As the ad copy continues, "Who will ever forget the 1960s? It was a
colorful decade with a style all its own. Now, you can relive the
exuberant spirit of those days with _Harmony_ -- a one-of-a-kind collector
doll portraying a sweet child of the '60s.... Harmony's hand-tailored
attire will instantly sweep you back to the '60s. Just look at her
colorful 'tie-died' shirt, appliqued hiphugger bell-bottoms, macrame belt
and faux-suede fringed vest. Note too, her boldly patterned headband and
faux-suede sandals. For the perfect finishing touches, Harmony wears love
beads and a peace symbol around her neck. No detail has been overlooked."
There's more, but at the risk of wearing your collective patiences thin,
allow me to just ask the primary question I have about this particular
style of commemoration: Isn't it fascinating that this cherubic blond
thing flashing a peace sign and gripping a nosegay is so white and so
female and so innocently angelic? It seems so sanitized to me, and I
wonder if others have seen the ad or encountered this construction.
Knowledge of literature on the Sunshine Family, hippie Barbie, etc. is
invited, but anecdotes seem the more likely response. I find the contrast
between the pure white female iconized here and the real grubbiness of life
on the street in Hashberry rather dissonant. How about you?
Rachel B Martin