The American Girl Doll Iceberg

a simplified "iceberg" approach to the complex lore and background of the American Girl brand. this is my first KZbin video, i am sorry for how nervous i was and for the unprofessional editing. i tried my best ˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚
special thanks:
@martadeceased on instagram
@nickihoffmans on instagram
@innerstar.uni on instagram
intro:
@shelbyeel on instagram
thumbnail & channel artwork
@annikagoeller on instagram
addy's creation article:
slate.com/culture/2016/09/the...
more from me:
instagram: juuliealbright e1iza_3v
tiktok: www.tiktok.com/juuliealbright
**THE CORINNE TAN MOVIE WAS UPLOADED TO HBO MAX AS OF 9/29/23
**I MEANT TO SAY SINCE 2011, WHEN KANANI AKINA WAS GOTY

[@RebeccaRu]

One of my favorite “fan-theories” within the American girl doll universe is that Maryellen is Courtney’s mom, since they look so similar and the times would line up.

[@P1XLGEM]

I’ve heard this too! Although I think Courtney’s moms name is different, but i could be wrong

[@americangirlbliss]

Me too! That makes sense.

[@noxsings-rm2ii]

There’s also one about Samantha’s grandmarie being Marie grace Gardner!!!

[@Razzberry_dollz]

@@P1XLGEMyeah her mom name is Moreen

[@no1legobatmanfan]

“I’m autistic, don’t worry, i know all about this” is when i immediately knew to subscribe lol. cant wait for more content ! ❤️ this video is delightful

[@alexisthompson7356]

REAL

[@Callmekatielee]

I’m SO glad I’m not the only one traumatized by the Samantha movie sewing machine scene. I was just trying to explain this to my mom. I still refuse to sew to this day because of it.

[@dizzymisslizzy4569]

i love to sew, but i think of that scene every time i do

[@therobotdevil2284]

Same! When she brought it up I was like OH NO IS SHE GONNA PLAY THE CLIP 😅😅😅😅😅 thankful she didn't, none of us were ready!

[@SharonStoppable]

Yo, thank you for mentioning the Hoffman twins' Judaism! It doesn't get enough representation in fan discussion.

[@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327]

Wait, they’re Jewish?

[@SharonStoppable]

@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327 yes! They're an interfaith family. Their father is Jewish and their mother is Christian. By Reform practice (which they presumably are) they are Jewish. If I recall correctly, the story opens just after both Hanukkah and Christmas end.

[@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327]

@@SharonStoppable Cool! Now we’ve got four Jewish American girls!🥰

[@SharonStoppable]

@@dontmindme.imjustafraidofe9327 yes!!!!!! And in order of historical eras, we've got Rebecca Rubin, Nicki and Isabel Hoffman, and Lindsey Bergman. This means three out of four of the characters live within a one year window of each other, what with the new millennium

[@emmabelew-ladue8418]

i think it is very telling that I was so obsessed with the historical dolls and their perspective movies especially the traumatic backstories and scenes like in Samantha and am now a history major. 8 year old me ate that shit up so much.

[@toriocheerio4385]

omg the same thing happened to me 😂 i was so obsessed with historical dolls & now i’m a history major

[@vioIetharmon]

i wish i was like that bc im terrible at history💀💀

[@jenna7075]

Did you ever hear about the American Girl Doll Cruise? I was able to go on it when I was younger! It was so cool because you got to meet the authors of the books and they gave out free American Girl doll items (including two dolls)! It was crazy!

[@SharonStoppable]

Please tell us more

[@Honestly92]

Yes tell moreee!❤

[@jenna7075]

it was insane! they announced the girl of the year to us before they formally announced it to the public! apparently one of the main heads of american girl was retiring that year so that’s why the cruise happened. there’s only one video on pinterest that i could find of the actual cruise activities but it was awesome. we did crafts, had delicious meals, and got free stuff constantly. like every night you would come back to your room and there would be a large amount of gifts (one day a doll bed, the next clothes, etc.) and at the end they announced that we would also be getting a free doll (it may have been 2?) that would be shipped to each of our homes. nothing has ever quite compared to that cruise. i’ll try to find the link to the video! it was years ago but i can’t believe almost no one talks about it.

[@jenna7075]

*update: the video was taken down. there is little to no proof of the cruise but it was on the celebrity eclipse and wasn’t the riverboat one. it was a full length new years cruise! i hope this was helpful:)

[@LailaSkye17]

I found an informational ad on Google from an American girl fan site. It said it was the American girl 25 anniversary cruise. I found an image of a doll wearing a sailor outfit that I’ve never seen on adult. I’m not sure if it’s with one of the collections or from the cruise. there was also an event in Chicago in 2011 where you could book an hour long cruise have dinner with your doll.

[@juuliealbright]

hi everyone! while i was making this video, there are some updates! the corinne tan movie was released onto hbo max and i meant that kanani akina from 2011 was the last goty doc in the line pre-gabriella!

[@one-onessadhalf3393]

You know I think it’s so funny that Olivia Rodrigo was the main character in one of the girl of the year movies (if anyone’s wondering, it was the Grace movie)

[@clarkispotamia]

God bless that crusty Coconut 🫡 truly god’s strongest soldier

[@SammiKitTea]

Hi, historian here and AG lover. On BeForever Samantha, that person is CORRECT! it wasn’t until the 1940s where the color dichotomy we know today (pink for girls, blue for boys) was phased in. I still have yet to research a bit more on AG’s version of history but it semi lines up with Mattel in 2015. I had to speak on my namesake character❤

[@hopetikvah4906]

It's true that pink was not a very gendered colour in the 1900s, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it was still viewed as a boyish colour by that point. There are plenty of extant pink girls dresses from the period (although not in a style resembling Samantha's Beforever outfit!) so it wouldn't have been considered inappropriate for Samantha to wear pink. It is funny that they changed her meet outfit to a pink dress though, after Samantha explicitly states she dislikes pink in the books. The reasoning for her disliking it is definitely anachronistic though, as Samantha would certainly not have viewed it as 'too girly'. That was definitely projecting 1980s views onto the 1900s! But I seem to remember that being a reoccurring theme in the AG books, as either Kit or Molly said the same thing

[@george743]

munching and reliving gay childhood bourgeois memories at 1 am slay you slayed

[@thewalrus3782]

I worked at an ag store at the time of the body image book stuff. And honestly was happy they didn’t pull the books from our store and we held strong. Were just pulled one by one snd told to not discuss the book with hostile customers. Had some people come in and buy extra copies in support of the issue too

[@juuliealbright]

thats wonderful!!

[@juuliealbright]

also correct me if im wrong but wasnt the book super bare minimum? it was just like “if you do not feel like your assigned gender consult a doctor” or something along those lines? and parents were mad it told children to speak with a doctor instead of them? like getting to the doctor is implied a 10 year old has to speak to you first 😭😭

[@emmarose2385]

I am a MH collector not an AG collector but I find it interesting how both brands really suffered under Mattel in 2015 I think that had something to do with them no longer producing the princess dolls after the whole ever after high/descendants debacle right?

[@venuslove-i1v]

Yeah, Mattel had a deal with Disney for years, but was trying to become more independent and focus on their own. When they made EAH, Disney took that as a slight because they already had contention between each other. And so Disney ended up leaving their brand deal with Mattel and went to Hasbro for a while. Then they released Descendants. But now Mattel and Disney are back together.

[@starynightasmr2760]

It does seem that they’ve partnered back up with Disney as they have the princess doll line going on atm with jasmine, belle, and I think Ariel

[@tinmanlover1994]

The new GoTY 2024 Lila has McKenna Girl of the year 2012 is all grown up and is coaches gymnastics also have a paradox as well

[@whoismegburns]

the american girl website games WERE MY SHIT i’m pretty sure i spent two hours a day for a year straight playing those. especially the pet ones !!! i loved the little pet care simulator one especially where you could give them food and toys to play with

[@AddilynneLastname]

"i'm autistic don't worry i know all about this" AS A FELLOW AUTISTIC THAT IS SUCH A MOOD OMFG LOL AF 😂

[@madhatt3r93]

I live in Poland and I remember that for years there was an american girl stand in one of the malls in my city. I'm really suprised that it was there for so long, I would've never expected that children in Poland would be that interested in such expensive dolls that are so ingrained into american culture and history. Something like Barbie or monster high are more universal, you don't need to have an extensive knowledge of another country's culture and history.

[@noels__]

this entire video was just me going "oh my god i remember that fucking [blank]"

[@cooldollstuff]

They don't know they are dolls and they live in a universe where they grow like real people because Lila has McKenna brooks in her story as an adult.

[@haileynicole172]

the samantha sewing machine scene TRAUMATIZED me

[@jennam6822]

movies i never see anyone talk about were the grace and mckenna movies. those were a core part of my childhood and maybe its cause im younger, but i loved those in elementary school

[@trainer_nikki]

I truly did not realize there was so much to know about American Girl Dolls.... loved hearing all your takes

[@mynameisreallycool1]

My favorite thing about the American girl website as a kid was the giving advice section! They had different categories with their own weekly question, like sections for studying advice, ideas for party activities, baby sitting advice, family issues, friendship issues, etc. I don't know why, but I loved it so much. I think being able to have a voice and giving random strangers advice, hoping someone would read it and it could help them, made me feel special and "grown up". Plus I did actually sometimes follow some of the advice that I read too. Who knew that girls aged 8-14 would hold such great wisdom?

[@nastassjahall9358]

The blast from the past that owl stuffed animal craft kit was. I remember making them, aka my mom sewed them and I watched

[@kkuudandere]

I love deep dives like this because I never had an AG doll as a kid, but then I ended up working in an AG store (most fun job in my life so far, I loved piercing their ears lol). It was so interesting to suddenly be thrown into this world and hear from people who have been obsessed with them for YEARS, there's still stuff I don't know

[@CCaleighC]

Omfg. I worked in a store too. legit such a great job. But they took me off ear DRILLING duty cause I screwed up and the drill slipped and made this huge line on a 2000's GOTY's face so 😔😭

[@kkuudandere]

@@CCaleighC my number one fear was accidentally putting a hole in the face of a doll after somebody already bought it lol 😭

[@tinmanlover1994]

Tenney was meant to be should have been the GOTY for 2017. Then AG changed ship last minute cause of the backlash

[@annikaeliza3314]

I had so much fun working on the thumbnail! Great job Eliza!!

[@madigentry1353]

after the rebrand of 2015 i wrote a hate letter to ag about what they did to julie and they sent a letter back😭

[@gadiesandlentlemen]

what did they say??

[@galacticgames9392]

I'm so glad that AllieCat is getting the recognition she deserves! I've been following her for 5 years now and her content is so good

[@tocasmiley360]

BTW Luciane uses they/them prounons

[@milabee3444]

I love Marie-Grace and Cecile, I have them both, would love to hear more about their lore🤩

[@annieelise641]

she american on my girl til i doll

[@lotuspixie19]

there was a dog grooming game on the website and it was my FAVORITE game

[@cactdye]

i don’t know anything about american girl dolls, i just love icebergs and women. i appreciate your dedication to this video! can’t wait to tune in for the next hour 🥰

[@momomomo__]

i loved agtube so much growing up, specially the series that people made. girloftheyearstudios was the reason i started writting stories. i remember being like 11 and writting a sequels to some of her series that i loved. and agsmiless particularly i think truly ignited my love for ya fantasy at the time, since her series were very obviously inspired by that genre of books and movies. for a cursed little bit of information, i remember once girloftheyearstudios made a livestream (or a call? i don't remember exactly what it was) with some fans where she invited us to be on camera and just chat with her and i got so excited that she picked me. it was kinda like a zoom call to be fair. we started talking about an agsmiless series that she had never watched, so she was completely left out of the conversation during her own stream (call?). i was a kid, but i still feel bad about it to this day and she never did something like that again, sadly.

[@evansentcoffee]

I used to be a fan of American Girl when I was younger, particularly I remember owning the Meet Kit book and pouring over the catalog each holiday season even though I knew I wouldnt be getting anything from it. I also had quite a few of the "The Girl's Guide To" books including the Caring and Keeping of You books. Suffice to say it's been a long time since I've thought about American Girl, and I happened upon this video just by scrolling through YT's homepage. I'm a trans guy, and have identified as such since the summer before my first year of high school. Hearing about the Body Image book makes me so happy. I wish I had that book when I was in middle school. It would've helped me identify what I was feeling about myself and assured me that I wasn't weird or crazy or anything. I hope those books have found people that really need them. And even though it sounds like AG has had their fair share of controversy, I'm really glad they decided to include that page about gender dysphoria Also, fantastic video overall, subscribed and can't wait to hear more from you!

[@evansentcoffee]

K I guessed I paused the video at the wrong time bc they're pulling the books from shelves :/ way to take a stand AG Point still stands though

[@superblooming]

that factory scene in the samantha movie awoke my 7 year old brain to class consciousness. i was like "this is so fucked" and when nellie was like "they do a lot of things they're not supposed to" i was like this is so fucked!!!! also uncle gard sexy

[@juliannajohnson9076]

if beforever has 1 hater, it's me. if beforever has no haters, I'm dead. (Kit was my first historical doll, and I was heartbroken to see how they were all treated with the supposed "revamp")

[@camx3316]

Listen, as a lifelong samantha stan that movie MESSED ME UP. trauma fr, im still scared of sewing machines.

[@dmitrinichio7496]

the dolls in the background were absolutely sending me... the titos and smirnoff lmao. real.

[@queerseer420]

You're reminding me of so many things I forgot as a child. I had some of the Bath & Body products and played the games on the website all the time. I had a Bitty Baby in the late 90s and got 2 historical dolls later on - Kit and Samantha. Samantha I got later and she was a little worse quality - her arm came off and her hair got so matted that we had them both replaced at the Doll Hospital. There were also add-ons you could get when they were sent back and I had a wheelchair with a snap-on arm and leg cast set! My grandma really loved the dolls and would always get me a bigger furniture piece or some outfits or other playsets for Christmas or my birthday for many years. We weren't rich or anything but $50-200 was reasonable for a grandma gift once a year. I had the palomino horse and a little Appaloosa foal that was from Kaya's line and they were very good quality but had weirdly tiny hooves. I think Julie came out when I started to lose interest but I've always wanted her super cool bedroom set and snacks! Man, the mini foods were such good quality and so fun to play with. I always wanted to eat them lol. I also had the "Your Body" book or whatever. It was really helpful for me as a kid and I think it may have helped me be a lesbian tbh I had no idea the charity sale was a thing! I wish I'd been able to go.

[@emmamckenna5524]

OMG i'm so excited to see more! This is great!

[@arthurbusterbffl4928]

I was scared of that part in the Samantha movie too. I need watch the movie many times as a kid, but I guess I closed my eyes or fast forward past that part.

[@AGdolphan-bp7zm]

Thanks for sharing! I enjoyed watching this. I think you did great on camera and editing! I’d have never known it was your first KZbin video! Keep ‘em coming!

[@hew619]

My favorite AG thing from childhood was the American Girl Mysteries! They were pretty good mystery novels about the Historical Line girls, my favorite was The Curse of Ravenscourt (a Samantha book) and Molly, Kit, Felicity, and I think some others had their own as well. There were also the Mysteries through Time books, which were historical mystery novels about various new girl characters who didn’t have dolls etc

[@MichealllA]

Oh my god, my cousin had the Bitty Twins!! I never liked those things, but she was devoted to them!! I think she named them Billy and Betty

[@isabella-nitebloom]

BRUH the sewing machine scene also traumatized me 😭😭😭

[@EvelynRoseAG]

Amazing job! Looking forward to seeing more videos from you ❤

[@gracebentzel5645]

I’ve been waiting for this one

[@Agforeva96]

I really enjoyed this video! ❤ you’re so pretty btw! 😘

[@SebastianDeLaRosa-ek3up]

This video was great! I love AG and love learning more about it that I didn't know

[@ashluvv11]

hiii omg i love your instagram posts they literally make my day

[@lilJess0831]

SOOOOOOO FUN im so excited about this channel

[@SamiTaylorKate]

I loved this video!!! Your meme account is actually a big part of what got me back into AG and collecting again. I love the way you talk about ur special interest it’s so fun to listen to

[@linen4922]

This is the single most delightful video I've seen all year and I haven't even made it through the first 15 😂 !

[@foxycritter]

OMG this brought back so many memories! I had Coconut and I loved her. I also had the body book (as well as a few others), the historical novels, a "just like me" doll, and a set of pajamas!

[@rebecca5257]

loved this. great video. 10/10 keep making more pls.

[@tinapetre]

This was an autistic hyperfixation for most of my life and this was a refresher on what I’ve missed in the last three or four years which was around the time that hyperfixation ended for me

[@sunglasses2130]

I have had no connection to AG since I read the books many years ago but I love watching fellow autistic people talk about the things they love so I enjoyed this very much :-)

[@ashluvv11]

ur room is so cute omg i love it

[@SharonStoppable]

ADDITIONALLY: I REALLY want to hear your thoughts on Felicity, as I never had her/took interest in her. Like, we watched her movie in fifth grade and it was good, but I have no attachment to her. So. I'm down for the sizzling takes!

[@juuliealbright]

not a fan, love elizabeth tho

[@shay7630]

you really unlocked a memory for me from the samantha movie about the kid’s fingers getting stuck in the sewing machine! and yes i agree it was traumatizing to see that as a kid!! i haven’t ever kept up with AG ‘lore’ and this was so informative, thanks for making it!

[@pineappleshavepeelings]

JUULie face reveal!! Love the long form video content!!! 💕✨🤍

[@yassvaritaass]

I’m still salty over the loss of Innerstar University. That was such a great era of American Girl ❤

[@soapboxdolls5146]

the calita graphic at 17:04 brought back MEMORIES.

[@HannaAdi14]

I loved the games on the AG website! I'd make a daily ritual out of baking muffins with Samantha, going to the market with Josephina, playing that bean game with Addy... and I totally forgot about the Jess game! Also I was waiting for you to bring up the Girls of Many Lands series, their books were my favorite ❤

[@ralmainglam1800]

lovedddd this

[@melaniem5971]

I watched your whole video! Very interesting & good research. Thanks!

[@zellagrace445]

I got my first American Girl doll in the fall of 2000. It was a Just Like Me and I still have her! I got her at the American Girl Place in Chicago. 2 years later I got Josefina and still have her as well.

[@Kittychanwilleatyou]

yes!!! the only part of the samantha movie i remember is that little boy sewing his fingers because it horrified me too! i bring it up all the time and no one else ever seemed to remember it! i feel so much less alone

[@americangirlfilms]

Studying before taking my family to the store this weekend!! I love your 21 eating chips 😂❤

[@monst3rtruckbf]

this vid fell into my lap at the perfect time, im 20 now and am planning to rebuy my 1st american girl for myself this christmas as my last 5 are buried deep in the depths of my basement lol but i glad to see other people around my age with a similar interest ! thank u!

[@aquamarine13yt]

Oh my gosh ive followed you on instagram for ages and never knew you had a youtube channel!

[@Spaghetti_Yeti]

Great video ❤

[@buppybabe]

anna beth's hair is so beautiful 😍😍

[@lindsnandez]

Growing up I remember getting a new doll every Christmas. It started with a my twin doll when I was four, a bitty baby I designed, then Kristen, Josephina, Felicity, and Kit 😭 I wish I realized what a privilege it was to get these as a kid. I still have them somewhere at my parents house, I should find them.

[@marnacle]

enjoyed the video! thank you

[@marionapina]

here from ig, i love your stuff 🙌😍😂

[@bridgetbrennan6615]

Cool topic! Reminds me of the video someone else did on the AG iceberg a few months ago.

[@KitiiesAJ]

off topic from the video but ive seen people use selfie sticks as tripods for their phones and it works pretty well! either way video quality doesn't matter too much, love your content and hope to see more like this ☺️

[@flavianesilva1979]

we don't have this doll line where i'm from (south america), and just now at 20 years old i'm learning about AG and honestly all the dolls are so cute! also is a very interesting idea to make dolls based on historical events (maybe i'm just too much of an nerd lol). Amazing video!

[@oliviamorris7002]

This just brought back my memories of Mia Goes for Great, and oh my god I was OBSESSED with it. I’d come home everyday and probably replayed it once a week.

[@nataliet8149]

This is awesome. You rock, cuz. Xoxo

[@jjacobzsq]

you are so pretty!

[@user-pt2mx1ch9f]

i think u might’ve forgotten the truly me american girl online world type game (i forget what exactly it was called but basically i remember my look alike american girl doll had a code kinda like webkins where u brought ur doll to life in a lil world like pixie hollow or club penguin or animal jam n yeah u just like played as ur doll^^) i loved this video tho!! also as a side note i was soo obsessed with felicity as a kid for the sole facts that we were both horse girls with brown hair and i liked her dress n spunky personality 😭 (read the books n missed the slave references+she was retired by the time i found ag so didn’t see the plantation playset so def not trying to condone those at all, she just lives rent free in a soft spot in my heart especially since i think she’s whose book i saw first/maybe second and who got me into ag in the first place)

[@laneyh42]

the game was called innerstar u

[@percy6196]

They've been selling stuff at costco for at least 15 years now. It was definitely long before the rebrand, but that's how I got a lot of the books, mini dolls, and some of the pets.

[@florencianwhimsy]

i was also wearing my TS cardigan while watching this, so i'm already biased in your favour before the video has even started haha

[@Wednesday.the.Wook.]

I was 15 when I first saw the Samantha movie and the hand in the sewing machine scene still lowkey traumatized me 🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️🙅‍♀️ I can’t imagine first watching it as a younger kid.

[@odessaneeley6591]

The kid getting stuck the the sewing machine in Samantha’s movie traumatized me so bad. Lit forgot everything else about the movie.

[@astoldbyneon43]

Never knew much about AG except that a family friend if mine had them growing up and would show me the cool catalogs she would get! Kinda wish I got into them sooner lol

[@sophiag4518]

I’m a huge fan and also think you’re actually the cutest person ever

[@cooldollstuff]

When I first heard about the ag mini house thing I thought it was for the mini dolls lol ❤

[@taylorhagen3916]

I was really happy about Logan, because I had been wanting a drum set, as a percussionist at school, and they didn't have any percussion kits until drum set, which cane out at the end of my doll era. I did go to the shop in Chicago since I also wanted to go, and found a bell kit which I got at 16, to fulfill my 8 year old self dream

[@Creepypastaarcade]

You look like my childhood friend who was slightly older than me! That is a complete compliment you seem like someone who is so sweet and would be wonderful to talk with ^^

[@livelollobotomy]

i use to follow SO MANY ag meme pages but then i deleted insta and forgot about them but anyways thank you so much for the reminder i will now be scrolling your memes and cackling

[@elle2104]

One iceberg thing left out was that they used to have Live Shows at the stores, at least the Chicago one did. Speaking of Chicago I think you meant Pilsen? (Pill-Sen) and to describe it as Dangerous is definitely a stretch. It’s the Puerto Rican neighborhood on the southwest corner. Some parts are pretty nice! But authors hear ‘South Side’ and ‘West Side’ and immediately think it’s the scariest place alive Lmao

[@Sirinslament]

As an American girl doll enthusiast ( I have been obsessed with them since 2013 or 2015 and my main reason was really 2015 because of Grace…and I’m a happy owner of her ), I agree with this iceburg. I love iceburgs

[@kaitlenbennett8459]

My partner has the Julie bed and more AG stuff from when he was little at his family's houseand I'm trying to convince him it it will fit in our house!

[@carolinecaruso2635]

just hopping in as a chicago gal to comment that the neighborhood marisol was originally from is Pilsen, pronounced "Pill-sen" (like send without the 'd') and not "ply-son." in future vids, esp. when speaking on AG issues that are already controversies and culturally sensitive, would love to see u take the extra time to honor correct pronunciation for Pilsen and Nez Perce instead of just guessing. i still love ur content

[@april4524]

u look so pretty !!!!