My Honest Thoughts On American Girl's 90's Twins Nicki & Isabel- Why I'm Not Excited
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- Опубліковано 10 лип 2024
- Last week, American Girl released two new historical dolls, Isabel and Nicki Hoffman. I wanted to talk about more than just the dolls and their collections, specifically the GMA reveal and the direction American Girl seems to be taking their historical line. Usually I feel very excited when American Girl is about to release a new doll, but I wanted to discuss why I did not feel the hype for this release and why it sticks out from previous AG releases.
Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
1:20 Reused Names
2:58 The 90's as a "historical" era
6:19 Good Morning America Reveal
8:18 Reading comments about the reveal
9:31 The dolls and collection
13:26 My thoughts on the overall release and the historical line
GMA Video of the release:
• American Girl reveals ...
FAQ:
Q: What Equipment do you use?
A: Canon T6 with a 50mm 1.8 lens, Blue Yeti microphone, Umbrella lights and Final Cut Pro
Q: How many American Girl Dolls do you have?
A: 28
Q: When did you start your channel?
A: 2016
Links:
/ allycatlovesag
www.etsy.com/ca/shop/PacificD...
/ pacificdollco
Intro made by me
End slate by AGJitters
Music:
• 통통튀는 귀여운 음악 모음🌷 Cute a... [출처] [Playlist] #08 Stay Blooming : 봄이 오나 봄|작성자 오늘의 일기 Oneul
• 통통튀는 귀여운 음악 모음🌷 Cute a... [출처] [Playlist] #08 Stay Blooming : 봄이 오나 봄|작성자 오늘의 일기 Oneul - Розваги
What are your thoughts about the twins’ release? Was I the only one who didn’t feel excited?
I REALLY like their collection but I don’t like the dolls so much. I just feel like the 90s are way too recent to make a historical doll out of.
I love the appearance of the dolls. They are super cute. I mostly like their outfits, except it is frustrating when AG cuts corners with both of Isabel's vest outfits. All sewn together to save labour and fabric. Grrrr...
They are so short sighted.
I never really warmed up to Courtney. All these recent historical dolls are a bit of a farce. Just a real money grab.
I wasn’t allowed on electronics for the weekend when they released but no, they feel like goty more than historical and I wanna burn Isabel’s meet outfit.
To kids the 90’s IS historical.😂 When you look at their collection, most of these items are also historical because they don’t exist anymore like the dialup computer, CD Discman, and Tamagotchi.
I think that while they are good dolls, they werent needed. i wish they could go BACK into history. like when i was younger i wanted an Egyption doll. Their are so many other ideas that they couldve used. Im nit happy with them 😢
I'm just going to say I was born towards the late 2000s, and the twins being considered historical makes ME feel old, and I'm not even an adult yet.
Yea
Yeah, I just trued 18 (2004 baby) and now I'm starting college whist also being almost 'historical', it's a bit too recent
SAME
Honestly if these dolls were 1994 or earlier, I think it the era would feel a lot more appropriate to be released now (think the grunge era, etc). 1999 seems like its trying to cash in on the current popularity of the Y2K era, and even then I don't really see the hallmarks of that era reflected in the line.
They basically are the 2000s dolls
1996 been my year to set them in and they could be dealing with the loss of Kurt cobain sense idk that’s like the big tragedy of the 90s for me
I agree 100% that Nicki and Isabel’s release was disappointing. Their names being the same of TWO GOTYS is so sad, cause ur right, there are SO MANY other names that AG could have used 😭 Not to mention most of the quality of clothes has gone down (here it’s shown with Isabel’s meet and tennis outfit being a connected piece) and it irritates me
The sweater piece in the tennis outfit looks so thin, so I may just sew my own version
I’m unhappy because they aren’t Asian. I just want another Asian historical doll! Ivy is literally the only one and she was a secondary character in Julie’s books and only in a now discontinued side line and never got a proper collection outside of two outfits and some accessories. 35% of the Historical dolls are minorities and about half of them are black which I agree are important to American history but Asians also have their part in US history since the 1800s. Every Asian character mentioned in the books are just background or side characters which is a real shame. Nanea is a good character but her books don’t go into full detail about how much hate those of Japanese origin were getting in the US outside her friend experiencing bullying for it and nothing was even said about the confinement camps the US government force innocent civilians of Japanese descent into. No mentions of how the Chinese immigrants help build the transcontinental railroad. Nothing. Asians deserve more representation in the Historical line than being a background character that is mentioned only in one book and never to be seen again or just some friend that isn’t a major part of the books that they are in.
my mom was born in '83 and said one should've been named Cher, and was also suggesting better 90s names lol
I think they wanted to capitalize on the current popularity of the y2k aesthetic, but they realized that it was way too soon to release an actual 2000s roll, so they went with 1999 to make it seem more reasonable. They also don’t have to worry about handling topics like 9/11 because it hadn’t happened yet.
Not even mid 90’s though…
I get that it may be popular, and why they did this.. but I agree. I wish they'd do a retro line instead- and really dig into history more. it's a unique line that most doll lines don't touch, and it feels a bit sad to me
They should rename it decades line at this point… even if they had special collector editions of historical (and I mean HISTORICAL) dolls kind of like the 35th anniversary ones
@@AllycatlovesAG That's a good idea, honestly
The weird thing about Isabel as a name to me is that it wasn't very popular for girls born in the late 80s in the US (if she's 11-12 in 1999-2000, this puts her birth in 1988-1989). It would have made more sense to name her something like Ashley, Jessica, Brittany, etc. I was a kid in the late 90s / early 2000s and I don't think I even heard the name Isabel until Isabella in the Lizzie McGuire movie. I do think it makes sense to make a 90s doll now, though. The 90s AG catalogues advertised the American Girl Today line as making yourself a part of history. History is happening every day. The 90s certainly aren't ancient history, but they're history.
As a '90 baby I don't mind the '90s being given the historical treatment. However, this really feels like the Gen Z lens of the '90s-- it wasn't actually like living in Clueless for most of us lol.(I'm also kind of annoyed that every historical doll since the 70s has been blond.) As you suggest, why not bring Lindsey Bergman back? She was more representative IMO of what 10 year olds dressed like at the time and I have nostalgia for seeing her in the catalog when I was that age.
Yea I noticed some of the styles seemed to mix early 90’s with mid 90’s and late 90’s.
I consider the twins to be more 2000s dolls because they are barely 90s, but when you think about it Molly was released in 1986, but her time period was 1940s and her last story takes place in 1946 which is technically only 40 years before her release. Considering it’s the 2020s now I kind of understand why they would want to release a 90s doll but I think that they could have at least done like 1993 because that would be 30 years away from 2023.
The comparison with Molly doesn't really work, though. If her last story occurs in 1946 and she was released in 86, that's a full 40 years (not 20). Which means to have a similar span between now and the most recent historical doll, we would be looking at a doll from 1983. So Courtney had already "fallen short of" the 40 years of Molly's situation. With the twins, the span is closer to 20 years than 40 years. It's definitely a paradigm shift for the company. Especially if the trend is going to be RECENT History doll gets tons of fanfare (Courtney), more truly historical doll is released quietly with no catalog cover (Claudie), RECENT Historical doll gets tons of fanfare (Hoffman twins), and so on.
Another thing about Molly is her life experience. She gives a lens to growing up during a MAJOR world historical event. The twins talk about… the Y2K scare, I guess? But I don’t know. I lived through that, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t anything like living through WWII.
@@LynnieBirdno it’s wasn’t anything like WWII haha but maybe they had a hard time finding a distinct historical event from the 90’s. Not much happened.
I'd say Molly gets a pass because not only is she covering a major point in History, but the 1940's were extremely different culturally to the 80's when she was released, to the point where the recency isn't an issue due to the amount of progress made in technology and modern culture in just that 40 year span.
If AG was smart, they would’ve used this opportunity to bring back or reuse their older 90s clothes like the vinyl outfit or the Mix and Match outfits. They could’ve also used these for inspo and really dove in. The used grin pins already, so they could’ve used other things.
I mean they brought them back in the illustrations so who knows... the vinyl jumper was iconic
This is probably the only thing that would make me okay with these dolls existing 😅
Honestly I hope AG releases 1700’s and 1800’s doll because they’ve covered EVERY decade in the 1900’s
Yea and 1500’s and 1600’s would be good too, especially since we haven’t seen any from those times yet.
@@mastersnet18well it’s American girl so in popular US history there isn’t much prior to the revolutionary war era. They did Kaya/First American girl and that’s awesome, and I think they could do a cool Inuit historical doll…but other than that I don’t think they are likely to do anything more with the European settlers after Felicity and Kirsten. There’s a lot more territory to cover in the 18th and 19th century though.
@@corneliastreet2491 umm WHAT?? There is a TON of history from before the American Revolution! Are you American? Jamestown colony, Plymouth Colony, Anne Hutchinson, The Salem Witch Trials, King Phillip’s War, The Great Awakening, The French and Indian War etc. etc.
I am really surprised how quickly they are adding to the historical line.
Me too! We just got Claudie
I will say it makes sense to me to consider the 50s and 60s and even 70s “historical” at this point simply because when Molly came out in 1986 the year 1944 was only 42 years prior. And in only a month 1974 will be 50 years ago! I think it’s easier to think of them as retro or vintage as opposed to historical, but Julie is arguably more historical NOW than Molly was in 1986.
But I agree 24 years is just way too soon to be “historical” because that means there are still Gen Zs born before the year 1999 and many are in college still 😂 that’s barely adult, much less “historical”
I also think back to when they released Julie. That was a 33-year difference (1974-2007). Isabel & Nicki are only 24.
I think I discussed that in a video a long time ago about courtney. Courtney is only a few years ago, we need more time to cool off before newer decades are introduced
I was born in 1996 I know more of the 2000s I feel old I agree it's not historical
I've been thinking about a historical doll from the french revolution. If anyone has seen the Marie Antoinette movie in 2006 you know what I'm talking about. I just think she would be cool. I don't know what her story would be...perhaps have her come from high society life only to leave a little too late for America?
Having her slowly open up to people and have to adjust to a new way of life.
Besides...HER COLLECTION WOULD BE EVERYTHING OH MY GOD!! The pastel colors the big "M" silhouette of the dresses, wigs, shoes, petticoats, and stockings the baroque Rocco INFLUNCES!! OH MY GOD!!
For the twins, I do like them....I wanted to get both of them, they give off mary kate and ashley....but now since indigo is down it's making me rethink purchasing them.
*I'm using my powers at be since I commented on a 1920s doll and claudie came out! 🥰😋*
A rococo era doll would be cool! We watched the movie in highschool during the French Revolution unit!
I like the twins. They’re great! Part of me feels like a release of a doll isn’t that special if they’re going to release a new one every time you turn around. They released Claudie late last year, then they redid the TrulyMe line in December. Kavi was released in January and now we have the twins. It’s just not special.
The leaks don’t help either, of course. I also would like more historical dolls that take place in the 1800s. I’m a huge fan of the 19th century.
Yeah, it is so confusing, what to buy…should we wait??? etc…..
You made amazing points!! I totally agree that the 1990s is a little too close to even my birth year (as someone born mid 2000s) Like I literally grew up on a computer like theirs in the desk set😅 I think I’d only ever get Nicki just bc of how much I love her wig, but more colonial type dolls and collections would have me OBSESSED🤩
I am born in the year 2000 and my husband was born in the year of 1999. I do think having a 1999 doll is a little too soon and also I wish they would go back to having actual time period lessons with their stories.I could go on for hours about this as well as how I wished they were also dolls of color because even in the early 2000’s there were alot more African Americans, Hispanics and Asians going to school with me. I wish they would change the names, one of my AG friends said Sophia and Sarah would be good names for them instead since she was 10 in 1999 and said she had a lot of classmates with both those names.
I agree about the names. I don't agree about their skin colour. There have been a proportionately proper amount of coloured dolls compared to the US population, statistically speaking. And we have had a lot lately. I am not against coloured dolls but it is a good time for a couple of Jewish girls. I can't see why you'd have a problem with that.
We still definitely need more dolls of colour though! We don't have any middle eastern characters,We only have one Indigenous doll. We can always use more diversity, You could also have jewish dolls who are dolls of colour. Middle eastern jews exist, asian jews exist.
@@lisbetsoda4874 Not a popular opinion but I couldn't agree more with every bit of this. Absolutely.
@@AllycatlovesAG you and I are both Jewish. You know that the largest most typical ethnicity of Jews in North America are pretty much Ashkenazi and they are pretty white. I do agree that we should get an American Girl of Middle Eastern origin. I am all for adding as many as possible. However, we have to realize that AG actually has complied in recent years. Evette Peters and her two friends Makeena? and Mauritzia? as well as Claudie, Kavi and Corinne are all examples thereof.
We have to be constantly vigilant as consumers but lately they have done pretty well. Don't you think?
And yes, we do need another indigenous doll. A modern one - best as a GOTY from a different part of the US than Kaya. Although Kaya will always rule with me.
@ferret4111 I speak of people of colour. I do not think coloured dolls is offensive to anyone but that's maybe just me. I know the breakdown of the world's population but you seem to forget these are American so it is the American breakdown of population that should be the determining factor. And I don't need to be lectured by a ferret.
As old and peculiar as it makes me feel, I accept that it makes sense to classify the 90s as "historical" for dolls of that era at this point. My main issue with these twins is that their year is 1999. Why so late in the decade? It would make a lot more sense if they were trying to represent the quintessential spirit of the 90s to choose a year closer to the middle--1995, 96 or 97. 1999 was still distinctly 90s (really pre-9/11 felt like the 90s), but the culture had begun to lose the flavor of the decade and tilt toward the bland, tepid aesthetic wasteland (IMHO) of the 00s by that point in some ways. I think they could've gone in more interesting directions had the year been earlier.
Not thrilled about the names either, but that's another issue. And the fact that they're twins seems like a bit of an obvious cash-grab, but that's my cynical adult self talking. *shrug* I could be more excited, honestly. Their PC seems pretty nifty at least and I like Isabel's meet outfit.
Based on what I’ve seen from AG Instagram, website, fandoms, etc. the characters’ story is set at this time to showcase the turn of the new millennium to year 2000. But I definitely understand your point.
I really love nicki’s appearance, but I totally agree with all of this stuff. The thing that bothers me the most is the names. It’s really confusing that they reused names. Like you said, there’s so many popular names that they haven’t used.
You have to specify what Isabelle/Isabel you're talking about. I also like her appearance, I have blonde money pieces too (but they aren't as chunky) haha
@@AllycatlovesAG yeah
I agree with you so much, I’d love to have an 1800s doll again. I even started designing my own clothing from that era just cause I missed out getting something’s from when those dolls were released
I guess it bothers me because even though they are '90's historicals' they are literally set at the end of the decade and they feel more like early 00's dolls. I feel like they just bypassed a whole decade so they could get in on the y2k nostalgia that is popular now.
Totally agree
Hey! Good to see a new video from you and I hope school is going well :-) I agree that this release seems to have prompted more saturation of unboxings, "my thoughts/opinions on", etc videos. On the one hand, I mind it because I want to see other dolls and content on my feed, too, and it's a bit overwhelming. On the other hand, I don't mind. I know the collective attention span is short these days so in a couple weeks everyone will move on to the next thing or go back to posting their favorite things if there is a lull in releases. And when you asked, "With so many videos of the same type, why should I watch YOURS?" I could relate. In fact, I've seen a TON of opinion videos on their collection and yours was the first I chose to watch. My reasoning was that I knew from experience your voice and your pacing are things I like and that you tend to bring something a little different to the table (whether that's adding some perspective as a Canadian, tying your thoughts to history and trends within the brand, etc). So when I'm inundated by similar looking content, I gravitate to creators I already know and trust. Which is interesting and kind of important, when you think about it from a content creator's perspective...doing those types of videos may or may not bring about a lot of new subscribers if we're all taking this approach. But it may mean that people who already subscribe are more likely to watch YOUR unboxing or YOUR opinion video than someone else's if they know from experience they appreciate your approach.
As for my excitement level about this release...I have to compartmentalize a bit because if I think of it as part of a series of decisions my brain goes, "white very-recent history doll set in the 80s is presumed to be a cash grab and gets advanced leaks, catalog cover, and ALL THE HYPE...black, more traditionally historical doll is presumed by the company to do poorly and gets no leaks, no catalog cover, and no advanced fanfare...now back to white very-recent history dolls set in the 90s and presumed to be a cash grab and they're getting crazy advanced leaks and teasers, a catalog cover, etc." And when I look at the twins in that context it's harder to separate the pissed-off feelings from any feelings of excitement about the dolls. ...That said, I was genuinely pumped about the Book-It set and yes, it shows in my unboxing video ;-)
p.s. the twins Judaism is barely mentioned at all. I think for you that is refreshing (fair) and for some Jewish ppl it might be disappointing (fair). Either way, the objective fact is they mention getting the journals for the last day of Hanukkah and that's it.
Thanks for the long comment! I definitely agree with you about the whole trust thing when it comes to whose opinions I watch. Some creators lay out well organized points and have evidence to back them up which I enjoy! Maybe in future books it will talk more about religion… who knows!
I believe AG released 90s dolls under the Historical line for publicity and to capitalize on nostalgia. I have seen an increase of people who don’t collect AG dolls comment about this release. I have a friend who has never owned an AG doll in her life comment about AG making historical dolls of the 90s the other day.
They want everyone to have a reaction to this release and go “viral” for lack of a better word. And I think it worked. People are talking about it who normally wouldn’t.
90s isn’t historical, but if gets people talking, then to AG it is.
I can definitely see that with some of AG’s marketing. They made a Tik Tok for these dolls talking about nostalgic 90’s things- definitely targeting that demographic. They could always do a spin off line of decades dolls, best friend dolls etc. I just feel like it’s too soon for the historical line
@@AllycatlovesAG I agree! spin-off of late decades would have made more sense
It feels like a lot of the things in their collection are really capitalizing on what this newer generation thinks being a kid in the 90s was like not what it was actually like for those of us who were kids in 1999. I think if they had rereleased some of the first truly me doll lines that would have been more interesting/fitting.
I just got the twins today and I just love them!! I know to a lot of people think they are overrated, but I thank they are definitely worth it!!
I haven't watched the full video but i know it is going to be great! :)
Thank you! I appreciate you clicking the video just to comment!
I agree! I definitely wasn’t that excited when the dolls released bc of all the leaked photos, I think it’s nice to have a leaked photo of the doll or maybe a few things in their collection but I knew their whole collection before release day. I definitely wished they used different names maybe Sophia,Sarah,Ashley,Emily,Emma,Taylor etc there’s so many names they haven’t used so I was disappointed to know they both have reused names, especially since I don’t re name my dolls, however I don’t have Isabelle(2014) or Nikki(2007) but still. I honestly wish they’d do more historical dolls from before the 1900s as well I think it would be really interesting and there’s so many time periods they haven’t used yet. Btw I loved this video!
The twins names should've been something like Ashley and Chelsea, or better yet Brittany and Tiffany. Many girls had those names when i was in elementary school in the late 90s. I was born in 1991 and Isabel was not a popular 90s name. It is now, but not back then. I know theyre supposed to be fraternal twins but they're just too different from one another. I see sisters, but not twins. I did have an alien pillow and a purple blow chair as a 90s kid, so I do give AG props on Nicki, but Isabel is more 1996 Cher and it just throws the whole collection off for me.
For American Girl, I really wish that they would go back to their more historical roots. I grew up with AG historical dolls like Felicity, and I loved how her and the other historical dolls tapped into more unique historical fashion and were more educational. Modern AG is just too modern in my opinion and I just don't feel as attached to it like I did for the older AG historical dolls.
My dad was a twin and I'm glad that they came out with twins and I know it kind of feels kind of weird that there's a doll from the 1990s but honestly I think it's kind of cool ❤️ and I love all the American girl dolls that you have and I like your opinions and I love your videos
im conflicted bc i actually love the dolls themselves and their collection, and i actually want to get Nicki eventually, but they do NOT belong in the historical line. AG should make a separate "nostalgia line" for dolls like courtney and the twins.
The intro with the "lets talk about them.." reminded me of the tiktok sound "My berkin. Another berkin. But what about these..divides..the hermes collector community? Let's talk about it."
Great video as always! I have come around to the twins. Initially I didn't like them, but now I do want to get them at some point. I'm a sucker for the Joss mold
I don’t think I’ve seen that Tik Tok sound before.. I’ll check it out!
I agree with you totally ! I think the dolls are very cute but I don't think they are Historical . My granddaughter was born in 1995. I had to inform her that she is now historical ! LOL! I would love to see a doll from the 1890's or a Chinese girl living in San Francisco around 1864 while the railroads were being built.
We've talked so much about Asian immigration in my courses. We've had doll's immigrate from Europe but I think that plot could be so cool.
YES--I've wanted a girl from the 1890s for forever, and have a whole idea/design for a custom 1890s doll I'd create if/when I could afford to.
I received my first American Girl doll (Felicity❤) in 1992 at age 7. I was 14 in 1999, and still a huge AG fan. The Girl of Today line (Truly Me) had launched in, I think, 1995. What freaks me out about the twins is that they’re cutting back into American Girl’s own timeline in a BIG way, much more so than with Courtney. And yet they somehow evoke NONE of my own AG-based 90s (or even 00s) nostalgia. It’s not just calling Millennials like me “historical.” It’s calling ITSELF historical, which is just weird.
Wether we like it or not, the 90s are historic. It is a part of history so people complaining about it and not saying it's historic enough is kinda weird and stems from insecurities of getting older. The world changes faster now than ever before so the 90s makes sense.
Sure it's a historic era, but it doesn't really blend with a line that has dolls from the 1700's (even though they aren't promoted)
Sure but that means the 2000’s and 2010’s are historic as well. I wouldn’t be surprised if they came out with a doll for each of those decades soon. Then everyone gets to feel old together 😂.
1:49 I totally agree!! And where are the Katies, the Lucys, the Chloes, the Ella’s, the Sophies, I could go on and on!!
I found a trend in historical dolls where they all had a 4 in their year. I don't know if it's intentional or if it wasn't but I LOVED IT!!! It was such a random detail for no reason it was great..... and then as they came out with more historical they seemed to forget that and the cool little fun fact was lost so I've pretty much given up on historical dolls after that
julie was released in 2007, about 37 years after the 70s, and the 90s were 33 years ago, the 90s definitely fit the historical category as weird as it is to think about it
But Julie’s story ends in 1976, 31 years before she came out in 2007. The twins’ story ends in 2000 which is only 23 years ago. That’s an 8 year difference.
I totally agree with everything you said! I am also getting a bit tired of all the posts about them, even though I am considering getting Nicki. And I’m glad someone else noticed how funny the comments on the GMA reveals are😂
Tik Tok is even better!
I haven’t been excited about an American girl doll release since 2015🙃
i 100% agree on the name things. especially with the 2 new historical.
and not to mention the Makena/McKenna dilemma!
i know they had the INTENTION of Makena being pronounced different but my name is actually Makena (pronounced Ma-ken-a) and i have the McKenna doll and want Makena. therefore will be pronouncing Makena the way I do! i’m sure a lot of others pronounce it this way as well. there’s so many other names they could’ve used!!
I love an ag UA-camr who’s a dancer, sews, and is a kpop Stan!
Also a huge reality TV fan and geography nerd!
I would LOVEE like an 1790s doll from all the first elections and stuff. I think that would be so cool
I totally agree that they are wayyy too recent to be considered historical. At least be 1992? But 1999?! Whatttt. Also there are millions of names out there…why the heck reuse them? And how disrespectful to Molly good morning america smh
I was born in 2001, and these dolls make me feel old too haha. I grew up with so much 90s influence, and some of their items I had growing up like the Pizza Hut pizza set. I remember having to read books for the free personal pan pizza. But also my guess as to why they made them historical and why they reused the name is for nostalgia. They were born in 1990 so they would be 31 today. To me that does not seem historical at all, but if you think about it, the people born in the early 90s and late 80s would be having children now. They want to appeal to their childhood nostalgia by creating dolls that the adults will want to buy for their children. As for the names, they might also appeal to nostalgia possibly? The adults buying them for their kids might remember seeing the initial Nicki and Isabelle dolls. Although they would have been older when the original Nicki and Isabelle dolls came out so who knows? Maybe they did it so that way it creates a resurgence in the older Nicki and Isabelle dolls too? They obviously knew that they already used those names, so maybe they used them because they want people to talk about them reusing the names? It’s like the old saying “any publicity is good publicity” so they could just be trying to throw as much as they could on the dolls to get people talking and interested. I mean it worked to get people talking about it.
as someone born a few years after 1999 i am currently shriveling with age at the late 90s being historical
I heard of the rumor of twin dolls for a very long time and i remember first they were going to be girl of The Year dolls and now historical. I think sense around 2020 or later with twin dolls
I was born in 98. I feel so old..
i don't really mind the fact that they're a more recent decade, because there definitely is interesting history and fashion to be found in all years of the past and i think it's important for there to be a wide range of time represented. the historical line is named that as a general catchall for the past as well so i don't think they're intending to call people old- but growing up is the only way to get nostalgia anyway! i do agree about the names though, i wish they would've committed to the late 90s aesthetic just a bit more.
I agree with making the historical dolls more historical. I personally love actual historical American Girl items, I wish they made a doll that was from the 1800s or 1700s (like very much playing on the historical aspect).
I agree that I’m already over them. Everyone has posted an opening haul or a look through the website. I’m exhausted looking at them, and I have Nicki!
Thank you for watching despite the twin burnout! I hope it discussed some points other videos didn't discuss
@@AllycatlovesAG Your title was actually why I watched. I really enjoy your content and this didn’t disappoint. You brought up some really good points about the GNA show and the fact they are so close to the 2000’s. Honestly, Nicki is just going to be modern in my collection.
I will say that my son and his girlfriend were born in 2000 and although they don’t care about AG, they like this collection. They were both excited by the Book It set.
When a 2010’s historical character comes out I will have existential crisis.
Even just 2000’s!
Same. For either that is the day I will cry uncontrollably.
The twins time period isn’t as historical as say Felicity or even Samantha, but the target demographic wasn’t born until around 2015 so it would be more historical to a little child. I was born in the 80s so I’m part of the collecting community that AG is preying upon for nostalgia with the Courtney and twin release. I really liked Courtney and her collection and while they are cute dolls, I’m a little underwhelmed with their collection. I despise that they reused GOTY names (especially as someone who doesn’t rename their dolls) and don’t like that their “story” takes place so late in the decade. Not only did they reuse names, but the dolls they reused the names from are somewhat similar in appearance. Isabelle had straight blonde hair and green eyes and so does Isabel (albeit the bright Felicity green). The 2 Nickis look a little more different due to GOTY Nicki having curly hair and freckles and historical Nicky having straight hair with blonde streaks, but AG couldn’t even be bothered to spell their names differently. AG can’t even use the excuse that these 2 names were popular in 1990 when the twins were born because they really weren’t. I like the desk set and love the Pizza Hut book it set. I also like Nicki’s skateboarding outfit. There other small things here and there I like but as a whole I’m not as thrilled as I was with Courtney. I think AG did a good job for Maryellen, Nanea and Melody (the other recent historical releases). I love their collections and have almost everything that has been released for them.
It will be interesting to see where AG takes the historical line from here. It is sad that AG had such a bad rollout for Claudie. Overshadowed by the release of the truly me revamp & Harry Potter collaboration, poor marketing and they even managed to modernize and overprice the majority of her outfits. Why AG why?!? I hope they release some outfits for her that someone her age would have actually worn. I’m not sure what exact statistics/sales data the marketing and design teams at AG are looking at but I’m betting the stuff us adult collectors (who appreciate the older historical line) like doesn’t sell well for them anymore. Something is steering them in this new flashier direction and I don’t think it is an under appreciation for older history on their part. They are a corporation and in the end will only invest on what they think will actually sell well. I wrote this to someone else but I will say it’s kind of like a self fulfilling prophecy. AG sees history doesn’t sell as well so they invest in it less and in doing so it doesn’t do well.
I defiantly get the sense that older historical dolls don't sell as well (though that doesn't explain the name issue). I would love it if AG made a line of detailed historical dolls for collectors, because there is defiantly interest for that in the collector market. I would even be ok if AG made a new line to house. these millennial and early gen z dolls. Just don't market them as historicals.
Can you make an updated all my dolls video? I had an AG hiatus for about 6 months and I wanna know what I’ve missed.
I always make them around may/june, so stay tunned! Within my collection you haven't missed too much haha. I haven't gotten a new doll since October
Personally, I got Nicki because i love the way she looks. Her personality and interests are very similar to how mine were growing up. I get why people are kind of iffy about them or don't like them at all, but for me it just really isn't that deep. I do think it is weird that they re-used old GOTY names....There are TONS of unique names that AG could have used, I don't understand why they felt the need to re-use names. It just feels like they couldn't or wouldn't put the thought or creativity into the names. If they really couldn't have come up with something new, they could have asked the community. Run a poll or something. The re-using names thing is what bothers me the most about the two i think.
Yes, they should lean into the historical dolls WAY more. O get the impression these are the last ones ever. They are clearly not interested in the truly historical ones. They seem to be phasing them out. Claudie is an example of how they are ignored. Unbelievable.
If AG wants to phase out the historical line, they should create a new line for their newer nostalgic dolls. I'd love to see a detailed historical line of collector dolls aimed at adult collectors. They would defiantly buy them
@@AllycatlovesAG or just sell the rights to the historical ones to a smaller company - like back to their PC past of sorts. Mattel is too big and have shareholders with $ being their only objective. Sell off their less profitable line to someone willing to work on a smaller scale.
I love the dolls themselves but I hate that they reused names and that they are considered historical. I was born in 2004 and they're basically 2000 dolls and I already feel old with some things.😂
I'm not the biggest fan of their collection (I like the tamogotchi and the Pizza Hut set tough.) I will definitely add them to my collection at some point!
What doll do you have at the very start of this video in the green cardigan??
Ruthie
I hate they went with 99’ as the year. I really want Lindsey to have a full collection, because then it would be full circle, and she was a historic doll for AG as she was not only the first GOTY but the first Jewish doll for AG. With 99’ being the year, justifying Lindsey the 00s historical seems less likely.
But come on.
Can we just bring back lindsey with a proper collection... but not in the historical line
I have them and am really happy with the quality. I try not to pay attention to leaks because I like the surprise. I did an unboxing 😅 but am trying to expand my content ideas. Any suggestions?
I watch a lot of non-ag youtube, so think of your favourite non-doll videos and think of ways you could AG-ify it. That's my best advice
@@AllycatlovesAG great advice. Thank you!
they have a few 1800s my mom was born in 80s and she grew up in 90s and i luv them ever know im 2000s but i will be so made if they make 2000s
Unpopular opinion?
To keep American Girl in business, I am grateful if these dolls and accessories bring in revenue. It’s kind of like celebrities making a big popular movie so they can fund smaller, independent films.
Also, if you read the twins stories and the author interview on the website , it kind of explains that one star is looking backward into the 90s and the other one is looking forward to the future millennium i’m a 90s point of view and why they are interfaith. I sound like an apologist, but I’m really just a fan of good stories and accurate dolls. I’m having fun with them while still loving the classics!! everybody’s different! ❤
I mean, I guess if you look at Molly compared to when she was first released, there were probably parents or grandparents that didn’t think that the 40s was historical. Now I will admit, WW2 was a huge event. I’m fine with AG having a doll from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I mean I was in 6th/7th grade when Julie was released, and my mom would have been under 10 in 1974 so I thought it was fun flipping through the catalogs and laughing with her when she would cringe over the similar clothes and furniture. I imagine it would be the same if I showed my maternal grandma Maryellen’s collection, or my great-grandma looking at Kit’s (original) collection. But there’s so many periods pre-1900 that I feel like they missed ya know? I mean, they basically skipped over the Gilded Age entirely, going from the Civil War to the turn of the century, and I don’t think Rebecca’s book make it to WW1 at all
Any chance they are reusing a name to increase searches for the previous GOTY? I don’t know how that would help AG as they no longer sell this but I would think it may help resale.. idk I wish we got better names
I thought about that but I don’t understand the benefits they would get from that, and the names are also spelt differently. Potentially more search traffic but I don’t think it would make a huge impact
I do think that they are cute dolls but I’m not that hype anymore. I just keep seeing leaks everywhere and they leaked the twins more then they usually do. So I agree with you on that. And my sister was born in 1998 and it feels weird that she is so called part of “history”. I do want to get these dolls though because I think the Joss mold is a pretty mold and on agig everyone’s dolls are really pretty too. 🙂
I just got my American girl magazine today! I really love there collection but not so much there names or outfits lol (names because they were reused)
Magazine or catalogue? The magazine has sadly not been around for a few years
I also wonder if because they are so close to the end of the 90's to early 2000's if they are going to try to add on to their story about September 11, because that really did affect most of my generation in one way or another.
I'm not sure because 2001 is a bit more in advance, plus it's quite a heavy subject
@@AllycatlovesAGbut Nanea dealt with the bombing of Pearl Harbor which has many similarities with 9/11.
Maybe it's the hair or the skater girl aesthetic, but American Girl Nicki reminds me DivaStarz Nicki. They also both like purple 🤷♀
I didn’t mind the same names, in real life you meet lots of people with the same name, so why not? The 90’s historical was kinda cool, hope to see more bitchin’ (kidding) styles. I wasn’t excited about a Joss face mold. I think Joss wore her face the best, lol. Isabel’s intense green eyes were quite pretty as was her lavender outfit. I’m wasn’t super excited for the release either, not sure why. Maybe like you said, we had already seen ALL the outfits & prices. Looking forward to further outfits in the future. I am excited for Kit & Kirstin in the next months. I would be super excited for an older historical too. AG seems like it’s trying, but at $115. a pop, it better impress. Bring it AG!!!!
Hey, kind of unrelated to the video but have you ever considered the idea that what if American Girl took fan submissions on characters? I agree that they can be more creative with naming their dolls tho
I don’t think they would have… it takes so much planning to produce a collection so even if it was inspired, it definitely was heavily modified from the original pitch.
I am the same age as the twins, and honestly it feels really weird and almost rude to be called historical lol. On that note, I will say I do like the twins collection I definitely had an inflatable chair and did book it pizzas. But at this point it feels more like a cash grab from AG to get my gen's money from nostalgia feelings. I also felt the lack of excitement once they finally released because none if it was really new info.
I don't know but it's still the different way it's not spelled the same way as 2014 is about but I think it's cool I love the twins
I'm not super excited either. It's so disappointing to see the company give the twins so much more promo than Claudie ever got, and she was only recently released. It's not a good look at all.
Also, they're not even doing this era justice. I started getting into American Girl only a couple years after 1999, so I love getting my nostalgia on looking back at the outfits and accessories they had from that era, and Nicki and Isabel's just feels bland in comparison. Like it's clearly a nostalgia grab to cling onto the popularity of the Y2K era, and I can accept that, but I feel like they could be doing way better, especially since they can literally look back at their own products from the era for reference.
1999 isn't historical and it shouldn't be called historical. As someone born in 2002 it's upsetting to see this because I don't want the 2000s to also become "historical" bad enough the 90s got tarnished as "historical" way too early.
I’m 2003 so I totally feel you!
Honestly I agree with what you’re saying
Oh my gosh the minute you said "Give me some beautiful stays with fake whalebone, pinafores, and petticoats, I want that" I tried to like this video 50+ times
Also yes I know this comment is 8 months late lol
I still see all your comments!
With the release of these dolls (and I hate to say this because I do like Mattel), but I honestly thing MGA should try to buy them out at this point. They would GIVE us the historical line that older collectors would love and the younger collectors would actually learn from. It’s so frustrating🙃
MGA would definitely improve AG. The fashions are so detailed. I’m just worried it would mean another price increase and I’m not sure if it’s likely to happen…
@@AllycatlovesAG right?! I would HATE to have the prices go up again, but MGA might make the increase worth it. I just don’t think Mattel is giving up American Girl anytime soon and I get sad for our Historical gals who literally deserve so much more than what they have now🥲
Sarah and Mirriam would have been cool names, plus they are actually Jewish names. Pretty sure they reused the names so they wouldn't have to spend money on having new names copyrighted so they went with names that they already owned. Would also love more historical Latinx dolls!!!
Hey! I hve American girl doll name Apple! well when I first look at her she looks like Apple, cute like Apple, or lol! I might be craving for Apple at that time when I name her.
It’s definitely a popular name on agig but not a name I expect AG to use
the whole thing feels like it was just rushed for clout and trending. the fact that they're 1999 and experience the new millennium. so they can be close to the whole y2k trend, their clothing and designs being very like... teen trendy instead of kid trendy (little kids weren't dressing like clueless lol and my parents certainly would have never let me bleach streaks in my hair so young, only temporary dye lol), the reused names. also a lot of ppl i seen point out their names weren't even trendy for that time period or even narrowed down to trendy for specifically jewish girls during that time so it's like did they even put a lot of thought into it?
it also bothers me that they went with blond and light eyes cuz like, i didn't learn they were jewish at all until very recently, so from my perspective it looked like they just dropped two blonde white girls not even a year after claudie and totally overshadowed her despite the fact that claudies time period was something fans wanted for years and people have been criticizing the last of diversity.
and the reason it bothers me is cuz it's hard to express feeing upset they fumbled it like this because a lot of ppl say "oh stop complaining! they're still being diverse!!" to shut down any criticism of them even tho they could have 1. waited...?? a little longer lol? claudie didn't even get any time to shine, her collection is so tiny and she barely has any clothes for her time period or accessories so i'm worried they'll totally ignore her ;-; 2. they could have made the girls jewish AND black or asian or latina or something which would be really cool cuz there's so little rep for that.. not to mention the 90s would be a good time to have a latina and/or black character representing since the 90s has so much black and latino popcultural influence. and an asian character is just desperately needed for the historicals since the only one was retired. there's no rule saying a character can only be one type of representation cuz people can be more than one or two things at once, i'm mixed so i know that better than anyone lol
I definitely agree Claudie was overshadowed and the dolls could have been more diverse appearance wise. But as I said in the video, just because they’re Jewish doesn’t mean they can’t be blonde with blue and green eyes. The names don’t even have to be Jewish. But I totally agree about taking advantage of Y2K
@@AllycatlovesAG oh for sure! like i said it's more everything together that adds up and makes me feel like the whole thing was rushed rather than me having a problem with each thing separately.
like there's no One way to look a culture and their looks by themselves aren't an issue, i think it'd be really cool if they showed that jewish people don't have one look with a POC character personally, but they can be light eyed and blond too, there's real girls who look just like them and feel represented.
just from my perspective it was weird finding out just barely when they released that they were jewish when ppl started using that to shut down concerns abt claudie. i'll admit that's more of a fanbase issue than one i have with mattel though
i do have beef w mattel for over relying on using blond so so much though since whenever they drop another blond it feels like it's just cuz it sells and that's what mattel does. but i haven't read the twins stories other than what i seen people talk about in snippets. it doesn't matter too much what they look like if they have a good story to flesh them out, since that's the magic of the brand that makes ag dolls into real characters and little friends instead of just pretty toys
it's same w the names, they don't HAVE to use popular names cuz i'm born in the 90s and i'll say right now my real name isn't popular at all in any time period ever.... cuz my name is totally made up lol 😂 but along with everything else like them being set in 1999 and it feels rushed for the trends
Yea the fashions are all over the place. Clueless fashion was already long outdated by 1999/2000. Their clothing was a mishmash of early 90’s, mid 90’s and late 90’s. They need to stick with the actual time period.
I am feeling a bit uninterested in these dolls, mostly because of the reuse of those names. Also, I was barely getting to enjoy adding Claudie to my collection when all of a sudden there were 3 new dolls (Kavi and these Twins). It just feels that Claudie was asked to get off the stage cuz her minutes of fame were up...
The name thing I will never understand AG like their is literally countless names why have 2 dolls with the exact same name or even very similar names. I just hope with them filling out the 1900s they'll be forced to finally make a doll from before then, I know older historicals can work and be successful if AG really tried at it and didnt just make them a stereotype of their era. AGs whole point was to educate kids on moments of history in a more relatable way, and its just sad to see that they're becoming more like 18in modern fashion dolls, and all the historical elements are being ignored or frankly half asses
Honestly instead of getting closer to our year just go the opposite way like would i buy a doll from the trojan war? Yes yes i would
Most likely because they didn’t want to do make a new copy right and using a reuse name was cheaper with copy right names
As the old lady millennial born in the 80s, I have some opinions lol. Y2K wasn't a big deal IMO. My dad lost his nut hoarding for it, but my friends and I never thought much about it. Boring stick straight hair, boring clothes, and anorexic models all over every magazine is not overly nostalgic. The 80s was truly a different era. Low technology, big hair, bright colors. I feel the early 90s blended into the 80s style which is probably why the twins were 1999. 😅
Also. WHERES BAMBY AND DINGDING??
WHERE ARE THEY??
PLEASE I AM BEGGING TO KNOW WHO TF BAMBY AND DINGDING ARE 😭😭
Lindsey is also Jewish like the twins . I consider her a cousin and Rebecca their great grandmother
Lots of people parents were alive in the 40s in the 80s when molly came out
The twins agree but Courtney and 80s Is historical
I was 10 in 1999. 😂🤣
When Courtney came out my speech teacher was surprised and she said it made her feel old. Now the twins are coming out… Poor Gen X being called Historical 🫣
It hasn’t even been 50 year?!
Yea Courtney made Gen X feel old and now the twins make millennials feel old haha. Pretty soon they’ll have a Gen Z historical doll for the 2000’s.
@@mastersnet18 Let’s just hope that the 2000’s doll doesn’t come out soon lol. 😃
Great more blonde American girl dolls in the historical line. They look exactly like some of the truly me's. Is that intentional? If it is I don't like it.
I think American Girl reuse's names for licencing/ trademarking. I could be wrong but that is my closest guess
I doubt it. I don’t think a trademark is that expensive. And different spelling means a new trademark
Being born in the late 90's, I feel old. It's too recent. They have cute stuff, very Mary-Kate & Ashley. My sister (1989) is getting one for her daughter. That's perfect because she would've been 10 in '99. But it's still too recent. Lol my other sister was born in 99! Can't wait for a 2000s doll sometime in the FAR future lol 😅
Far Far future... at least let me finish college and grad school before a 2000's doll
I feel that AG should release a historical doll on WW2. We do have Nanea, and I believe Molly, but a Jewish doll going through the horrible mess in Europe would be at the least, interesting. But that topic may be heavy for younger kids. So perhaps a Japanese doll going to the camps because of Pearl Harbor? Because these young kids need to be introduced to this stuff so history doesn’t repeat its self. Yk?
Edit: plus I just realized that the first one would be in Europe not America so it wouldn’t work lol. Also they could retire Nanea, cause let’s be fr. Nobody really gets her anymore.
I just feel like we already have two 40's dolls, so I don't think we need a third
@@AllycatlovesAGit could be 30s if it was the first one. Kits story doesn’t necessarily revolve around that area in the decade. But true.
I was born in 1999. That’s 23 years ago why are they historical. And its the tail end of the 90’s not even 90’s.
Just call them 2000's dolls
@@AllycatlovesAG Honestly if they wanted to do 2000’s then start their story on December 31st, 1999. It would’ve made more sense that way and they could have done a whole trend shift with their outfits from late 90’s to early 2000’s
The girls celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas so I'm guessing not super religious and just enjoy the holidays.
Similar to me haha! I don’t pray since I’m atheist but we still light candles and eat traditional foods for Chanukah, but I still decorate for Christmas and listen to Christmas music.
They are based on a real set of Jewish twins whose mother is Christian and their father is Jewish but they are being raised mostly Jewish.
I think they may of recycled doll names because of buying doll names…? Ag has been going down in money lately (I think) I haven’t kept up with the ag community for awhile.
For sure, the leek was bad - it ruined the surprise! Also, I am not super excited. Going to pass on these. But, the collection is cool! I like the desk set!
I usually enjoy leaks, especially because it lets you plan your purchases ahead of time. These leaks were just way earlier and better quality than the usual leaks ad stock photos usually only come out a few days before, not weeks
okay seriously why are the names reused...there isn't a shortage of names 💀 my name is isabel and i'm done with dolls being named isabel 😭
I know I am 4 months late but I just discovered this video. I think the dolls are cute but I am not excited. Especially with the reused names. I feel like they could have done better.