I tore these cool women away from my kids long enough to get them photographed. My husband took the pictures.
So here we have soccer players (they come with a ball they can kick), Catwoman with her whip and motorcycle, Batgirl, Wonder Woman with her plane, Hawkgirl, and Princess Leia.
Next we have Coraline (who you’ve seen in an earlier post) Katniss and Merida (who were not Christmas presents but wanted to join the party) and Rue from the Hunger Games.
Catwoman, Serafina Pekkala, Lyra Silvertongue, Black Widow, Wonder Woman (already missing her laso) and another Batgirl
All figures except for Merida and Katniss were found on A Mighty Girl or Toward the Stars. That little Wonder Woman on A Mighty Girl’s promo was the one who started me on my shopping spree.
I have to say, I think my favorite fictional representation of female identity in this group might be Coraline. While the others are fine role models (for the most part), I still feel like they’re too defined by what they can do. This girl has worth because she can use a bow and arrow. This one plays soccer. I’m not sure how you express it in an inanimate object, but I think Coraline comes the closest to saying this girl’s worth is her strength of character and her identity. She doesn’t have value for what she is capable of doing but for who she is and the decisions she makes. I’m not saying that the other dolls don’t have depth in their backstories but I kind of like the vibe I’m getting from Coraline more.
Margot, I noticed that you got Mattel’s version of Merida, presumably the one that came with Angus? I’m here to inform you that Mattel’s Merida dolls are kinda sexist. It’s better if you get Disney Store’s Classic Merida doll. She has shoulder, neck, elbow, wrist, thigh, knee, and ankle joints, has a black cape, a quiver, an arrow, and a bow that can actually shoot arrows. She even has flat feet and is wearing brown boots. Look at these pictures:
1. Merida’s smiling while wearing that blue dress that she hates so much in the movie:
http://shop.mattel.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12501518
2. You can style her dress, cape, and hair with plastic gems, and her bow doesn’t even work:
http://shop.mattel.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12501554&locale=en_US
3. Angus looks like a little pony and Merida’s dress is dusted with glitter:
http://shop.mattel.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12501517&locale=en_US
4. Disney Store’s Classic Marida doll, who actually resembles Merida and isn’t one of those ivory-skinned clones:
http://www.disneystore.com/classic-merida-doll-11/mp/1304807/1000259/
Hi Nan-Yi Wang,
Yes, I know we don’t have the great one with the awesome expression. We will get her. Thanks for noticing.
MM