'Homeless' doll costs $95 (hairstyling extra)

[Cherchez la Femme]

Source: NY Post

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And while you were snoozing, the creators of American Girl, which is sold by Mattel, got bold. They engaged in all-out political indoctrination.

Snuck into the collection is a doll that comes with a biography that is weird and potentially offensive enough to keep Mom running to the Maalox. Gwen, you see, is harboring a terrible secret.

She is homeless. A homeless doll.

In the history books that come with every American Girl doll -- bringing to life these little monsters until impressionable little ones believe they are actual people -- you learn that Gwen's father walked out on the family. Her mother lost her job.

~clip~

author: Andrea Peyser

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/homeless_doll_costs_hairstyling_4Ic0hC7Lacpfo8HQbczsQM

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This reads like an editorial, but it's under 'US News'. In any event, the crassness and lack of compassion is staggering -- but then, this is the NY Post

[sasquatch]

1. I still see that "greed is good/God" is still alive and well in this country

[TwilightGardener]

2. What fun.

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. This is horrible!

Ugh.

[pnwmom]

4. Good for the American Girl creators, that they're introducing their buyers

to the idea that millions of children aren't as fortunate as they are. Maybe this doll -- and the book that comes with her -- will help some girls see the world with more compassionate eyes. (Actually, since the books are in libraries, many girls read the books who don't actually own the dolls.)

To any DUers that agree with the NYPost writer that this is "political indoctrination" -- life is political indoctrination. Most of them probably have homeless children in their classrooms, whether they realize it or not.

[appamado amata padam]

10. Never heard of these dolls, but I tend to agree;

maybe some parents want their kids to get a little idea of those less privileged.

I didn't see any actual quotes from the book in the article. Just a highly-slanted synopsis.

And if they're expensive, well that's just supply/demand, etc. It's not like they're the only company looking to make a lot of money.

The New York Post is the worst.

[glinda]

5. AG dolls are unattractive. A family goes broke buying them also.

[pnwmom]

6. The family that can afford them is the one that would benefit from

the "political indoctrination" that the NYPost writer is so afraid of. Maybe their daughters will gain some understanding. The books that come with the dolls can be very good.

[Cleita]

7. Unfortunately, they would see it as an opportunity to show little

Tiffany that Gwen deserves to be poor because her family are screw-ups and she won't take advantage of all the help out there from churches, shelters and other charities. It's all her fault.

[pnwmom]

8. Maybe. But if their daughter brings home the book from the library,

they probably wouldn't even notice.

[lukasahero]

26. Bullshit broad brush

One of my former bosses' daughter loved American Girl and she is nothing like you describe. The daughter has grown up to be a lovely young, caring, progressive woman and we'd be lucky to grow a few more like her.

[karynnj]

12. Not to mention that girls in the upper age range actually

do learn a substantial amount about the time period from the books, which have a pretty good section in the end explaining some of the historical/cultural/sociological backdrop. I know that even the one about the extremely wealthy Victorian girl, had information about the sweatshops of the time. The stories themselves are not that fantastic, but they do expose the kids to history through people "like them". My kids never thought they were real - any more than they thought any fiction was real.

My then 10 year old also put two and two together when she saw a tableau of an impoverished Jewish family from the lower east side, where the parents and several young girls made lace for "piece" wages - that barely supported them. She looked at the year - and said that this was when the Samantha stories took place. Her question was why didn't people like Samantha pay more for the lace.

The one of the Swedish girl, Kirsten, really include how hard immigration was. And Abby, was a runaway slave. That story interested my kids enough that they were interested when a tour of Stowe pointed out a house that was part of the underground railroad.

The dolls were a welcome change from the Barbies that the kids were given by others from about age 3.

[WriteDown]

17. What if they charge it?

:shrug:

[Alcibiades]

9. The author is thin-skinned

Some folks are very easily offended. $95 for a quality doll? Not too bad. There are folks in this country who spend much more than that on toys and crap for housepets.

[KamaAina]

11. What the #$^*%!$!! is Andrea Peyser doing writing news*?!

She's one of the more sick-making columnists for the NY Pest Post. I oughta know. Every day I'm up there, Republican Stepdad goes out and gets a copy. :puke:

[BillDU]

13. Playing with dolls

All dolls are homeless until you buy them.
What? are we supposed to be afraid of imagining things that people like to imagine playing with dolls?
If that's what someone imagines...So What?

[nolabear]

14. I had a "homeless" doll in the '60s.

Her name was "Little Miss No Name" and she looked like one of those Keene paintings of the big eyed waifs, except she was pale, had a tear on her cheek, had no shoes and so help me was dressed in burlap. I asked for her for Christmas, obviously not realizing how much she would creep me out. I could hardly look at her. Now they go for a lot of money on ebay, because they weren't made for long.

[UpInArms]

16. wasn't her name - "fran"?

sorry, no one wanted a "fran" doll

[tabbycat31]

15. those dolls were $80+ when I was a kid

compared to the rest of inflation, that's not bad since 1990 when I got Samantha (the rich Victorian girl).

[CountAllVotes]

18. very very weird

How would anyone know that this is supposed to be a "homeless doll"? :wtf:

[JI7]

23. homeless doesn't always mean living in the streets

for many it means without a permanent home. moving from place to place. of parents giving up things for themselves in order to help their kids deal with this as much as they can.

it also includes people who lived regular lives with homes but suddenly lost it all.

this doll is probably a good example of this.

[NOW tense]

19. Who dresses in white when your homeless?

Seriously. Here is a doll that costs 95 ramen noodle dinners, or if it is on sale or 190 ramen dinners.

[dugaresa]

20. seems like the NY Post author doesn't like the idea of people dealing with issues

the American Girl Dolls teach young girls about other young girls through history.

The homeless girl apparently teaches a lesson. i have not read the story but there are a lot of kids who grow up and have been at times homeless.

My daughter loved the Kit Kittredge story and we talked about the Great Depression with her and her grandmother shared stories with her about the struggles of that period. I see nothing wrong with it.

[Iris]

24. what homeless problem?

I'm sure that's some myth someone made up in an effort to promote socialism. Or communism. Or facism.
I'm not sure which....

[Canuckistanian]

21. Do not taunt 'Homeless Doll'

Still legal in 16 states.

[JI7]

22. do they think only poor should want a homeless doll ?

or learn about it.

i don't really see the problem with this.

[Javaman]

25. the further devolving of our culture. nt

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

27. American Girl dolls are made in China

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4716515

These dolls apparently aren't cheap and someone must be raking in the profits (although they're probably paying Chinese factory workers peanuts to make them). Nothing against the Chinese, but is there nothing made here anymore? Maybe having these dolls made in the good old USA might have given jobs to some individuals who are now homeless, like the doll.

[glinda]

28. The marketers of AG dolls cash in on everything. Even the whole original concept was

"borrowed" from another doll, made in the 60's-80's.