Andrea Peyser, New York Post columnist and the city's most popular crank, is outraged by the introduction of the homeless American Girl doll."Gwen's" homelessness isn't revealed by missing teeth, bad hygiene, clumpy hair, thousand-yard-stare of gloom and hopelessness, evidence of physical abuse, or increasing anti-social behavior. You learn about Gwen's plight in a booklet that accompanies this doll, which retails for 95 bucks, or about two dozen bottles of Thunderbird.
According to Peyser, who read this booklet so you wouldn't have to, Gwen's dad skipped town, then Mom lost her job, yada yada yada they live in Mom's car now.
Peyser feels there's some sort of liberal propaganda involved in all this. I'm not really offended as much as weirded out. Because when you buy Gwen, you don't get a doll version of Gwen's mom. So when your daughter receives this doll and learns its back story, will she wonder what became of Gwen's mom?
"Gwen's mom couldn't afford to raise Gwen, so she gave her to my mommy to give to me," she might think. "I will take care of you, Gwen, and give you a loving home and a warm bed. Come on, Gwen, let's go to Gramma's. Oh, don't be scared! We're going into the car, but this isn't 'Gwen's house' anymore. It's just how we go to Gramma's house. See...we're moving...and then when we get to Gramma's house, we'll get out of the car and go into Gramma's house. Because your mommy lost her job, and when mommies lose their job they have to live in the car until they give their kids away. I'm not sure, Gwen...what do you think will happen if Mommy loses her job? I guess we'll all have to live in the car. And you'll show me how to sleep in the back seat, and we'll play together, until Mommy finds a new Mommy who has a house and a little girl to take care of us...."
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