Well, at least they are
trying to be diverse, right? Wonder what happens when you click on that link, does the cheese wear a sombrero and explain how different it is from its English counterpart?
I first read about this
here a while back; As of today, the "Hispanic-friendly" original page can still
be found here.
CJ at 2/25/2005
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Why can't I live in Japan?Then I would have access to all the cool gadgets like these:
The limited edition Hello Kitty mini iPod
Too bad I can't read what it says on that page, I chose to take German lessons instead.
CJ at 2/25/2005
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This cloud freaked me out
When I saw it, it made me shout
I almost drove off the road
I swerved and ran over a toad.
CJ at 2/24/2005
3 comments
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Thanks to homework and writing deadlines, looks like this week will be poetry week. Ode to Old CarI see you every day
You are surrounded by lots of hay
I wish I could drive you
To the coast
But I'll have to settle for a piece of toast
CJ at 2/14/2005
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This is my cat
She hates me and ran away
I don't have Flickr Pro
So all I have to show
Is this pic of "Flo"
I know my poem is lame
Because that wasn't even her name
CJ at 2/10/2005
3 comments
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Scared off by the hipsters in Williamsburg-the not bathing and unkempt hair was just too much for the Luna family, when Bijou Phillips moved into the loft next door, that was the last straw-so the family found out about a place that was hiring in NYC, someplace called "The Apprentice" governed by a man called Trump. They decided to check it out, see if their "street smarts" would help them achieve their goals of getting a tv movie about their lives made, and maybe even help Trump with his ratings. (Is that show even on anymore??)
CJ at 2/08/2005
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Realizing what hipsters were, Marisol and her family decided to flee immediately from Williamsburg. They ran as fast as their 100-dollar vintage sneakers could take them.
Stay tuned to find out where they end up.
CJ at 2/07/2005
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Looks like it will never end.
In an second book released by American Girl, it appears that Marisol and her family are getting threats from the residents of the neighborhoods of Pilsen and even the peaceful Des Plaines (all the controversy brought a media circus to the quiet neighborhood, raising crime rates dramatically once Bill O'Reilly arrived).
So Marisol and her family decide to flee to the only safe, laid-back haven they could think of, Williamsburg. No one would bother them there
CJ at 2/04/2005
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There is controversy about this new doll created by
American Girl.
The controversy should be about how the doll looks nothing like the girl on the cover of the book.
Anyway, here's what all the fuss is about:
CHICAGO U-S Representative Luis Gutierrez says he has invited the president of the American Girl company that created a new Mexican-American doll to visit a Chicago neighborhood that feels snubbed by the doll.
The doll is called Marisol Luna and her story says she lives in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. But the story also says her mother moves the family to suburban Des Plaines because Pilsen is too dangerous.
In a statement, the American Girl company said people shouldn't base their opinion of the story based on one sentence. A spokeswoman says the danger reference is to street traffic.
In his invitation to the company president, the Chicago Democrat said that Pilsen has parks and playgrounds and the story demeans the character of the neighborhood.
American Girl says its president plans to speak with Gutierrez.
...and more here:
American Girl doll move upsets some
By Ames Boykin Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Wednesday, February 02, 2005
(...)
Young Marisol Luna, however, seems to have sashayed her knit-skull-cap-wearing self into a controversy - something her American Girl creators never intended for the doll they designed to empower young girls.
In a book that accompanies the doll, Marisol's mother tells her they must move to Des Plaines from Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood because it's no place for a young girl.
"It was dangerous, and there was no place for me to play," the book says.
(...)
Des Plaines has its own vibrant Hispanic community. According to the 2000 Census, 14 percent of Des Plaines' 58,720 residents are Hispanic. Its chamber of commerce recently started a committee catering to businesses owned or run by Hispanics, or ones with Hispanic employees.
In contrast to the West Side Pilsen neighborhood, which had three murders last year, Police Chief James Prandini said Des Plaines hasn't had a murder in the past three years. Gang activity is limited to graffiti in Des Plaines, he said.
"They picked our town as a safe place to live," Arredia said. "I don't see anything wrong with that."
Leaders in Pilsen, however, do. They see the story as a slight to their neighborhood, which is home to the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.
Claudia G. Martinez, executive director of the Pilsen Little Village Information Center, spent Tuesday speaking to residents who were upset. While families do choose to leave Pilsen, it's more likely because it's more affordable to live in the suburbs, she said. Homes in Pilsen are fetching a half-million dollars, while families can own a home in the suburbs for half that amount, Martinez said.
"Just as any community, you have problems," she said. "But it's like a family. When somebody says something about your brother, you don't like it."
At the American Girl headquarters, they are shocked at the negative reaction to the doll, which is selling for $84. Spokeswoman Julie Parks said Marisol at one point proclaims Pilsen the "best place in the world." Her family moves to Des Plaines to have a home with a yard where she can play.
In the story, Marisol's mother also tells her they are moving to be closer to her job, so she can spend more time with the family, Parks said.
Hector Marino, coordinator of computer and technical services for Des Plaines Public Library, is familiar with the story of Marisol because he bought the doll for his 9-year-old daughter. To him, it makes sense Marisol would move from the city because her family wants a home and access to parking. He appreciates having a Hispanic doll for his daughter to play with, saying it's encouraging to see more diversity.
I don't know, I guess I can see why people that live in the neighborhood would be mad, but it's just a doll for crying out loud. Just be glad the doll isn't really offensive, you know, like come with a velvet painting of the Last Supper, have 20-inch diameter hoop earings, maroon lip liner, and is dressed in a wife beater and a pair of Dickies.
CJ at 2/02/2005
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