Opinion: The American Girl Modern Era Dolls Are Freaky
The American Girl Modern Era Dolls look... off.
Now, I'm not saying that as a hater, I'm saying that as a regular person.
That being said, I think it's perfect, and so modern.
Kids want to play with what they see online. In America, it seems as if internet celebrities and kids who grew up in the spotlight all tend to migrate towards plastic surgery and filters. If the media we consume contains people with filter-like features and edits, why wouldn't dolls mimic the reality?
If we use AI to pump out content that kids absorb, of course the toys they want to play with offline will look the same. It's not American Girl's fault, it's the fault of the consumer -- it's the fault of humans integrating AI and filters so seamlessly into our real life.
Now, I don't think it's a bad thing that the American Girl dolls are changing. In fact, I think it's brilliant that they've created this Modern Era second line as an introduction.
Rather than removing a demographic, they are allowing parents to bring their daughters into the world they grew up in -- keeping the story and feelings of what we grew up with, without the boredom of "okay mom, it's an old doll, I get it."
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Personally, I'm a bit sad to learn that my favorite American Girl dolls, Jess and Marisol, are never to return and were simply dolls of the year. Perhaps, this year, there will be an adventurous doll of the year? With bright colors? With a passport? Hey, American Girl, feel free to consult me if you ever want to work on a doll that does it all!
Anyways, when I look back at the dolls I wanted, I realize how influential the two had actually been on my lives. (I also loved one of the heritage dolls, I'll put her at the bottom!)
Jess (Girl of the Year 2006)
My friend had the Jess doll and didn't seem to care for it that much. I, however, didn't have any American Girl dolls, much less a doll that looked like me -- half Asian!
I used to reread the Jess book over and over at her house. Thank goodness she was consumed in her own things, because the only thing I'd play with was that Jess set. The doll also came with something that I believe, smelled like a sweet sunblock. How do I remember? Because I used to love it. I was so, so jealous and honestly, I think I moreso wanted to escape and be Jess than just play with the doll. Then again, is that what dolls are for, in the first place?
According to the American Girl Fandom Wiki; Jess was the first Girl of the Year to have pajamas in her collection. She was also the first Girl of the Year to have a unique face mold.
She lived in Belize, with her Japanese mother and father with Scotch-Irish descent. She's adventurous and loves animals and the outdoors. She's an explorer, and keeps track of her firsts -- I, too, am en explorer. I, too, love a good list!
Jess's options included:
- A travel pack: with a shoulder bag, two letters, a passport, a document holder, a guidebook, a journal, a water bottle, a butterfly camera, and a monkey.
- A starter collection: with a kayak, swimsuits, lifevest, scuba gear and more.
- Hammocks
- Swimsuits
- Etc
Marisol (Girl of the Year 2005)
I thought that Marisol was my favorite. Why? Because she was tanned and had brown hair, like me! She was the first American Girl doll I'd seen like that, therefore, automatically my favorite -- I also had a love of cargo pants.
Anyways, I don't remember anything about Marisol, other than her cute fit and cat -- I now have a fluffy cat, too! Is this a coincidence? Hmmm...
"Marisol loves to dance! So when her parents decide to move to the suburbs of Chicago, she is sad to find that her new neighborhood doesn't have a dance studio. With the help of new friends, Marisol persuades a local dancer to start teaching dance classes" (American Girl Character Encyclopedia 52). In high school, I had a weird pull to go to Chicago. Is this why?
While I'd never seen her [above] performance trunk ensemble in real life, I'd always circled it in the catalogue. Actually, perhaps a friend had it. Either way, it's something I know I'd loved at one point or another, physical or imaginary.
Julie Albright (Historical Character)
Now, Julie's story wasn't what clung to me. Instead, I loved her look. Her fashion, her style, her records, and mostly that she was a blonde hippie -- I wanted to be a blonde hippie.
Here's her story, according to the American Girl website: "Growing up in San Francisco in the mid-1970s, Julie Albright is determined to stay positive as she settles into her new home, new school, and newly configured family after her parents’ divorce."
While a great story, it was the bits and bobs that came with Julie which made her memorable to me. I loved how whimsical and colorful the design was of each piece.
Nowadays, I think I can attribute some of my wardrobe choices to her collection -- I've got this killer pair of Windsor Smith boots, it goes with nearly all outfits.
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While I understand that Girls of the Year are literal limited editions, I do think that we're nearing the time for an adventurous, backpacker American Girl. Although, can big doll corporation handle a digital nomad doll?
I hate using ChatGPT, but it created a doll for me, based on the content I'd posted on SullyMacaroni.com!
