Race in Toyland: A Nonwhite Doll Crosses Over

[teflepi]

Race in Toyland: A Nonwhite Doll Crosses Over


Jade Goss, age 2, looks as if she just stepped out of the wildly popular “Doc McStuffins” cartoon.

“She has the Doc McStuffins sheets. She has the Doc McStuffins doll. She has the Doc McStuffins purse. She has Doc McStuffins clothes,” said Jade’s mother, Melissa Woods, of Lynwood, Calif.

“I think what attracts her is, ‘Hey, I look like her, and she looks like me,’ ” Ms. Woods said of the character, an African-American child who acts as a doctor to her stuffed animals.

With about $500 million in sales last year, Doc McStuffins merchandise seems to be setting a record as the best-selling toy line based on an African-American character, industry experts say.

Nathan Lipschik, 2, of Scarsdale, N.Y., with a Doc McStuffins set that lets him play he is a doctor. Disney executives and toy analysts say that the merchandise’s appeal has also extended to boys.

Chester Higgins Jr. / The New York Times

mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/27/business/a-disney-doctor-speaks-of-identity-to-little-girls.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-nytimes&_r=2&referrer

[josieposy]

Doc is a badass. I'm glad the show has been so big.

[Deleted]

I'm such a nerd. I love Doc McStuffins because she's not a princess or a fairy but a vet (of sorts). My SIL is also a vet and DD loves Doc McStuffins because she's "just like Aunt A."

Her race is totally a secondary thing -- not to say I didn't notice it but that's hardly the deciding factor of how I choose toys. I just want good role models, which is especially important for girls.

[Jenniatonu]

My daughter LOVES Doc. When we took her to Disney, we did a character breakfast where she would be. She didn't give a crap about Sophia or Jake. She was all over Doc. I'm glad the show has taken off, because it really is a good show. However at Disney I couldn't find anything Doc related that was appropriate for her age, besides the stuffed animals. The smallest Doc shirt was a 2T, and my tiny-tot was wearing 6month clothing on her 1year birthday! Grrrr. Haha!

[elleblue]

I know the @kirkette family loves Doc McStuffins. 

I hope she's still around when my (hypothetical) kids are the right age. 

[bronxgirl]

My daughter and her female friends all love Doc, but at least a couple other male friends do, too.

[elleblue]

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.


To think Disney, really wanted Doc to be white. I really think that would've hindered the show. 

Lol! 

I agree and really I don't think it would have gained nearly the amount of popularity it has. 

[lasagnasshole]

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.


To think Disney, really wanted Doc to be white. I really think that would've hindered the show. 

OMG, that is hysterical about the dissection! She sounds awesome!

[elleblue]

Jul 27, 2014 19:07:32 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Jul 27, 2014 19:00:17 GMT -5 elleblue said:

Lol! 

I agree and really I don't think it would have gained nearly the amount of popularity it has. 

I would've just been another tv show.

So true. 

[omgzombies]

Doc McStuffins is one of the few kids tv shows I like, yay for Doc!

[omgzombies]

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.


To think Disney, really wanted Doc to be white. I really think that would've hindered the show. 

Better teach her how to suture.

[josieposy]

Jul 27, 2014 19:10:16 GMT -5 omgzombies said:

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.


To think Disney, really wanted Doc to be white. I really think that would've hindered the show. 

Better teach her how to suture.

I was thinking staple gun.

[lasagnasshole]

Jul 27, 2014 19:10:16 GMT -5 omgzombies said:

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.


To think Disney, really wanted Doc to be white. I really think that would've hindered the show. 

Better teach her how to suture.

I'm pretty sure mr.insom could help with that, @kirkette.

[elleblue]

Omg! Lololol! I can just see her explaining to the other stuffed animals "unfortunately the procedure didn't go as expected and Fluffy didn't make it, I'm so sorry". 

Curious kids are the best.

[insominac]

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.

lol - she should come to our house. Mr. Insom is also a DocMcStuffins. He regularly operates on our dog's stuffed animals after the dog rips them up.

[MrsAxilla]

Jul 27, 2014 19:28:46 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

lasagnasshole elleblue omgzombies josieposy

Due to stuffed animal HIPAA, I can't show you photos of the patient.
However, here are the remains:

Looks like what happens when my puppy gets ahold of a stuffed animal.  

[insominac]

Jul 27, 2014 19:33:06 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Jul 27, 2014 19:13:37 GMT -5 josieposy said:

I was thinking staple gun.

Or Super Glue
It's what FIL and other surgeon family members use in a bind. 

lol Dermabond.

If I knew of Kirkette's proclivities, I would have slipped you some supplies last night.

[josieposy]

Jul 27, 2014 19:28:46 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

lasagnasshole elleblue omgzombies josieposy

Due to stuffed animal HIPAA, I can't show you photos of the patient.
However, here are the remains:

Bwahahaha! I hope she has malpractice insurance.

Seriously how cute is this?

[insominac]

Jul 27, 2014 19:29:45 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Jul 27, 2014 19:10:16 GMT -5 omgzombies said:

Better teach her how to suture.

I'm pretty sure mr.insom could help with that, @kirkette.

(for those that don't know the back story - our dog loves this stuffed boxer that we bought at Target years ago. He starts out real cool with it, but gradually destroys it over a 24 month period. The only thread/needles we have in our house are suture kits, so mr. insom stitches them up. The dog's gone through like four of them, but things are getting dire as we only have one boxer left. )

If kirklette keeps her eyes on the prize she too can perform life saving surgeries such as these

[AJL]

Doc McStuffins is wildly popular in my house. I've been known to watch several episodes back to back with my daughter. I like it a lot!

[litebright]

Doc McStuffins is the reason my kids know what "dehydrated" means, lol.

We are big Doc fans over here!

[aussiecrush]

Doc is the single reason my special needs boys aren't afraid of their multiple doctors appointments. They sing "Time for your check up" to each other during exams. Love her.

[redwino]

Jul 27, 2014 18:57:56 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Yup, we love it!
Although Kirklette dissected a stuffed animal on Friday during nap time because she wanted to perform a "surgery".    I was not pleased.
[ 

I LOVE this! She has to start practicing now so that she'll be prepared for medical school. Stop hating on her skills, man