Southern Protocol

I must have been hiding under a rock. How could I, number one fan of Audrey Hepburn (and her alter ego Holly Golightly) NOT know there was a new book out about the making of the classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s??

June 22 heralded the release of Fifth Avenue, 5 AM: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman. While the title makes it sound a bit preachy, the reviews are raving and the brief synopses I’ve read sound incredibly intriguing. The book deals with the controversies that surrounded the making of the film (in the original Truman Capote story, Holly Golightly is a blatant call girl), how to turn the screenplay into something “Hollywood,” (Paul Varjack was gay in the book!), Mickey Rooney playing an Asian man, casting decisions (Capote originally wanted Marilyn Monroe, the decade’s sex symbol, to play the lead role)… the list goes on and on.

In a review found on Amazon.com: “Wasson’s words carry the reader from pre-production to on-set feuds and conflicts, while also noting Hepburn’s impact on fashion, Hollywood glamour, sexual politics, and the new morality.” I can’t wait to go get this book today!

Excuse the lack of breaking news in this post – I wasn’t originally going to post anything about the newest American Girl doll controversy, but I have found that I just can’t stop thinking about it! Or telling everyone I know!

For those who haven’t heard, there is another new American Girl on the block: Gwen Thompson. The pretty blonde-haired brown-eyed doll isn’t doing her best to support the troops during World War II (like my beloved Molly) or facing the hardships of life during the Civil War (like Felicity), or even struggling with the tribulations of being a minority. She is…drum roll please…homeless. Living in the car with her mom after her father left the family.

I’m concerned.

What will her accessories be? She obviously can’t come with a bed or customized armoire with monograms. Will her hair get dirtier with time? Does she only come with ONE outfit? What will the other American Girl dolls think?

Perhaps on a deeper level, the issue is about possibly pushing the envelope too far. Yes, we’re in a recession. Yes, people are losing their jobs. And sadly, yes, I’m sure people have had to turn to their cars for shelter. But the American Girl doll franchise is supposed to be uplifting – and I see nothing uplifting about reading a homeless girl’s story. It also turns out that Gwen is seen as the “Loser Girl” by the “Queen Bees” at school. Oh my God…could it GET any worse?! Way to kick someone while they’re down!

I’m all about the American Girl doll franchise. I threw some serious temper tantrums circa 1995 in order to secure Molly and her accessories. Still, I just can’t bring myself to believe that any little girl (or her parents, for that matter) would want a homeless doll. That still costs $95 dollars.

(New Thought: if you buy her, is she no longer homeless? Is this a charity plea? I just can’t figure it out)