Farewell, Samantha Parkington!
It’s a sad week, PopWatchers. And that’s not just because I Love Money ended its inaugural run (yes, I’m maintaining hope that there will be two seasons). Yesterday, American Girl announced that it would discontinue all its products related to Samantha Parkington, the company’s poor little rich orphaned girl who was introduced as one of the original characters way back in 1986 (her books will still be sold in book stores, though). And to that, I say, hell to the no! As an early American Girl enthusiast who also happened to own a Samantha doll, this announcement made me feel like a birthday girl who just realized Eddie Ryland salted her ice cream. (In other words, super-pissed). But seeing as I don’t have the power to change major corporate decisions (yet!), it’s time to say my official farewell:
Goodbye, Samantha. Though I can no longer vicariously live through the children who meander the American Girl store demanding their long-suffering parents buy them your overpriced accessories, we’ll always have our memories: tasty petit fours, beautiful Nutcracker dolls and tenacious canoe trips, to name a few. And I’ll never forget how your early 20th-century winter cloak and furry hat provided a great costume for my childhood cat, Mooshie, for our family Christmas card. As sad as I am to see you go, however, I am happy that my first generation doll in your visage will now only appreciate in value. So thank you, Samantha Parkington. Not only did you entertain me during my childhood with your stories of bravery and kindness, but you will also be paying my rent.
PopWatchers, leave your Samantha Parkington tributes—and conspiracy theories—below (I bet Molly McIntire is laughing maniacally in her tap shoes right about now…)!
- More on American Girl, dolls, etc.
- Movie review: ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Girl’
- ‘America’s Next Top Doll’: Watch all five episodes (before a new one arrives later this month)
- I want to see ‘Kit Kittredge’ — is that weird?
addCredit(“© American Girl”)