I remember with perfect clarity the Christmas that I got a
Samantha doll as a present. I was well acquainted with all of the
American Girls by then, having studied their varied histories and enviously
played with my friends’ Kirstens and Mollys. So when I opened the package and
found Samantha inside, I already knew that she felt suffocated by
her Grandmary’s ideals of what it meant to be “a lady.” I promised to rescue
her from her staid Victorian background.
Samantha led a charmed life to be sure, but it was an
interesting, charmed life. And it was told in books, which helped me get hooked on reading, taught me a wee bit
of history, and helped me identify with people who lived in very different times
and places from my own.
Chrissa, who will hit toy store shelves this January, will
educate girls about how to navigate social challenges in 2009—through an HBO
movie (An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong).
Instead of combating a historical hardship, such as the oppression of women or
World War II, Chrissa is battling “relational aggression.” There's no question that relational aggression is an important issue, but do we have to give even our dolls psychological diagnoses? What about engaging
stories, to, you know, distract and cheer up all the kids who are suffering
relational aggression?
Am I just being crotchety, or is Chrissa a lame replacement for Samantha?
Photo: USA Today
