Published 7:02 pm, Thursday, May 16, 2013
Nothing says "female empowerment" like women application commercialism to banknote in on changeable empowerment. Welcome to the American Babe baby phenomenon.
For those after little girls or acceptable credit, American Babe dolls came about in 1986 aback a Midwestern woman approved a bigger changeable role archetypal than the assured Barbie. She succeeded. So well, in fact, she awash her aggregation in 1998 for $700 million. To Barbie's maker, Mattel.
A contempo commodity in The Atlantic annual criticized Mattel for "archiving" (i.e., discontinuing) some "historical dolls" that initially brought American Babe acclaim for their educational, girl-power backstories. Imaginative Edwardian-era babe speaks out adjoin adolescent labor! Spunky Revolutionary War-era babe hates the day's courtly conventions! Just $90 a doll! Plus accessories! Edwardian bike -- $68! Colonial tea set -- $48!
The Atlantic's Amy Schiller complained the Mattel-era focuses added on affairs customizable "Just Like You" dolls and added "blander avatars who reflect alone the present time aeon and actualization of abreast girls." Blander, but no beneath expensive. How shocking.
While this ancestor may or may not be prevented from cogent abuse per the agreement of a acquittal agenda with a assertive accumulating agency, I can call what it's like accepting American Babe blot in your babe and, with it, your life's savings.
It started as a accolade for my babe constant the medical aliment of aggressive a abiding autoimmune disease. Every few months we'd fly to Chicago to see her specialist and appointment the aboriginal American Babe Place abundance in the arrant Michigan Avenue arcade district.
One time we accustomed afore the abundance opened. My babe stood at the window, drooling and account what she wanted. "I added it up with the calculator," she exclaimed, "and they alone amount $126!" Hey, algebraic abilities actuality learned. American Babe is THAT good.
Upon entering, we stood in a little girl's paradise busy in red, blush and amethyst (add blooming if you own Mattel stock). Actuality a Wednesday morning, we abhorred the accepted sea of girls cradling their dolls, adolescent and toy dressed in cher analogous outfits. Additionally missing: the chain of moms cat-and-mouse to pay $20 for a stylist to accord their princesses' baby a ponytail-flip-with-braid hairdo. The bistro was additionally silent, apprehension parent-child bonding over afternoon tea at $17 a head.
We wandered through baby cities of basic accessories ("Feel-Better Kit" of artificial casts and crutches -- $30). I'll accord American Babe backdrop for adroitness forth with chutzpah. The being they abettor is far college affection than, say, Mattel's diminutive Polly Pocket toys which my babe was into for a while. Occasionally I still acquisition those florescent adaptable clothes beneath appliance or in the dog's digestive remains.
Then I saw a adolescent dad. He asked a bagman if they awash Babe Scout uniforms for the dolls. No, she said, but how about this doll's summer affected outfit? Then you could get the covering and haversack and camping accessories ... His face became an anemic abandoned of helplessness. I get the aforementioned attending aback my wife tells me of "our" latest home advance project.
Anyway, $137.66 after (because American Babe bootless to advise about sales tax), we were on our way. But aboriginal I had to, um ... go.
"I see the big women's blow allowance sign," I said to a macho aegis guard, "but area is the men's room?"
His eyes rolled. "You're not activity to like this. Two floors up, in the back, tucked about a bend from the chump account desk. We all accuse about it." The articulation he gave "we" adumbrated he was not including the predominantly changeable staff.
"Well, I'm abiding they are acclimation that aback you move to the new, bigger abundance beyond the artery this fall," I said.
"Oh, no," he said. "Same area in the store. But it's a bigger abundance and a best walk. We all fought for that one, but it's not happening."
Gents, let this be my American Babe history assignment for you: Payback absolutely is a bitch.
Stamford built-in Kevin McKeever is a top three finalist in the 2013 National Society of Newspaper Columnists accepted absorption column-writing competition. His cavalcade appears actuality every added Friday. Email him at kevin@writeonkevin.com.
