Posted on 02/02/2005 12:10:30 PM PST by Land_of_Lincoln_John
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez (D-Chicago) Tuesday invited the president of the company that makes American Girl dolls to visit Pilsen after the firm angered some Hispanics by describing the neighborhood in a storybook as "dangerous.''
Meanwhile, Ald. Daniel Solis (25th) said he had set up a meeting for next week with a representative from Mattel, American Girl's parent company, to discuss what he said was "probably an unintended mistake.''
The Wisconsin-based American Girl rankled some when it set the back story of a new doll in Chicago. The storybook describes how a Mexican-American girl named Marisol Luna moves to suburban Des Plaines after her parents fear for her safety.
In the book, which accompanies the $84 doll, Marisol's parents tell her "It's time we get out of this neighborhood.'' Pilsen is not specifically named but the family is described as living across the street from Harrison Park at 18th and Damen.
Says Marisol in the book: "[My mother] explained it was no place for me to grow up. It was dangerous, and there was no place for me to play.''
3 murders near doll's park
Juana Guzman, vice president of the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, called the book "insulting to the neighborhood'' and complained that the story line carries the message that one has to "move to the suburbs to be safe.'' Police Cmdr. Ronald Sodini added that he was "offended'' and that the community has worked hard to cut crime.
An American Girl spokeswoman said the danger reference is to street traffic. In a statement issued Tuesday, the company added that "it's risky to base an entire book on one sentence out of 136 pages.'' The book's main message is "it doesn't matter where you live -- it's your desire to stay true to yourself and your family that counts,'' the company said.
In his invitation to American Girl President Ellen S. Brothers, Gutierrez said "Pilsen is flush with parks, with top notch playgrounds and athletic fields and other amenities.... Your assertion that there are no places for children to play is simply not correct.''
The congressman said the story line "demeans the character of thousands of families and their daughters growing up in Pilsen.''
American Girl spokeswoman Stephanie Spanos said Brothers "plans to speak with Congressman Gutierrez directly'' but that no decision to meet in Pilsen has been made.
Solis said there are street gangs in Pilsen but "there are problems across the country with gangs.'' According to police, the Monroe District saw a 15 percent decline in violent crimes between December 2003 and December 2004, the second best drop percentage-wise in the city. Crime in the beat around Harrison Park included three murders and 41 aggravated batteries in 2004.
Solis said property values are on the rise -- "people don't want to leave'' -- and "you don't have to move to the suburbs to raise your family.''
"...maybe, "Maria, the little Mexican girl from Chihuahua, with her father, Jose, who is a Juarista revolutionary fighting with Zapata", or something like that...."
oooh, oooh, I got one: How about the little Mexican girl whose father crosses the US border to work so he can send money back to the little girl's family so they won't starve or have to eat rats or something....
Actually, there was already an Hispanic American Doll, Josefina, living in c. 1820 Santa Fe.
Is the American Girl Doll Collection company public? We ought to buy stock.
Mattel gets A.G. Edwards bounce
By Susan Lerner
Last Updated: 2/2/2005 12:35:28 PM
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - Barbie is making a comeback.
Encouraged by renewed growth in sales of the classic doll, A.G. Edwards on Wednesday upgraded shares of toymaker Mattel (MAT) to "buy" from "hold" with a 12-18 month price objective of $22.
Read more here.
No, what is dangerous are these hypersensitive imbeciles. Sorry, Charlie, but there are neighborhoods across the land that are considered "dangerous". Just yelling about it does not make it less so.
"You obviously live in Outerwhitelandia/Exurbia. Some crackhead got iced two weeks ago in front of my (very expensive) apartment/condo complex. Will I move, HELL NO!"
No place is 100% safe, but I'm curious if you have kids or if you think you might feel differently about your neighborhood if you did. My neighborhood has become much less safe in the last 3 years. Everything from drag racing to drive-by shootings to muggings and break-ins. I tolerate it for now, but would move elsewhere if I had children to protect.
Hey thanks for the reference. Interesting article. Not so sure I'd invest, though. Will put the stock MAT on my watch list.
This PC stuff has gotten beyond ridiculous.
On C-Span a few weeks ago, there was a discussion about how the big 5 textbook producers change the history books. One change that has been made (relatively minor but silly nonetheless) is that textbooks are not supposed to mention "mountains" or "beach". No joke.
The feeling is that kids who have never seen mountains or beaches will feel left out and it will hurt their self esteem.
'...In defense, I will say that matching period piece clothes for our real live girls was impressive to me. we had great fun with some of these clothes. Beats the hell out of the slutty stuff the girls can find at Macy's...'
I consulted up there on site at Middleton where Pleasant Company is located. Mattel bought the company for $300M from the founder ~1999/2000. I was there in 1997 for 7 months.
The company originated in the founders garage when she couldn't find suitable dolls for her neices in 1986. At the time, only the cabbage patch kids, and Barbie were the primary 'hot' brands. She believed they sent the wrong message to young girls. She was after genuine esteem building and life-giving experiences for girls ages 6-12. Still the target market I believe.
She, along with encouragement from her wealthy (publishing) husband, and the help from a neighbor developed the original American Girls. If memory serves there were 5 characters at the time; Felicity, Kirsten, Addie, Samantha, and Molly. Each one of these characters is a fictional character set in american history with a different ethnic background. Each doll comes with a book of the customer's choice to start the collection, and each character's set of books covers the same life events for each character contextually.
When I was leaving, they were launching Josefina. Its a wonderful concept. Yes, they are expensive, but they attempt to teach valuable lessons. The target household income is >$80,000 annually.
As information...
...and you could hear him talk to his camel as he rode out across the dunes..."heya, heyaeya eyaeya hyah..." which is arabic for, "stop, Clyde!" and Clyde would say, "heya, heyaeya eyaeya hyah..." which is camel for, "What the heck did he say?" ... He brought that camel to a screeching halt at the rear of Fatima's tent jumped off Clyde, snuck around the corner and into the tent he went. There he saw Fatima laying on a Zebra skin rug, wearing rings on her fingers and bells on her toes and a bone in her nose ho, ho.
Pretty soon stuff like this, a part of MY American Girlhood, will be banned altogether.
$84 doll? No way.
Besides, my current nabe has 1. no parks, 2. no schools nearby, public or private and 3. is filled with drunks hitting the bars and clubs on weekends. Not a kid-friendly environment.
So that's the doll I saw walking along Miner Street.
"...textbooks are not supposed to mention "mountains" or "beach". No joke. "
Huh?! So how does one describe the WWII invasion on the beaches of Normandy? Or mention the Green Mountain Boys in the American Revolution? What possible purpose does it serve to not refer to a geographical location?
Thanks for the info. I've had Bishop's from their other location and it hasn't been as good as from the 18th street parlor. The key is shredded, not ground, beef/no beans/and plenty of aging. The vats they made were large enough to last several days--three day old chili was heaven. Also, it was best to wear a bandana to absorb the sweat brought on by a volcanic hot sauce.
ROTFL !!! Why am I laughing? Cold chills should be running down my spine at the thought of our "illustrious statesmen" in DC giving any credence to anything this microscopic in importance in view of what is going on all over the country with vote fraud in Washington State to our porous North and South border problems. In fact, I think I need my shawl right now!
good info. I'd forgotten the original American Girl dolls. My girls are 22 and 17, and I still have their dolls boxed away. When my girls were children, I couldn't find decent Sunday School dresses. The ones at Rich's etal were tacky. And the American Girl collection came along, and I could spend the same amount of money on a period dress as I could on something slinky and flashy at Rich's.
So the founder did have a perfect idea.
That's right, another non-story! What crapola.
I don't either. My granddaughter thinks they're great. I bought her one but I won't again. I'd buy her an American Doll if she loved those too. You know how grandmas are...
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