American Girl's Latest Doll is Homeless

Across the web, people are up in arms over the latest creation from American Girl: a doll named Gwen Thompson who happens to be homeless.

Does the thought of a homeless American Girl doll gives you pause? Then maybe you need a reality check. Family and youth homelessness might just be the defining issue of our time.

I thought we'd seen it all. Homelessness dubbed tres chic on the cover of Italian Vogue, faux cardboard duvet covers, and even homeless video game characters in Sim City. But this most recent controversy of culture mimicking reality takes the cake. American Girl has introduced their latest "sociological accurate" doll, Gwen Thompson. For a whopping $95, little girls can take home a doll who - according to her biography - is homeless.

(Talk about the ultimate irony. But I digress...)

American Girl dolls have long been popular among many children and parents alike for their idyllic portrayals of girls from segments of American life and history. According to Parent Dish, the Mattel-owned company is "well-known for its tasteful, well-researched dolls." Yet, the biography crafted for American Girl's latest creation (found in the history book that comes with each doll) has folks across the web seething. It goes something like this: After Gwen's father walked out of the family, her mother lost her job. Fall came and went, and by the winter, they had no choice but to start living in the family car.

So there you have it. A homeless American Girl Doll.

I'll admit - my initial reaction was disgust. Befuddlement, even. But the more I thought about it, the more my opinion changed. And it seems I wasn't the only one initially over-thinking the meaning of this toy; Andrea Peysner at the New York Post was especially perturbed:

It seems obscene that a company that prides itself on teaching impressionable children about history and grooming -- you can have your doll's hair done for $20! -- should engage in political preaching. What message is being sent with Gwen?

For starters, men are bad. Fathers abandon women without cause. She's also telling me that women are helpless. And that children in this great country, where dolls sell for nearly 100 bucks a pop, are allowed to sleep in motor vehicles. But mothers don't lose custody over this injustice. Because, you see, they are victims, too.

In response, American Girl corporate issued this statement: "Our singular goal with these stories is to help girls find their inner star by becoming kind, compassionate, and loving people who make a positive and meaningful difference in the world around them."

(Did that really just say "inner star?")

The only thing obscene about this American Girl controversy is that it takes a plastic doll and her fictional biography to have everyone up in arms. Yet, the real stories of homeless children crowding shelters and schools are accepted without an ounce of outrage. This American Girl doll's story is not unrealistic at all. In fact, it's a lot more common than we'd like to think.

Earlier this year, the National Center on Family Homelessness found that 1 in 50 children in America will experience homelessness. Roughly a quarter of all children in this country live with a single parent. Unemployment in the U.S. is nearly in the double-digits. Schools are struggling to maintain a sense of stability for kids dealing with very adult problems. Research has found that children who are homeless are more likely to drop out of school, get sick, and become homeless as adults.

Don't get me wrong - I certainly not coming to the defense of an overpriced doll company. And I'm not trying to paint an overly gloomy picture of the state of family and youth homelessness in America. I'm being real.

Perhaps American Girls may be picking up on something that the rest of society is missing. If these dolls are considered accurate, well-researched portrayal of American culture, then maybe we need to stop overreacting about how offensive, distasteful, and obscene they are, and start opening our eyes.

Family and youth homelessness could very well be the defining issue of our time.

Image from New York Post.