Mattel's homeless doll misses mark, comes off as tacky

Mon. October 19, 2009; Posted: 08:26 AM

The toy manufacturer recently introduced a new limited-edition doll, Gwen Thompson, through its popular American Girl brand. Like all of the beautifully crafted American Girl dolls, Gwen has a storyline: She's homeless.

Abandoned by her father, Gwen lived with her mother in their car, eventually moving to a shelter before finding a home in an apartment. Gwen and her friends also suffered at the hands of bullies. That's the story.

As soon as Gwen splashed on American Girl's Web site, critics started to simmer. Time magazine called Gwen one of its top 10 "dubious toys."

The blowback from many online bloggers was even more intense. Most were disturbed by the irony of a $95 doll _accompanied by a book, but other accessories not included _ representing the homeless. Bad timing, especially during these recessionary times where tens of thousands of families with children are living in the streets.

Others complained that Mattel at least should be donating a percentage of the sale proceeds to organizations that fight homelessness. Mattel did say it connected with a nonprofit dedicated to helping young people deal with bullying. The company over the years also has donated millions worth of clothing through Kids in Distressed Situations to children throughout the world.

Look, I can see how many young girls could find Gwen adorable and fun to play with, especially with the well-designed clothing, furnishings and other intricately detailed accessories. My daughter when she was much younger played with American Girl dolls, and we read the books together. We've also visited the multi-story American Girl Store in Chicago.

But if Gwen was created partly as a way to teach young girls about the plight of the homeless and underprivileged, I think it comes up way short in a very tacky kind of way. That's what bothered me the most.

It makes me wonder about the adults who dreamed up Gwen. Where was their common sense? To me, they made the mistake in creating this homeless doll of thinking like grownups instead of children. Sure, some pre-teens will quickly understand the realities facing homeless children today, but it will go over the head of most young girls.

Susan Beacham, who owns the Money Savvy Generation, a Chicago-area financial education company, did not find any positive teaching messages about Gwen. Her problem with the doll? "It will reach and teach so many girls with a story that these young girls will internalize as fact. Dads move out, moms then cannot cope and as a result, have to live in a car."

So, do you really need a high-priced doll to teach your children how to deal with our society's large homeless problem, or for that matter a change in family circumstances? Of course not.

Put in some community service hours with your children in a community soup kitchen over the holidays, or volunteer as a family to work in a food pantry. It just might turn into a regular commitment, not just a one-and-done. Spend some time talking about the importance of setting aside some allowance money for a favorite charity.

Finally, teach your children now how to make choices about money, and how to set goals. This will help them learn another critical life skill, delayed gratification.

"Give them control over money rather than having them feel as if money has all the control," said Beacham. .

None of those teaching opportunities will cost $95 either.

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