I was your typical little girl. I had bins full of dolls and just about every single Barbie accessory known to man.
Among some of my favorite dolls was my American Girl doll, Molly. I didn’t get Molly until I was a little older, so it wasn’t long until I began to think I was too cool to play with dolls.
But honestly, Molly was probably one of the coolest dolls I played with and still own to this day.
The American Girl Doll company created dolls that were a part of history. Each one had a different back story about a different time in history. Granted, not many girls who played with the dolls actually followed their back stories, but it was still amazing to be able to instill that type of learning in kids so young.
My doll, Molly, was a child during World War II. In her back story, war breaks out and her father is sent off to fight. War is threatening to break out on her home front as well. There are several books that can be purchased that tell the story of each doll. And with each book comes a different time period.
However, the American Girl Doll Company seems to be headed in a different direction ever since Mattel bought the company.
Mattel retired several dolls with historic back stories and instead replaced them with Saige Copeland, who loves spending time at her grandma’s, riding horses and painting. Her school recently cut art classes and now she does not know what to do with her life. Or, what about 10-year-old McKenna Brooks, who excels both in school and in gymnastics? But just when she is at her peak she is sidelined for an injury.
I get that the company is trying to change with the times, but it is just sad. Do we not have faith in our youth that they can take on such imaginations?
At least some of the original dolls still remain, and I hope that the American Girl Doll Company will realize its dolls are so much more than just dolls. It is teaching the youth about American history.
Column by Savannah Sawyer, Features Editor