Disclaimer: the following is my opinions. In no way are you obligated to agree with me. In fact, I almost want you to disagree with me/Diane Rehm.
While driving someplace, I was able to catch the very last tid-bit of NPR's The Diane Rehm Show. This particular segment was something about girls...essentially, American girls ("girly-girl " etc). This is one of my all-time favorite topics...not sure why, it's the way things are.
This particular Diane Rehm show segment had some expert/psychologist...remember, I only caught the last bit. I got to hear one of the very last callers. The caller asked about The American Girl Store/dolls. In particular, does the Store promote consumerism at a young age? The "expert" opinion:
yes.
But! The American Girl stories (not the doll, we're talking about the books), teach some really great morals to young girls everywhere. However, the girls (in the book) are most likely unable to afford their particular doll (the one that looks like them). The expert has never showed/taught her own daughter about the American Girl Store/dolls. However, the expert went along with her friend and the friend's daughter to a The American Girl Store to see what it's all about. The friend bought over $500 worth of "stuff" at the store. The expert went on to say that marketers/media has formed mother-daughter bonding...through shopping.
Growing up my very own mother and I bonded through shopping...grocery shopping that is. Growing up I had a few American Girl story books growing up, but too busy to care about 'um. My mother never taught/showed me the store. But I learned about it from school. Looking back, I think I was a little jealous of the girls/classmates who had a doll. But looking forward, I don't regret begging my mother to get me a doll. Really...The American Girl Store is consumerism at its very finest.
I should be worried about my future daughters and sons, but I think my mother did her job (well) of embracing my gender while not going "overboard". And I hung around my dad...a lot...which helped balance things out. I feel like I can show my own children both "worlds".
like
ReplyDelete