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Groovy Androgyny

My friend’s daughter turns four today. The little man and I will be attending her birthday party this evening. So last night I swung by Creative Kidstuff on the way home from work, hoping to find a cool gift. But I wasn’t sure what to get her. When I first met her she was just a baby. Who then grew into a sassy little tomboy toddler. Always demanding to wear moonboots with her batman t-shirt. But some time ago she went through another transformation. And has become something of a little diva. I dropped by a while back and was stunned by this transformation. I saw it in full effect when she was playing with a little boy. Who was pestering her, really, more than playing with her. He’d started touching her hair. So she leapt up out of her chair, and began emoting to the room “oh no, he’s messing up my beautiful hair!”. Whoa. So what to get her? Thankfully her home is a Barbie-free zone. Not that I’d ever be tempted to purchase one (even after, or perhaps especially after, reading “Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll“. But after wandering around the store I didn’t see anything that was quite right. For her age, or personality. Then I noticed the Groovy Girls stuff. I’d heard of these dolls before. They seem to be rather popular. And they’re plush, instead of creepy plastic. I was ready to snap up a doll and an outfit (the skateboarding gear set) when some of the staff came over to see if I needed any help. So I explained the situation.
Them: Well, yes, I think a Groovy Girls doll would be a good choice. Unfortunately we are out of them.
Me: (a little confused) Then what are these?
Them: Oh, those are the new Groovy Boys dolls.
Me: Huh. I thought they were just sort of butch girls.
Them: (speechless)
Me: Well, I like the boy outfits better. They look more like something I would wear.
Them: Hmmm.
After that they called their other store locations, insisting they try to find a little girl doll for me to buy. Eventually I convinced them that it was all good. That cross-dressing is really not a big deal (ok, maybe I didn’t quite convince them on that count). And that I would be buying a Kyle or Kalvin doll, thank you very much. Hopefully I will be able to convince the diva as well.