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Wild-eye right drags down iconic American Girl dolls
Capital Times ^ | 11-12-05 | Joel McNally

Posted on 11/13/2005 4:42:14 PM PST by SJackson

It turns out that when suburban mothers buy American Girl dolls that look and dress exactly like their own little girls, they may unwittingly be purchasing tiny, lesbian partners for their children....

It turns out that when suburban mothers buy American Girl dolls that look and dress exactly like their own little girls, they may unwittingly be purchasing tiny, lesbian partners for their children.

At least, that is the fear of the wacko, right-wing watchdogs who keep track of exotic threats to our children that most of us are too naive - or not nearly psychologically twisted enough - to recognize.

Up until now, we thought the growing success of the Wisconsin-based American Girl doll company was one of those wholesome, positive, all-American stories.

Who could possibly find fault with a roaringly successful commercial venture that encourages young girls to dress in the same designer outfits as their look-alike dolls?

The company founded 20 years ago in Middleton by Pleasant Rowland was sold to Mattel Inc. in 1998 for $700 million. The company has upscale doll stores in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles with expensive clothing boutiques, hair salons and high fashion events for dolls and children alike.

Obviously, any little girl who buys deeply into the American Girl mystique - emphasis on "buy" - is well on her way to dressing for success in life. At the very least, she has a shot at becoming a particularly well-tailored trophy wife.

The commercialization of childhood is a serious social issue that could be the subject of thoughtful public debate. Or we could just listen to the ignorant blatherings of right-wing extremists.

Guess which has gotten American Girl into hot water? You got it. It's the complaints of the American Family Association and the Pro-Life Action League.

The American Family Association, based in Tupelo, Miss., the birthplace of Elvis Presley, has a long history of seeing threats to our children that most people are far too intelligent to notice.

The American Family Association was among the few organizations to perceive that preschool children were being brainwashed into pursuing a life of homosexuality by a sexually ambiguous Teletubby named Tinky Winky.

The organization once protested an episode of "Rocky and Bullwinkle" in which Bullwinkle the Moose married Cinderella. You might think the American Family Association would rejoice at such a high-profile celebrity endorsement of traditional marriage.

But those vigilant protectors of conservative morality recognized the Bullwinkle-Cinderella liaison for what it was - a subtle endorsement of inter-species relations promoting sex with animals.

So what could be so objectionable about American Girl dolls to attract protests from the American Family Association and, even more curiously, the Pro-Life Action League? The last we knew no embryos were destroyed producing American Girl dolls, which are not actually alive, just perky.

It turns out purchasing American Girl dolls helps promote concepts these groups find offensive. You know, objectionable concepts such as living healthy lives and being tolerant toward others.

The two groups have launched a crusade against American Girl for contributing philanthropically to Girls Inc., formerly the Girls Clubs of America, which for 140 years has organized programs encouraging young girls to feel good about themselves and strive for achievement.

This is where the charges about lesbianism come in. It seems that in educating adolescent girls about sexuality, Girls Inc. fails to teach young women to hate themselves or anyone else if they happen to be gay.

Almost as bad, in attempting to prevent teenage pregnancy, Girls Inc. reveals to girls that abstinence is not the only method of birth control. Since abstinence has been known to fail, it also acknowledges the existence of contraception and abortion.

No advocacy is involved. It's a simple matter of providing an honest education in the basics of good health for adolescent girls.

American Girl dolls aren't proselytizing innocent young girls into lesbianism or teenage whoredom. That's just standard laughable exaggeration from wild-eyed goofballs on the right.

But when the president of the United States lends legitimacy to the wild-eyed right on issues such as teaching religious beliefs as science in our schools, pretty soon other institutions in our society start taking seriously other ridiculous right-wing ideas.

St. Luke Catholic School in Brookfield recently canceled an American Girl fashion show that was expected to raise from $10,000 to $30,000 for the school.

Apparently, these regional fashion shows, which send personal invitations to more than 20,000 American Girl doll owners over a wide area, are killer fundraisers.

Brookfield, in Waukesha County, could well be the state's most seething hotbed of both American Girl dolls and the religious right. Those well-dressed, fresh-faced dolls never had a chance.

Father Frank Malloy, the pastor of St. Luke school, said in canceling the American Girl event: "The cost is too high. Our integrity isn't for sale."

Anyone gullible enough to believe that an American Girl doll is a threat to public morality doesn't need to be bought. He's already been Bullwinkled.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial
KEYWORDS: americangirl; dolls; filth; girlsinc; lesbianism; megabarfalert; morfordite; perversion; projournalism
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Shouldn't it be wild-eyed right?

Then again,


1 posted on 11/13/2005 4:42:16 PM PST by SJackson
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

politics, i guess.


2 posted on 11/13/2005 4:43:14 PM PST by SJackson (People have learned from Gaza that resistance succeeds, not smart negotiators., Hassem Darwish)
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To: SJackson

As usual, the moonbats get it dead wrong. It's not that we are afraid that we are "buying a miniature lesbian companion" for our daughters; it IS that we refuse to support a company that gives money to causes we find abhorent.


3 posted on 11/13/2005 4:44:31 PM PST by clee1 (We use 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 2 to pull a trigger. I'm lazy and I'm tired of smiling.)
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To: SJackson

Oh that's just nuts. I'm glad my daughter isn't into "ho" Bratz dolls. And yeah, she's 8, but the 'Ken' prince charmin doll is still tops. Sheesh. Grow up.


4 posted on 11/13/2005 4:44:46 PM PST by timsbella (Mark Steyn for Prime Minister of Canada!)
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To: SJackson

Oh my, I feel so ridiculed and ashamed I'm going to run out and by a few dozen for my girls.


5 posted on 11/13/2005 4:46:21 PM PST by ViLaLuz (Stop the ACLU - Support the Public Expression of Religion Act 2005 - Call your congressmen.)
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To: SJackson

What crap.


6 posted on 11/13/2005 4:47:43 PM PST by brivette
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To: SJackson

This kind of article really makes me want to change my 'wacko' mind about buying these dolls for my 5 year old daughter--NOT. Is this person condescending much?? Think we'll stick with Barbie here.


7 posted on 11/13/2005 4:50:05 PM PST by pillut48 (CJ in TX)
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To: SJackson
Since abstinence has been known to fail,

Huh??

8 posted on 11/13/2005 4:50:52 PM PST by somemoreequalthanothers (All for the betterment of "the state", comrade)
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To: clee1

That and funding propaganda encouraging them toward lesbianism, matrubation, and abortion.


9 posted on 11/13/2005 4:51:39 PM PST by x5452
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To: SJackson

"Almost as bad, in attempting to prevent teenage pregnancy, Girls Inc. reveals to girls that abstinence is not the only method of birth control. Since abstinence has been known to fail, it also acknowledges the existence of contraception and abortion."

Abstinence fails once in a while? What happens, miracle virgin births or something? Scientists everywhere must be baffled by the new phenomena the left wing just stumbled upon.


10 posted on 11/13/2005 4:52:04 PM PST by Firefigher NC (Volunteer firefighters- standing tall, serving proud in the tradition of Ben Franklin.)
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To: SJackson
I dated a chick with a wild right eye once...

"eye chiuaua!"

11 posted on 11/13/2005 4:52:13 PM PST by xcamel (No more RINOS - Not Now, Not Ever Again.)
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To: clee1

Maybe it just pre-empted the sale of Hillary Clinton dolls, with Barbra Steisand as her accessory ;)


12 posted on 11/13/2005 4:53:02 PM PST by timsbella (Mark Steyn for Prime Minister of Canada!)
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To: SJackson
abstinence is not the only method of birth control. Since abstinence has been known to fail

What, what, WHAAAAT??????

13 posted on 11/13/2005 4:53:25 PM PST by Alouette (Gaza: Too small to be a country, too large to be an insane asylum (thanx: Pettigru).)
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To: clee1

Not to mention that this company's main consumers aren't "young women", but 7-12 year old LITTLE GIRLS.


14 posted on 11/13/2005 4:54:37 PM PST by Politicalmom (Must I use a sarcasm tag?)
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To: SJackson
Since abstinence has been known to fail, ...

How can abstience fail? How can it possibly fail?

You can still get pregnant by NOT having sex? Hmmmmmmmmmm

15 posted on 11/13/2005 4:54:40 PM PST by It's me
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To: SJackson
You know, objectionable concepts such as living healthy lives and being tolerant toward others.

Nothing "healthy" about homosexuality. In fact, it's one of the most unhealthy lifestyles extant, judging from the mortality of its practicioners.

... Girls Clubs of America, which for 140 years has organized programs encouraging young girls to feel good about themselves ...

I'm not sure that's what the Girls Clubs taught. I suspect it had a trifle more to do with behaving morally. Or maybe that's the Girl Scouts ...

... in educating adolescent girls about sexuality, Girls Inc. fails to teach young women to hate themselves or anyone else if they happen to be gay.

That's probably okay. But it's probably not correct -- except in the political sense -- to teach them that it's perfectly moral to be a homosexual, or to cavalierly accept homosexual practices in others. They have a better guide for those values; it's called the Bible.

... in attempting to prevent teenage pregnancy, Girls Inc. reveals to girls that abstinence is not the only method of birth control. Since abstinence has been known to fail

Abstinence has NEVER failed to prevent pregnancy. People have failed to practice abstinence, to be sure, but where it is applied, it is 100 percent effective.

... it also acknowledges the existence of contraception and abortion.

Talk about "failing" ...

an honest education in the basics of good health for adolescent girls.

Nothing "honest" or "healthy" about promiscuity or lesbianism. Nice attempt to frame the argument, but no dice.

And in the end, if American Girl wants to support lesbianism, by all means, let them. And parents are perfectly free to boycott their products and drive them out of business.

16 posted on 11/13/2005 4:56:53 PM PST by IronJack
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To: Firefigher NC
Abstinence fails once in a while?

You can't really be that naive. Abstinance fails because the human will can be weak. Not everyone is a pillar of unwavering moral strength that can't be corrupted. Mere mortals can be tempted, and unlike Christ, mere mortals fail as often as not.

17 posted on 11/13/2005 4:57:51 PM PST by Melas (What!? Read or learn something? Why would anyone do that, when they can just go on being stupid)
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To: It's me; SJackson; Firefigher NC; Alouette; somemoreequalthanothers

Great minds think alike.

Does this person really believe that we can't/don't think?


18 posted on 11/13/2005 4:57:54 PM PST by It's me
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To: SJackson
I notice the liberal fails to offer a single quote to support any of this over-the-top idiocy.

And wouldn't you know? The liberal has also failed to point out the real reason we won't be buying American Girl dolls. The liberal didn't use the "A" word.

19 posted on 11/13/2005 4:59:20 PM PST by Reactionary
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To: IronJack

Did you know that this organization used to be the Camp Fire Girls?????
Every Christian girl I knew was a Bluebird or Camp Fire Girl!!!

Devil got into that organization!!!!


20 posted on 11/13/2005 5:03:24 PM PST by netmilsmom (God blessed me with a wonderful husband.)
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