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American Girl’s Doll-of-the-Year includes dog
By Dr. Marty Becker
January 2, 2007
I was flying back from NYC to Idaho and started reading the front page of the Dec. 30-31 edition of the Wall Street Journal. A photo on the cover caught my attention as it showed Nicki Fleming, American Girl’s 2007 Girl of the Year doll with a dog. My head swiveled to catch the headline, The Selling of Nicki: Overscheduled Skier With a Cute Dog. Remember, this in on the front page of the WSJ!
According to the WSJ, this highly successful company works with a treasure trove of customer feedback culled from its magazine, Web and book-publishing empire to determine that the typical girl these days is: dependable, athletic and loves animals. On January 1, 2007, this highly profitable division of Mattel Inc. releases the new doll meant to capture the current state of girlhood. The WSJ said Nicki’s dog Sprocket, together with training treats, a collar and leash will sell for $24. Remember the criteria of “loves animals?” Nicki’s horse Jackson with Western saddle costs $62; his tack box, curry brush and carrots are $34.
The steam-rolling momentum of the human-animal bond seems almost omnipresent in the media (celebs pictured with pets and a multitude of segments about pets), with heart-warming images on desk tops and screen savers and inside wallets. We give our pets human names, ask them questions and answer for them, share our beds with them, let them kiss us fully on the mouth, take them with us on vacation, and according to AP even buy them massages at hotels like the Ritz Carlton in Sarasota, FL.
As I write this, my beloved little papillon/poodle/Yorkie cross, Quixote, is rooting my hand forcing me to keep petting him. It’s hard typing with one hand.
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