls Inc., which sound-ed like the kind of nice thing American Girl would do. But when she clicked on www.girlsinc.org, Tracie was crushed to find an endorsement of Roe v. Wade and language supportive of homosexuals. It struck her that politics had invaded playtime. "I feel like there's nowhere safe," says Tracie, who has vowed not to buy anything from American Girl as long as it's affiliated with Girls Inc. "I have to have a clear conscience."

By the time Tracie told her girlfriends about the Girls Inc. link at the high-school football game, a tempest was brewing among other conservative Christians around the country. Last week the outrage had spilled onto a half-dozen Christian Web sites—including James Dobson's influential Focus on the Family site—and set off an explosion of mom-to-mom e-mails. "Girls Inc.," one mother warned, "is pro-abortion and pro-contraception and pro all the other lies the secular world wants our girls to believe." Roman Catholic schools in Brookfield, Wis., and St. Louis canceled American Girl fashion shows, where girls were to dress up like their dolls. And the Pro-Life Action League of Chicago called for a boycott of American Girl, which is owned by Mattel. The group is also planning a demonstration outside the Chicago store on the day after Thanksgiving. Though the league has requested that members leave their graphic signs at home, some are vowing to show up with them anyway.

American Girl, which prides itself on being the antidote to our Paris Hilton impulses, was blindsided by the reaction. The religious right has long been alert to even the most tenuous hints of homosexual cues in popular culture (see outing of Tinky Winky), but American Girl intends to sponsor math, science and athletic programs at Girls Inc. The company is horrified by the thought of an anti-abortion demonstration. "Given this group's focus on family values, we will find it particularly shocking and ironic if they choose to use graphic images in front of innocent little girls," says American Girl spokesperson Julie Parks.

Girls Inc. was caught off guard, too. The last time it got into trouble was in 1999, when some of its members questioned a partnership with Barbie, fearing the svelte dolls would create body-image issues among the girls who played with them. Founded 141 years ago, Girls Inc., which used to be known as Girls Clubs, offers after-school programs to underprivileged girls on subjects ranging from pregnancy prevention to substance abuse. And on its vast Web site, amid proclamations of empowerment, Girls Inc. states its support for girls who might be questioning their sexuality, as well as a woman's right to an abortion. "We went into this feeling so great and so positive about this partnership," says Girls Inc. president Joyce Roche. "We have been shocked."

For now, American Girl, which grossed $379 million in sales last year, is standing by its commitment to Girls Inc. Meanwhile, the group is enjoying a surge in donations, says Roche. If the boycott has had any real impact on sales, it was not noticeable at American Girl Place in Chicago last week. It was as bustling as ever. Grandmas perused the matching doll and girl nightgowns. And little girls waited in line to get their dolls' hair styled, sheltered in the safety of the store, far from the angry politics swirling outside.

With Karen Springen

© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.
© 2005 MSNBC.com

URL: http

['93HonoluluCat]

Rather than the cliche Barbie, and the "how to be a prostitute" Bratz dolls, my daughters prefer Groovy Gals dolls. A much nicer alternative to the mainstream dolls, methinks.

Rebecca, thanks for this article--good information to know.

[briannell]

cory- well at 2 1/2 we're just now getting into the doll phase of Anessa's life. I currently am sticking with Disney's Princess collection. I'm okay with Cinderella and Ariel

today's trends for wholesomeness is very slim. unfortunate, but true.