58 Comments Add your own

• 1. Nic  |  September 1st, 2009 at 10:33 pm

  I know what you mean about the American Girl store. Ugh. If I have a daughter though, she will have one. At the very least, she’ll have mine. Yep, I have one of the first generation ones (Samantha!) from when they were produced by the Pleasant Company. (Actually, if it weren’t 11:30 I’d probably be calling my dad right now and asking where Samantha is. I’ve done the same thing for Teddy Ruxpin, my baby book, and my Fisher Price Video Camera. The only item still in question is my baby book, but that’s neither here nor there.) So yes, I have one of the dolls. And all of her outfits. All pre-Mattel. I have wonderful, wonderful memories of it and for that reason alone, my daughter will have one. For the rest of the time I think I’ll probably let her play with cardboard and rusty nails because that shit is expensive.

• 2. Julia  |  September 1st, 2009 at 10:41 pm

  I won’t defend the American Girl store because I have a) never been to one and b) think a doll facial is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of, but American Girl does hold very special memories for me. I had two growing up (Felicity and Molly). This was back when we ordered them through a catalog that came in the mail and before Pleasant Co. was owned by Mattel. I can credit my love of history to those dolls. I learned all about the Revolutionary War, World War II, immigration in the 1800′s…all from a doll and her books. If (when) I have a daughter, I’ll get her one from her decade of choice for a special Christmas because I’d like her to have what I had and get the message I got. We had the books that had plays written in them and my friends and I would act them out. We had the little paper dolls we used to play with instead of Barbies. I know they are expensive, and from the sounds of it, have gotten sort of excessive, so I can completely agree on the points that there is no point in having a doll facial spa set up. A doll should not get a facial more often than I do (and that is never!). But treated in the right way, I think the dolls and their message have enough merit to justify their expense in certain situations.

• 3. Susan (Trout Towers)  |  September 1st, 2009 at 10:42 pm

  I used to go to the American Girl website on Chris’ work computer. I’d fill up the shopping cart and then leave it there for his coworkers. He worked at a nightclub at the time. This is how I amuse myself.

  I remember piercing my dolls’ ears with straight pins – the ones with the colored balls. I also sent them to the spa in the oven. It didn’t always go well.

• 4. Kristi  |  September 1st, 2009 at 10:44 pm

  That Andy Rooney rant seriously needs to be published! Seriously.

  Also, that is one awesome video!

• 5. foradifferentkindofgirl (fadkog)  |  September 1st, 2009 at 11:09 pm

  When I was a kid, my neighbor friend and I used to take our Barbies outside to play and we would pierce their ears with straight pins, massacre their hair with sewing scissors, and then give them breast reductions by scraping their torsos across the concrete. FOR FREE!

  (as I’m typing that, I’m thinking, “Wow, it’s a wonder our parents didn’t fear the possibility we’d grow up to be serial killers.”)

  True Blood sucked so hard this week I feel like I should have tipped it. What didn’t suck? That song. I smell anthem.

• 6. Kate  |  September 1st, 2009 at 11:35 pm

  I bought my daughter a Cabbage Patch kid and that’s about as far as I’ll go. I never had an American Girl doll growing up, and I have to agree with your Andy Rooney rant. It’s ridiculous the things we do in this country.

• 7. Carla Hinkle  |  September 1st, 2009 at 11:38 pm

  I can’t believe I just lost a gigantic comment … but the gist was the store seems nutty, but the books and the movie (came out last year) are a breath of fresh air, Encourages little girls to act like little girls and not tarted-up pre-pre-tweens. Anyway.

  The Polite Fictions site looks like fun. When do you find time to write??? More than blog entries for us, of course.

• 8. Stevie  |  September 1st, 2009 at 11:56 pm

  Oh my god, SERIOUSLY. Evan Rachel Wood. Horrible. And I like her, too. I think she’s quite talented and absolutely fucking GORGEOUS. What happened? She was awful. Just awful.

• 9. Amy  |  September 1st, 2009 at 11:58 pm

  Love the video! I recognized “Oates” from Scrubs and have been on YouTube for the past hour listening to all their songs and cracking up!

• 10. jonniker  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 3:51 am

  I want to pick up what you guys are putting down re: American Girl, and I like what I’m hearing, in theory, but man. Still. No can do. I didn’t see a lot of history-loving going on there — the original message of the books/history of each of the dolls was completely gone, replaced by utter insanity.

• 11. JMH  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 4:51 am

  I am another pro-American Girl mom. I totally see the excess, especially in the store, but I love that I can still buy a wholesome doll for my daughter. And the books are GREAT. My daughter reads the books and then acts them out with her ONE doll (Samantha). She has learned a lot about history from all of the books. Currently, she is reading the Julie books and it has been fun talking to her about growing up in the 1970′s. Personally, I like the fact that my daughter is into Am. Girl instead of Barbie and even worse, Bratz dolls. I do agree that doll facials are insane!!

  BTW-Grandma and Grandpa bought the doll for her for a birthday gift. We have purchased several accessories for Christmas, birthdays, etc. Yes, it can be pricey, but not if you only buy a little at a time. AND, she plays with all of it. It’s worse when you spend a ton of money on a toy that doen’t get played with very often.

• 12. Swistle  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 5:46 am

  PLUS there are lots of nice non-AG, non-tarted-up dolls available for more like $20, with whole outfits for about $10. It’s not like American Girl Dolls are the ONLY non-Bratz dolls available. It’s the PRICE I object to (and now the facials), not the DOLLS.

  Oh, and also, I get the feeling American Girl is SELLING the wholesomeness. That is, I think the idea is that if you pay for their overpriced things, you’re purchasing wholesomeness for your daughter. Wholesomeness and education and a guaranteed wholesome adolescence. When actually the purchase is for a plastic doll and her accessories.

• 13. Swistle  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 5:50 am

  Er, I read the comments after leaving my comment, and I see it looks like I’m SPECIFICALLY RESPONDING to certain comments, but in fact I wasn’t! Really! I didn’t read the comments until after.

• 14. jonniker  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 7:09 am

  This is all very interesting, actually, and helpful, because I never thought of it in context compared to Bratz and Barbie (although Bratz are SURELY banned from our home), I was just horrified as a standalone.

  But dudes, the store. The store is not wholesome — not even a little — so while maybe some of the individual dolls are, I’m struggling to reconcile the two messages. Oh, and frankly, neither are many many MANY of the outfits the store sells, and I say this having picked up and nearly fainted at the sight of a miniskirt that barely covered the doll’s ass and had WRITING on the BACK OF IT. The claims of wholesomeness are BLOWING MY MIND. I mean, I GET IT, but I also agree with Swistle that it’s all sort of tarnished by the idea of selling its wholesomeness.

  I also think the wholesomeness is a holdover from before Mattel bought them. I remember when American Girl wasn’t this massive retail machine with upselling opportunities out the ass. I don’t REMEMBER it being a thing of this epic level when they were an option for my generation to buy them. But obviously there is some really disgusting corporate attempt at monetizing the shiznit out of them. Ergo, GROSS.

  See also: $20 to get your doll’s hair styled. YOUR DOLL’S HAIR.

• 15. Carrie  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 8:24 am

  I agree. Stop the American Girl doll madness! I maybe wouldn’t mind if a grandparent wanted to cough up the dough to get one of the cute, historical dolls for my girls–with maybe a spare outfit–but THAT would be where the buck would STOP. I’ve been witness to American Girl frenzy in this town–a beauty pagent? with doll and girl given assigned dress-up roles with hairdressers for the dolls/girls? Crazy! I had heard about the store, but I never heard about the facials. FACIALS?

  Thankfully, neither one of my girls are into dolls. heh

• 16. Julie Momster  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 8:25 am

  Oh, American Girl. How you have changed! I, too, had one of the original Pleasant Co. dolls (Kirsten), and I jsut adored her. One of my favorite things was gonig through that catalogue when it first came in the mail. Then again, I’m a nerd.

  But since I’ve gotten older, I’ve had the opportunity to go to one of their stores. And all I can say is HOLY EFFIN’ CHRIST, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!!! No, nononono noway. The only way my daughter is getting one of those dolls is for her to inherit mine (which I’m sure I will do), and the only way she’s going to one of those stores is if some hapless bystander takes her there (as I’m sure my mother-in-law will do). Because there is no way that I will go into one of those Depths of Consumer Hell unless I am forcibly drugged and dragged in there, more than likely by same said mother-in-law.

  Until then, I’ll just let her continue to play with things like the Xbox controller, or a stick. It’ll be good for her!

• 17. Jennifer  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 8:47 am

  My daughter loves the books but hasn’t been lured into the doll madness and we will never set foot in a store. I think even the doll fans are a little disgusted by the stores.

• 18. Christine  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am

  Oh man, they had those dolls when I was little, but I don’t think it had reached the craze it has now. That store sounds insane.

  That song is hilarious! Although I will say that my grandmother loved her some Jean Nate. HA. I don’t think anyone in the early 20s knows what it is though.

• 19. She Likes Purple  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 9:15 am

  You can dress like your doll? I didn’t know this because I know so very little about these dolls, but in addition to everything you said and how just plain gross this place sounds, DRESSING LIKE YOUR DOLL? REALLY?

  I hope it says something, in fine print or otherwise, about only dressing like your doll in the privacy of your own home and when no one else is around because DRESSING LIKE A DOLL seems like the fastest way to get kicked out of the cool crowd.

  “Oh, this dress? It’s nothing, had it for years, AND SO HAS MY DOLL.” WTF?

  Although boys come with a whole slew of issues, I know, this is why I was also terrified of having a girl. Mainly because I just don’t know how to deal or turn that sort of experience into a bigger life lesson that she could grow from. I think you will be amazing at that. I would just yell and growl and make her wear things that don’t match any inanimate object, SO HELP ME GOD.

• 20. -R-  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 9:40 am

  I have an original Samantha too. I didn’t realize the stores were so crazy and not about the historical dolls anymore. Doll facials? Yeah, that’s ridiculous.

  Don’t be scared of having a girl! Just because you have a girl doesn’t mean she’ll be bratty and insist upon spending tons of money on doll facials and manicures.

  When I was really young, my aunt always used to get me pajamas for Christmas that came with matching doll-sized pajamas (from Target or something, not crazy expensive ones). I don’t remember whether I thought that was cool or not. Thank goodness they were pjs and not real outfits!

• 21. Jess  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 10:28 am

  I am so with you on the American Girl thing. OMG horrifying. Please if I have daughters let them not want American Girl anything.

• 22. Jamie  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 10:43 am

  My niece is (figuratively and literally) standing at the precipice of Irritating, Obnoxious, and Drama Queen (i.e. she is 6 going on 27). My mom and I were discussing how terrified we are of buying her gifts (and my mom had two daughters!) – is an iPod shuffle appropriate for a 6-year old, or does it just seem that way b/c it’s affordable now? Does she *really* need another AG Bitty Baby – would it be better if this one was a boy (like gender equality in her toy box somehow justifies the consumerist aspect of the purchase)? Who fucking knows?! I sure don’t.

• 23. Jamie  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 10:53 am

  In other news, I had the three original, Pleasant Co. dolls – Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly, thanks to a very generous aunt and uncle. I ended up playing with one of them for…oh…about 6 months and they are currently living in my parents basement.

  Also, I had an outfit identical to one of Kirsten’s. I wore it to school. Once. I think you can imagine why.

• 24. Lawyerish  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 11:36 am

  Ok. So I am kind of all over the place on this one.

  First of all, I should disclose that, when I was younger, I had both a handmade adoption doll and a handmade Annie doll for which my mom made matching dresses for me and said dolls to wear. Which we did. Sometimes out in public. This made me happy.

  Over the ensuing years, I also accumulated no less than five Cabbage Patch Kids (including a Show Pony) and a Koosa. At least one Christmas, if not more, my mom went to Toys R Us when a CPK shipment was anticipated to arrive, and nearly engaged in fisticuffs to get me the type of doll I wanted.

  Notably, when the Star Wars madness was in full swing, my brother and I also ended up with basically the entire galaxy far, far away in little figures and spacecraft and various habitats portrayed in the movies.

  I think, despite these apparent obsessions with consumer goods and specific types of toys, we were not DEFINED by those things or even spoiled by having them (especially since we ONLY got new stuff for birthdays, holidays, special occasions). I had loads of hobbies and interests outside of my CPK dolls and our Star Wars figures and everything else, and plenty of great memories involving non-stuff, you know?

  Looking back, I’m sure a lot of people were horrified by the CPK phenomenon, especially given the FRENZY that would occur when new dolls came out. And there were a million things you could buy for your doll, and you could take them to Babyland General to be, I don’t know, cleaned up or whatever they did there. So in its way, that whole scene reflected gross consumerism and all of that stuff, just like AG and the Disney princesses do today. Even so, I don’t think it was pathological in the way we imagine these things are now.

  All that said, I think there IS somehow something different about some of the kid stuff today (setting aside Bratz, which are abhorrent in every way). It’s in the marketing and the…I don’t know, the EXCESS of it. I think the message that underlies the whole “Get your doll a facial!” and the zillions of spangly clothes and so forth is this message that indulgence is deserved without being earned and that looks and beauty override all else (i.e., getting a doll’s hair done is a different sort of thing than nurturing a BABY doll like a Cabbage Patch Kid, you know?). The subtext is that you (the child) DESERVE this thing and everything that goes along with it. And that, I think, is what’s tougher to overcome as a parent, but it is overcome-able.

  I mean, ultimately it’s not going to be the end of the world if your daughter becomes obsessed with princesses or American Girl stuff, even if it’s contrary to what you want for her or envision as a parent. Because as a mom you’re going to introduce her to so much more about the world and you’re going to instill in her a system of values that will transcend the pink sparkly marketing and will form WHO SHE IS. No doll is going to be able to do that.

• 25. lizwiz  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 11:51 am

  I pierced my Barbie’s ears with straight pins, too. The kind with the different color beads on the ends. You had to be careful to aim just right, though…otherwise the ends of the pins came right out the back of her head. Heh. I also made fabulous strapless evening gowns out of aluminum foil. My aunt made most of my doll clothes, though–she was incredibly skilled, and they were much better than any I could buy.

  What a deprived child I was.

• 26. Chelsea  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 12:01 pm

  I had the Addy books, they were awesome. I was a nerd so I didn’t care to get the doll.

  But American Girl now? Pass. Once John and Kate entered that pit of hell with their monster twins, I realized they must be evil.

  I find the dress-like-my-doll-dressing-like-me thing creepy as well.

  Although, thanks to my overzealous mother in law, my unborn daughter already has a frilly pink newborn dress with matching doll, that isn’t age rated for her for another 3 years. God help me.

• 27. The New Girl  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 12:27 pm

  Oh, yes, Yes, and HELLS YES. OMFG.

  The Doll Facial is one of those ideas that makes me imagine some advertising/production/development/whatever meeting, where people are all around a table brainstorming ideas for the Next Big Thing. And then someone says, ‘How about DOLL FACIALS?’ and then what? NOBODY LAUGHED? But then, look. I obviously did NOT miss my calling.

  And also? About True Blood? I get the need to set up the finally but OH MY HELL that last episode was absolutely TEDIOUS. And I agree about the drama club performance! And about the miscasting. Because in my head, she was tiny and old fashioned and dark. And, I think, French.

• 28. The New Girl  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm

  OMG. I re-read my comment and find that I ACTUALLY wrote ‘finally’ when, of course, I meant, ‘finale.’

  GEEZUZ.

• 29. Kristin H  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 1:01 pm

  Thought it was the perfect parrrrrrrty..

  Killing me.

• 30. shriek house  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 1:29 pm

  Um. A facial? For a doll? Surely you must have been hallucinating. That just CANNOT be possible.

• 31. ali  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 1:31 pm

  Emily and I have been having the American Girl doll for years. no. no. and no. and the matching clothing for the doll, the child, and the mom? HELLS NO.

• 32. Carla Hinkle  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 1:40 pm

  And PS I know it is privilege, buying wholesomeness, etc etc etc and I’m not sure my daughters will ever actually GET an AG doll … but if I have the money? And I can buy something that promotes my little girls staying that way instead of becoming teenagers way too fast? You bet your bippy I will shell it out. Also: I know there are lots of other dolls that aren’t so tarted up but girls think AG dolls are COOL. Wholesomeness that is cool? Sign me up and I’ll open my checkbook.

  (For the doll, though. I can’t imagine the store.)

  PS Again this is reminding me of debates I had with myself when my oldest daughter was an infant about no WAY would the Disney princesses ever set foot in our home. And yet I see Cinderella, Belle, Sleeping Beauty et al in my house on a regular basis. I have stood by my “no Bratz” policy, though, so apparently there are some lines even I won’t cross!!!

• 33. jonniker  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 1:51 pm

  HA. Carla, it’s so true. I DO think my kid will end up with at least one, if only because my mom won’t stop talking about it. But again, we’re talking about the doll, not the … misery that is the store. I think it was the store experience that really threw me. If I’d only seen the historical dolls in one-off context, I guarantee I would feel differently.

  And oh please. She’s wearing pink all the time now. That lasted what, four months? I think I bought her a dress with a damn PETTICOAT, for chrissake.

  And totally, I get the wholesome thing, and admire it. But hot damn if the stores haven’t moved in the OPPOSITE direction with the whole salon/outfit/frightening display of consumption thing. I CANNOT EXPLAIN WHY IT WAS SO CREEPY TO ME. GAH.

• 34. Suze  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 2:48 pm

  Assessin’ the damage like a claims adjuster.

  That’s my favorite new video, thank you

• 35. Julie  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 2:56 pm

  This store terrifies me. I’ve seen the catalog, and that’s enough to keep me from ever darkening the store entrance, if I can help it. My daughter is only 1 1/2, and these things keep me up at night. Really, doll facials? I suppose doll massages are next. W.E.I.R.D.

• 36. JMH  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm

  I think Lawyerish stated it perfectly. Her comment sums up exactly how I feel/think about it. Great comment!

• 37. AndreAnna  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 6:11 pm

  Ok, since most of your commenters have focused on the AG topic – I will dive into your True Blood reference.

  Rachel, What? The?? Fuck?

  Like you said, normally I LIKE her – save for that Marylin Manson situation – but MY GOD! It was like watching a school play or something. With a the really annoying girl as the lead.

  If she can make Bill’s acting look good, then surely there’s a problem.

  Eric with the “teacup humans” saved that whole damn episode.

• 38. H  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 7:30 pm

  I am too old, and so is my daughter, for the AG stuff so it has never been a big deal here – but the store sounds appalling.

  HOWEVER, your Andy Rooney reference made me laugh out loud because I’ve seen way too damn much of that man since Big Brother follows 60 Minutes. Please SOMEONE at CBS: trim that man’s eyebrows!!

  The video was hilarious. I loved it.

• 39. H  |  September 2nd, 2009 at 8:04 pm

  You know what? My daughter isn’t too old for AG but somehow it missed us or we missed it. She was never into girly things so maybe that’s why but I guess we’re lucky – and saved some money on doll facials!

• 40. Jeanne  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 5:58 am

  I’ve been to an AG store, and didn’t think it was so bad. There was a HUGE emphasis on the historical dolls, and almost all the other doll stuff was on the second floor. There was a big area for all the books (which are excellent, by the way). Yes there was a salon, but I didn’t see anything related to facials. Perhaps that’s just what they call it when they clean off the accumulated dirt? I’m OK with the hair salon because sometimes that doll hair can become a frightfully matted mess, or younger siblings decide to give the doll an at-home haircut. I don’t know if you’d awnt to take the doll to a real salon for damage control. My daughter has a Target “Our Generation” doll that she got prior to her AG doll. She loves both dolls, but the quality of the AG doll is off the charts compared to the Target one. I totally feel that you get what you pay for in this case. Oh, and we ate in the store’s Bistro for lunch. The food was good, and the experience was completely lovely. I think that Lawyerish summed it up perfectly. The values you instill will determine how your child responds to the outside stuff.

  And True Blood? A lame episode with only a few shining moments (thank you Eric!). Evan Rachel Wood SUCKED. At the beginning of this season I was annoyed that this was a summer program and there would only be 12 episodes. Now? Let’s end it, and hopefully they’ll come back with a bang next summer…

• 41. Annie  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 am

  When I was in grade school, American Girl dolls hit the scene with more emphasis than slap bracelets and Lisa Frank school supplies. I desperately wanted Molly because she had an Irish last name (like me!) and glasses (like me!) and I was a kid who sincerely loved learning about history. I had never shown any interest in dolls before (I had two Barbies that took up residence in Lincoln Log buildings I would build for them to HIDE THEM) and so my Mom would get me the catalog to play with. I’m not even kidding. My Mom, the genuis, knew that if I got one, I probably wouldn’t play with it for too terribly long. I don’t hate my Mom for not getting me the doll. By any means!

  I haven’t been to an AG store, so I have no idea what kind of over commercialized deathzone it could be, but I do think AG dolls can be done correctly. As in, one doll, not a million accessories, etc. One doll does not equal excess, in my opinion. It all depends on the kid who wants/has the doll and how they are encouraged to play with it. Anyone who gets their doll (WITHOUT SKIN!) a facial deserves feeling the consequences of their daughters expectations when she wants a new coach purse every time she sees one, an Escalade when she turns 16 and expects unlimited funds when she goes to college.

• 42. jonniker  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 10:11 am

  Annie: I agree with you completely on all fronts. My hyperbolic “OVER MY DEAD BODY” is really not entirely accurate, let’s be honest.

  Except for the facials. And the hairdos. NO.

• 43. Chrissy  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 10:34 am

  Honestly, I think the American Girl Place thing is when AG really jumped the shark for me as a Kirsten-totin’ 12 year old. (It’s this like half joking/half, uh, not point of tension between me and my older sister that she COVETED a (Samantha) doll but when she was little my parents were like UM NO to the price tag. The thing about AG dolls, then at least, is that they don’t so much respond to inflation. So six years later, when I wanted one, it was doable. Excellent for nearly-fainting-with-excitement little me when I opened it up on my 10th birthday, a bit tragic for my sister. Sort of to this day. End tangent.)

  Anyway, yes. Pleasant Company sends you those godforsaken catalogs until youre just shy of receiving AARP’s glossy equivalent. So I would peruse them even when I was well out of the doll phase, and I remember when the first AG Place opened I was just like, wait, what…exactly? Is happening here? And then my then 6 year old cousin visited from Texas and since she was in “New York” was OBSESSED with the idea that they were going to be visiting it during their stay. My family? Lives in Buffalo. Aint gon happen. But still, she sat their brushing her doll’s hair and making casual comments about how they were “probably going to go there since were in NEW YORK” And her 6-year-old mix of skewed logic and hope was so sad to watch, but also you got the feeling AG had fired up the consumerism brainwash machine it’s become and made her all MUST GO TO AMERICAN GIRL PLACE. IS MECCA.

  My American Girl experience was like a lot of people are describing up there. The phase coincided with my HEAVY into historical fiction phase, and I may or may not have written letters to a few authors of the books. But hey! They wrote back HANDWRITTEN letters! I get the feeling now it would be a typed form letter with a coupon for 10% off a Doll Facial (OMGWTF) attached. Ah, simpler times.

  But REALLY, this is all just so very DISTRACTING from my main point which is my god, that video. “I aint yo daddy but I’ll call you son, yeah I get metaphysical like fuckin John Donne.”

  Excuse me, I’m off to find out in which state I can legally marry both Garfunkel and Oates.

• 44. Kristabella  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 11:45 am

  I was waiting to see what Ali commented because when I was visiting her, Emily was looking through the American Girl catalog and wanted EVERYTHING! And I couldn’t believe how expensive they were! And why would I want to dress like my doll? WHY?

  There is an American Girl Place in Chicago and if you walk around downtown in the summer, you will see those big, red bags everywhere. I don’t get it.

  Although, if my niece asked me to take her there with her doll for tea, I’d probably have a hard time saying no.

• 45. SwingCheese  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 2:51 pm

  I never had an American Girl doll. By the time I first heard of them in the MidWest, I was a young teen babysitting for an 8 year old who had a Samantha (!). I did, however, look through the catalog with great itnerest after she went to bed, and I had to concede that, even to my Metallica-loving self, the doll/history thing was pretty cool.

  Years later, for some unknown reason, a new catalog arrived at my parents’ house, and in retrospect, I have to assume that it was after Pleasant Co. had been purchased by Mattel, because I remember being a little startled by the sheer amount of stuff that was suddenly available. (Also, there was something in one of the descriptions when coupled with the placement of a picture that was borderline racist, and sent my mom and I into gales of horrified laughter, but I can’t remember what it was now.)

  I’m very pleased to have my little boy, though I suppose it’s always a possibility that he, too, might want an AG doll.

  And Lawyerish, I had completely forgotten about my Koosa until your post!! I loved my Koosa – in fact, I made my dad pose for a picture with it at my aunt and uncle’s rehersal dinner, so there’s a great pic of the three of us (me, dad, and Tom Koosa) from 1984 floating around out there somewhere. Thanks for the reminder

• 46. serror  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 4:38 pm

  I drooled over those American Girls dolls when younger, but of course my mother wouldn’t purchase me a hundred dollar doll! I have to save up money from my paper route to buy it for myself, No joke. I got it when I was a little too old and I think it lives in a dolly coffin like box in my parents basement. My first Barbie was also bought with my own money at garage sale and happened to have almost all its hair cut off. And she was Asian, which didn’t bother me and wasn’t surprising in our neighborhood.

  Don’t get me wrong, I had many toys. Most were “educational” and I don’t think I was ever denied a book that I wanted to read…

  I also read the books as a child and loved the stories. But that was back when they were all historical dolls, paired with books and only available through the catalog. I was interested about ages 8-12 which is the exact age the original creator was aiming for.

• 47. Hannah  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 5:35 pm

  When I was about six or seven years old, I was obsessed with AG dolls. My parents were the type you described in your post – “that crazy bitch mom who says she can only have ONE American Girl doll if she saves her own money or for a VERY SPECIAL OCCASION, like, if her father is elected president of the United States, and then? She can’t get the doll’s hair done under threat of head-shaving” – I had THAT sort of mom.

  We agreed to splitting the cost. (At the time, they were around $70. This was back when Beanie Babies, slap bracelets, and the Backstreet Boys were the coolest things around.) I’m not quite sure how I managed to save money (where does a six-year-old get $35?) I thought I was so fabulously wealthy when I had collected $35 and so unimpressed with the actual doll. Ten years later, what do I remember about the whole incident? Yup, the 35 one-dollar bills sitting in the bottom of my pajama drawer – not the doll.

• 48. kakaty  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 9:07 pm

  American Girl makes me so sad because I have one of the 1st dolls from the Pleasant Co. (the mom-and-pop who owned AG before Mattel bought it and turned the brand into a whore). My 4th grade BFF had an aunt who worked for the Pleasant Co. and she had the 3 original, historic dolls and I was in awe of them. I got mine as the only gift for my birthday that year and it’s one of the first 200 made. (I have Kirsten – the pioneer because I was also obsessed with Laura Ingalls at the time). This was back when there were 3 dolls, each with 3 books and 3 outfits. I cherished that doll and took great care of it. I read the books for all of the dolls until the pages fell out (it was the first time I learned about WWII). I saved $ and asked only for the dresses and accessories for gifts until I had the whole collection. What the brand is today makes me sick because it really is the worst of consumerism.

• 49. Danell  |  September 3rd, 2009 at 9:22 pm

  Umm…I think I’m in trouble here: I haven’t ever HEARD of American Girl dolls. By the sound of it, I have been under a rock for a very long time since everyone has had one or been around them or whatever. Maybe I’ll just make sure my daughter gets a pony or something so she stays out of this whole American Girl mess. Jeezus-I thought the Bratz dolls looked horrifying on the Walmart shelf…waiting there for the Pimp doll to come along. Dolls should have neither fishnets NOR facials.

• 50. Occidental_Girl  |  September 4th, 2009 at 12:39 pm

  I know. I am trying to teach my daughter reasonable consumption, and then also giving to others and saving some money. My mom comes in and blows the whole thing down with TOO MANY GIFTS, all the time! It’s difficult to teach in a world of excess, but maybe that’s also the best place to teach.

  It’s okay, be Andy Rooney. You’re a much cuter version!

• 51. mar  |  September 5th, 2009 at 8:35 pm

  i’m 30 now & remember when the 3 original dolls came out. after saving up $100, my parents let me order one when, as mentioned above, i was probably a bit too old for dolls. i had kirsten because none of the 3 were redheads (was it felicity who was the 4th & came out just after i’d bought mine?) anyway, never much of a doll person, but i’m such a history buff, even when i was young that i would page through those catalogs for days after they came in the mail. (yay, mail with my name on it!)
  if i ever have a little girl, she can have my doll, but i doubt we’ll make a store visit. oh, and i only ever had the one outfit, but my mom did sew up 2 or 3 little pioneer dresses from patterns you could buy.
  and now it’s back to watching all the garfunkel & oates videos on youtube. omg, i’m getting a side ache from the laughter!

• 52. Christine  |  September 6th, 2009 at 12:35 am

  Just came back to tell you that last night I introduced the fiance to Garfunkel and Oates, and well now he is obsessed. If you are so inclined, “Dear Deer” by Kate “Oates” is pretty adorable. Be sure to watch the video with the little kids. I want to squeeze the deer’s face.

• 53. amber  |  September 6th, 2009 at 6:59 am

  OH MY GOD – American Girl!! I remember meeting my best friend Katie for the first time when we were wee brats, and she had a couple of the historical ones – Samantha and Felicity, maybe? ANYWAY. I was in awe. She had the clothes and beds and everything, and I never realized how much they cost (obv) but I was in total envy until we outgrew them.

  And now…FACIALS?! For the dolls!?!!! Reading that…I can’t even properly describe my horror. You’re right, it’s EVERYTHING WRONG WITH AMERICA.

• 54. Dani  |  September 6th, 2009 at 8:27 am

  Just found your blog through Google Reader (thanks Google!) and I wanted to stop by and grumble about ERW on True Blood as well. I like her too, but she is NOT the queen. Her acting was so poor it was impossible to look at her as any figure of authority. So sad

  And I love the video!! I may borrow it for my blog.

• 55. Stacie  |  September 9th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

  I am totally with you on the American Girl front. If I ever have a daughter, chances are she will never have one, as I’m sure I’ll have much better things to spend my money on!

• 56. Leah  |  September 9th, 2009 at 7:19 pm

  I want to buy those girls a bottle of wine.

• 57. always home and uncool  |  September 10th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

  Hello, fellow Polite Fictions co-conspirator. It’s nice to see someone else beside me blog about the overpriced evils of American Girl. Eeeevil, I tells ya!

• 58. TashaEstrada23  |  May 30th, 2010 at 4:57 pm

  When you are in the corner and have no money to move out from that, you will have to take the loans. Just because it will aid you emphatically. I get short term loan every year and feel myself OK because of it.

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