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I don't know if I'm ready for a doll from the 80s, I've blocked out a lot of the bad clothes and hairstyle choices I made then. http://www.hostboard.com/forums/ I guess I'm still not ready to think of a time period that I lived through to be considered "history" http://www.hostboard.com/forums/ Making me feel old!
Tonya
Doll from the '80s? Remember big hair, tons of hairspray and makeup, especially blue eyeshadow? Think of Lorie from That 70's Show. Or The Wedding Singer. Flock of Seagulls, anyone?
I don't think I would be interested.
The doll is going to be 9-10 years old. She is not going to be as heavily into fashion as people in their teen years and up were in the 80's. Parents weren't big on makeup on their little girls even then, so I doubt she'd wear any. I don't think we'll see off-the-shoulder style or mini-skirts, either. They're not all that appropriate for a little girl. I'm not sure though, I was only 3 in '84. So my memory of the 80's is the late 80's. Since almost all of us have lived through the 80's, I guess our desire for the doll depends on how much we enjoyed that time. I was a little kid, and the first 11 years of my life were my happiest, so I like going back to the 80's! But I think they should wait another 5 to 10 years for an 80's doll because more girls in the target age range will have mothers who grew up then, and mothers seem to enjoy their daughters having dolls of their own childhood. I know my mom loved Molly because she reminded her of her childhood in the 50's.
ICK! Please! No 80's doll!
I would love a 60's or 70's doll. that would be fun. But...I still think there are other more interesting periods in history.
I don't think that a 1980s doll would be different enough from contemporary to be interesting. To a little girl the 1980s seem far away but the parents and grandparents have the charge cards and I don't think that they would ge that impressed. I would like to see a doll from 1804 ( Regency type fashions) to take advantage of on the 200 th anniversary. Or something between Addy and Samantha . The US Patent office site lists two names. Rebekah filed for in 12/03 by Pleasant Company and Rebecca filed for 1n 1/04 by American Girl. Did they change the name to make it more American or are there two dolls. Could be fun to have a contemporary girl who has one of the Historical AGs for an ancestor.
I like the idea of having "Rebekah" from 1804 and then "Rebecca" from 2004 but from reading over the descriptions it looks like both are historical girls. I'm not saying that means two historical girls with the same name, but the description for what "Rebecca" is does not match what is shown for Kailey and Lindsey as being a modern doll. Probably they are just trademarking other variations of the name like how they also have Kaylee trademarked so another company can't make a similar doll with basically the same name spelled different.
I would much rather see a historical doll from an earlier era (1924 & 1814 really would be interesting, IMO), but ANY historical doll is just fine with me at this point. I don't know if the '80s are really far enough away to do... you know, many people say that it takes a couple decades to really get a good perspective on a period like that. I do think an 80s doll could be interesting though- perhaps an immigrant doll from communist Europe (the 'Iron Curtain'/Berlin wall would still be up) or one from South America could be really intriging. The 1980s were truly in the middle of such cultural shifts in America... I think AG could make a lot of such a doll eventually, but probably not this soon.
I agree totally with Sarah S. I love the 80's! i was 6 in 1984 so like Sarah, I remember mostly the late 80's. I would rather make my own 80's doll from the time that I remember though. I already have plans for one sometime in the far off distant future!
I would love to be able to buy "american girl of my day" clothes for an 80s doll. Still, I don't think'll happen for a long time. Who would it appeal to besides 20 somethings?
Personally, I wouldn't be all that interested in an '80s doll. I'm not very interested in any doll from the part of "history" I can remember. There's just not a whole lot of learning value in that for me, and I really enjoy learning about other time periods through my collecting.
Also, the initial wave of AG Today doll stuff was designed from suggestions in the late '80s, so there is not a whole lot of difference between the early AGT accessories and clothes and an '80s doll IMO. I know they designed the first AGT based on suggestions from girls who got the "Pastimes" newsletter. I forget which year it was, but I remember my friends and I getting such a letter in the late '80s and writing in what we wanted in terms of furniture, food, accessories, clothes, etc. So it seems like it'd be a bit redundant with the retired AGT items.
I'd much rather see something farther back in history, especially something in the late 1800s or Regency period. I'd be way more excited about Regency clothes than '80s clothes, too.
Interesting guess, esp. since toys of the 80's such as Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake are making a big comeback. However I agree with Georgia about how it takes a number of decades to get a perspective on a certain historical time, and I don't think we quite have that perspective on the 80's yet. (Plus I shudder to think of the 80's clothes the doll might have LOL! [img]wink.gif[/img] )
No, No, No! [img]graemlins/thumbs_down.gif[/img] I hope not. The 80s are just too close -- personally, anything before 1958 is too close to the present for me. I was a child in the '80s, so I still have the toys and stuff from the '80s, but I just wouldn't appreciate a historical doll from the '80s -- yet. Maybe in 20 years! There are just so many more interesting periods to explore.
I would also add my vote as please nothing as recent as the 1980's! [img]eek.gif[/img] To my mind, even the '70's and even the '60's have clothes that are more sloppy than cute (apologies to those who think otherwise, but I lived through all those time periods -was a teenager in the 60's, and that's just the way I see it!). The 50's might be cute, the 20's would be adorable, but something west-coast historical would be kinda' nice. Maybe California's gold rush (was coming to an end in 1854 - California was a fairly new state), or the building of the transcontinental railroad (unfortunately, the Chinese labor was supplied between 1865 and 1869 - not auspicious years for AGC stories), or something similar. Or what about the transplanted Acadians in Louisiana in the 1760's? They first arrived from Nova Scotia in 1764 - hm-m-m-m that would be a good, and not so familiar part of our history to learn about. [img]smile.gif[/img] Or what about the ante-bellum years on a southern plantation? That would be the same time as Kirsten, but a totally different environment, clothing, etc.
Jeannette- I love your idea for a French Acadian doll! She could have a piroque, cane pole, and a gumbo pot for accessories in her house on the bayou! I have an envie for this doll already!
I was reading the news at lunchtime today and found this article:
Retailers seek gold in 80's trash
Think it's possible that a doll of the 80's will debut this spring, just in time for the market to explode with the 80's look?
Remember crimped hair? It was all the rage in the 80's. I think a doll with crimped hair would look cute. And after reading the article, I remember all those 80's fashions, like the jelly shoes.
Julia
Maybe I am in the minority, but I sure hope not. I did the high school and college thing and started my married life in the 80's and I really, really don't want my daughter's next doll to be one that reminds me of all of that. I am not saying it was a bad decade, it wasn't. There are lots of great memories, but I am not ready for that time to be a historical doll yet http://www.hostboard.com/forums/ It makes me feel old and with my 40th coming next year, I am just not ready to go there. I am hoping for some time a bit more 'historical'!
Bonnie
<font color="#020176" size="1">[ February 04, 2004 12:55 PM: Message edited by: bekeating ]</font>
I also think that the 80's are too recent in history to truly be a historical doll. What has interested me about the other historicals is being able to learn history while reading the books, and I don't think the 80's is far enough back for me to enjoy that. (I am 44 years old, BTW)
Jeanette, any and all of your suggestions sound like great idea for AG historical dolls! I hope that AG is reading this board. http://www.hostboard.com/forums/
I agree with those who said that it is too soon for an 80's doll. I was a little kid in the 80's but I wouldn't be interested in a doll from that era right now. It's not far enough in the past for me. I like the idea of having a doll with regency style clothes. That would be pretty! http://www.hostboard.com/forums/
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">The latter 2/3rds of the 60s, perhaps, because the first several years of the 60s were indistinguishable from the 50s. Carnaby Street influence didn't hit until around 1965. Jackie Kennedy's style was all the rage in the beginning of the 60s and that definitely wasn't "sloppy"...Quote:
Originally posted by Jeanette M.:
To my mind, even the '70's and even the '60's have clothes that are more sloppy than cute (apologies to those who think otherwise, but I lived through all those time periods -was a teenager in the 60's, and that's just the way I see it!).
Taffy
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Too true, Taffy, but little girl styles were still, like you say, very 1950-ish still. I think all my school dresses looked alike pretty much till I started high school. http://www.hostboard.com/forums/Quote:
Originally posted by Taffy Cheerful:
Jackie Kennedy's style was all the rage in the beginning of the 60s and that definitely wasn't "sloppy"...
I'm still hoping for an Italian immigrant girl from 1914.
-Michele
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Too true, Taffy, but little girl styles were still, like you say, very 1950-ish still. I think all my school dresses looked alike pretty much till I started high school. http://www.hostboard.com/forums/ </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I think most styles associated with a decade spilled over into the first few years of the next decade. Even though I wouldn't think AG would put a 9 year old in teenage fashions, the girl will not be the only character in the stories. Every character thus far has had a sibling, friend or uncle that is a young adult who would be following trends and influencing the main character. The '80s was the first time I heard the expression "Madonna wannabee" referring to shocking 10-13 year olds (and older)who dressed like Madonna in her boy toy period.Quote:
Originally posted by Jeanette M.:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Taffy Cheerful:
Jackie Kennedy's style was all the rage in the beginning of the 60s and that definitely wasn't "sloppy"...
As for the parents, the '80s is the "me" decade-yuppies and dinks (dual income no kids) and corporate greed. "Wall Street" and "Working Girl" and I'm sure others came out then.
I was high school, college, and just beyond during this decade so it was a great time in my life, but I'm still don't think it would be the best life lessons during this time. Besides, Molly is the most recent girl and in her Meet book she is whiny and fights with her brother-kids in the '80s would be much worse than in the '40s, and who wants to read that? (especially since some of us live it daily!)