Shea Simmons
When it comes to staple toys of the ’90s, a few things come to mind, like Barbie, the Furby, and Bop-It! Then, there’s the American Girl doll line, which spawned movies, books, and an entire chain of dedicated stores of dolls from eras past. Well, now, the brand has an ’80s doll.
If you had an American Girl doll or read the books when you were a kid, you’ll remember that each of them was set during an historic time period. Courtney Moore, the latest doll, is from the 1980s (1986, to be exact).
She wears bright pink leggings, an acid-washed skirt, and a neon crop top. As for her accessories, shoppers can snag anything from a Walkman, to wardrobe changes that include fanny packs, and yes, even her own American Girl Doll named Molly (so meta!).
While it might be shocking for some to realize the 1980s is, indeed, now an “historic” decade, don’t let that “I’m so old” feeling negate one of the best things about Courtney. She was created based on technological advancements in the 1980s gaming culture.
To further demonstrate this, American Girl has partnered with Girls Who Code, a nonprofit intent on closing the gender gap in technology. American Girl will match customer donations to the organization dollar for dollar up to $50,000. The brand is also sponsoring four $5,000 scholarships for girls who are part of the nonprofit.
So, even if a 1980s American Girl is a little jarring at first, she’s inspiring a lot of good things for women and girls who want to pursue a career in technology.
