I wanted a rag doll- like Granny used to make- but the big toy store didn't have any. What it mostly had was merchandise from the entertainment giants- and I try not to buy that stuff. I want kids to have toys that stimulate the imagination, not toys that slip them into a ready-made fantasy world. A rag doll is its own thing. It comes without a back-story and its owner has to invent a voice for it, invent its character and adventures. A Disney Princess, on the other hand- or a Star Wars play set- arrives with all that character and world building already done. It puts the imagination to sleep.
The entertainment giants (meaning Disney mainly) have colonized the culture of childhood. They are turning our children into clients, consumers, fans...
