# Conservatives hate American Girls **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 15, 2005, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342 "2005-10-15T08:52:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/61 "2005-10-17T05:35:38Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#): > > They’re about $80/doll, but that comes with a change of clothing, a third-grade or so reading level book about the doll, and some other stuff I don’t remember. The shopping sectin of the American Girls’ website seems to be done right now, otherwise I’d just link you to it. There are [eight different dolls](http://www.americangirl.com/agcn/index.html), and they all have stories from different points in American history. They’re all pretty spunky girls and way better role models than Barbie and her kind. The best part is, you can start with the one doll and you can add different clothing and accessory sets, most of which are under $80, if I remember right. You can also buy real-girl sized clothes that match the doll’s. My daughter had one. They also have some rather cool furniture available, things like school desks. And yes, they are very well made. The books are similar for each character, being set at different seasons. They all had pretty good messages - I got to read the entire set to her. There is an American Girls store in New York - we didn’t go since now my daughter is a bit old for them (or a bit young 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/62 "2005-10-17T07:41:09Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > I think I bought my daughter the wrong doll all those years ago. … > Such power those dolls have. All my daughter got was a CabbagePatch doll. Who knew? I saved up for a year to buy my daughter \*\*dragonblink \*\*an American Girls Samantha doll, when I was working part time for $5/hr. Never did manage to buy the Cabbage Patch doll, though, unless you count the one I bought for myself for a buck at the thrift store about five years ago. 😃 My daughter’s brilliant and amazing and talented and exactly the kinda woman that would give Wildmon & Co. a giant case of the dry heaves, so there must be something to those American Girl dolls. (She still has Samantha, too.) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/63 "2005-10-17T12:22:54Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > Donald Wildmon, which one is he? These guys tend to run together in my mind. [Wildmon, the man and his organization.](http://www.afa.net/about.asp) Basically just another American mullah. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/64 "2005-10-17T15:48:53Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > Fine, so they can make a line of action-figure type dolls for boys. Spin off a line of books about boys from different periods, and maybe market related toys. I’d get one for Fang. Right now, though, it’s all about the choo-choo trains. > [@](#): > > It’s a license to print money! Oh no. Those get you in trouble with the Treasury department. > [@Nithotep](#): > > “Womb Babies” is an even more hideous coinage than “Fur Babies.” Okay, I give up. What’s a “Fur Baby”? ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/65 "2005-10-17T16:05:29Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > Okay, I give up. What’s a “Fur Baby”? You know those people who treat their lapdogs like they are their kids? Well, I he ard them using the term for their wriggling little sack of fur. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/66 "2005-10-17T17:18:52Z")
American Girl has been very good to my family. My cousin’s husband works for them, and last May my cousin nearly [died during childbirth](http://www2.caringbridge.org/ga/anitarothman/index.htm) from an [amniotic fluid embolism](http://www.ivillage.co.uk/pregnancyandbaby/pregnancy/concernpreg/articles/0,,16_557289,00.html). She spent weeks in a coma and then a semi-conscious state, had to have a complete hysterectomy, suffered some paralysis and about a year’s worth of memory loss. Sadly, their son didn’t make it. She’s well on the road to an almost full recovery, in spite of the fact that AFE has up to an 86% mortality rate, 50% of sufferers die within the first hour of onset, and most others either die shortly thereafter, are in persistant vegitative states for life, or suffer permanent neurological damage. American Girl was extraordinarily supportive of Gary during the entire ordeal during her hospital stay, and set up and administered a fund for the family, to help with both short and long-term needs as Anita goes through a long recovery and therapy process while trying to raise two little girls. American Girl Rocks! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/67 "2005-10-17T17:44:36Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Thank you, Mr. Wildmon. I thought American Girls was just some Hallmark-type merchendise crap. > > I have a new respect for the company, and will buy their products in high preference to Barbie and Bratz for my cousins and nieces. You may want to consider assisting them in developing a crack habit instead. Trust me, you will save money in the long run. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2005, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/68 "2005-10-17T23:16:21Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > I have a new respect for the [American Girls] company, and will buy their products in high preference to Barbie and Bratz for my cousins and nieces. > [@Shodan](#): > > You may want to consider assisting them in developing a crack habit instead. Oh, you’re just trying to impose those traditional conservative moral values on the rest of us again, aren’t you? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/69 "2005-10-18T04:59:17Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > , toy lesbian wiccan poetesses. Oooo. Where do you get those? oh. Nevermind. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/70 "2005-10-18T05:15:12Z")
_I’m right here, **Tris** , Your Wiccan sis. I ain’t no boy, I ain’t no toy._ ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/71 "2005-10-18T20:40:20Z")
> [@Maus Magill](#): > > What’s a “Fur Baby”? It’s term used by some people who view their pets as children. I don’t have a problem with the attitude (I have problem attitudes of my own after all) but the phrase itself makes me gag. Or it did until I heard the phrase “womb babies.” But I came here to mention that the story about conservative protests has made the top story rotation in My Yahoo’s start page. It links to [this AP story](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051015/ap_on_re_us/american_girl_protest_12)about the umbrage and an accompanying ABC video. So the story’s starting to get some play. Personally, I consider the Pleasant company to be the best example of forward thinking marketing of our time. I have no doubt that they know their target market and are not surprised by this turn of events. But with American Girls being owned by Mattel now I’m not sure how this will work out. ---
**Author:** ![infamousmom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d6d6ee/32.png) [@infamousmom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infamousmom)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/72 "2005-10-19T05:01:36Z")
Oh, I love how the new ads at the bottom of the screen are all for American Girl or similar products. Now that’s product placement at its very, very best! Click away, click away, click away all! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/73 "2005-10-19T08:19:52Z")
> [@Triskadecamus](#): > > Oooo. > > Where do you get those? > > oh. > > Nevermind. > > Tris The Willow & Tara action figure set. Maybe the very short-lived Wiccan Barbies (“Spell Sisters”) Btw, I’ve long-ignored Rev. Wildmon’s boycott-calls & would probably ignore this one if I were inclined to buy AG dolls. That said, if I had daughters involved in a local Girls Inc., I’d make sure the local leaders weren’t advocating “reproductive freedom” or diversity in “sexual orientation”. ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/74 "2005-10-19T11:07:03Z")
> [@](#): > > I’d make sure the local leaders weren’t advocating “reproductive freedom” or diversity in “sexual orientation”. How exactly would you do that? And short of taking your kids out of and girls Inc. programmes, what business is it of yours to stop parents who agree with the message girls Inc. provide sending their kids there? ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2005, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342/75 "2005-10-19T11:12:04Z")
> [@TwistofFate](#): > > How exactly would you do that? > > And short of taking your kids out of and girls Inc. programmes, what business is it of yours to stop parents who agree with the message girls Inc. provide sending their kids there? OK. let me clarify- if hypothetical local leaders were advocating those things in the local Girls Inc, I would not let my hypothetical daughters be involved. Parents who agree with those things can feel free to do so. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/conservatives-hate-american-girls/326342.md?page=3)