American Girl has managed to shock and awe the blogosphere yet again with an adorable new addition to the company's collection. Meet Gwen Thompson, the homeless friendccessory to Chrissa, AG's doll of 2009:

That's just her head, but you get the point.
For $95, you can purchase Gwen along with her book which you'll probably have to read to her (because she's illiterate) and her lone accessory, a $7 toy hairbrush and the only thing the kids in the shelter didn't steal. While many of you may deem Hobo Gwen "offensive" and "exploitative," mostly because none of the Mattel's profits will actually go to homeless relief efforts, I think she's pretty edgy. I mean, a white blonde homeless doll in 2009?! That's quite progressive, even for Mattel. Now, if only American Girl's Doll Hospital accepted the uninsured.
Which reminds me, here's to the NEW REFUGEE GIRL DOLL OF 2009!!!
Drum roll please...
Drum roll please...
Her name is la Gloria Portadora and she's a resistant little firecracker from Mexico. Gloria, along with her piglet, Estornudo, flew to America in the Spring of 2009 after a deadly epidemic swept through their native region of Veracruz.
In American, she lives with her cousin, Carlos, an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. Gloria's hobbies include riding public transportation, laughing, coughing, not covering her mouth when she coughs, licking door knobs and guitar hero.
As far as accessories, La Gloria comes with a $5 toy brush (cheaper than Hobo Gwen's because it was made in Mexico), a stockpile of Tamiflu that you can actually eat (they're sugar pills, but don't underestimate the placebo effect) and a corresponding book set (en Ingles y Español).
In her first book, ¡Que Puta la Escuela!, Gloria is sent home from school for being a bio-health hazard. In ¡Oh díos mio!, we learn that sometimes, when you think you're in heaven, you might just be in a coma. And in La Gloria Dice NO a Las Drogas, we discover that certain drugs lose their efficacy when taken recreationally. Oh, and unlike the Gwen doll, a portion of La Gloria's proceeds totally go towards helping the homeless (me!).
In American, she lives with her cousin, Carlos, an adjunct faculty member at the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. Gloria's hobbies include riding public transportation, laughing, coughing, not covering her mouth when she coughs, licking door knobs and guitar hero.
As far as accessories, La Gloria comes with a $5 toy brush (cheaper than Hobo Gwen's because it was made in Mexico), a stockpile of Tamiflu that you can actually eat (they're sugar pills, but don't underestimate the placebo effect) and a corresponding book set (en Ingles y Español).
In her first book, ¡Que Puta la Escuela!, Gloria is sent home from school for being a bio-health hazard. In ¡Oh díos mio!, we learn that sometimes, when you think you're in heaven, you might just be in a coma. And in La Gloria Dice NO a Las Drogas, we discover that certain drugs lose their efficacy when taken recreationally. Oh, and unlike the Gwen doll, a portion of La Gloria's proceeds totally go towards helping the homeless (me!).