American Girls

The makers of the American Girl dolls sent me one of their new catalogs. They are retiring the Victorian doll Samantha and replacing her with a new one. A child of the the seventies! Wow, I wish I had looked that pulled together back then. I have just one question. Why? Why the seventies? Why not the fifties? That was a nice era. The good people at AG could have had a blast with poodle skirts, record players and Elvis.

I think it's interesting that they have chosen to highlight the era of women's liberation and feminism. Movements that promised us the world. But did they deliver? Feminism said we needed to be liberated from the shackles of the home and the tyranny of the male dominated culture. Remember the term "male chauvenist pig"? The book"Our Bodies Ourselves"? What was that all about?

Then came the "you can have it all" movement. Children, job and a husband who changes diapers and evenly shares in doing the household chores.

Times have changed (again). The rules have changed. Rules? I thought we banished boring, old-fashioned rules. I thought we could be anything, even an astronaut or (gulp) president of the United States. Apparently not. Now, according to the media, women are free to work outside the home (or be vice president) if and only if her children get good grades, look good,make wise choices and do not have any special needs. Yes, I'm referring to Sarah Palin and the intense scrutiny placed on superfluous things, such as eyeglasses or shoes, or more explicitly, passing judgement on her family.

In November, I'll cast my vote for the American Girl who has withstood some extremely harsh accusations and wagging fingers. I'm voting for Sarah Palin.