The American Girl Wiki's Stance on Harry Potter and Its Creator
Posted Sept 1st, 2022. This article will remain on the front page until all collaborations have been ended.
The release of Wizarding World of Harry Potter themed items means the American Girl Wiki feels it right to address the bigoted views by the Harry Potter creator regarding trans and nonbinary people. The partnership between American Girl and Warner Bros/the creator is not something that the AG Wiki can control, but it is something we can openly address. For the head Admin here, addressing the situation is very direct and simple.
The American Girl Wiki believes in equality, diversity, and inclusion of all and support full rights for all people of the LGBTQ+/queer community, including trans people. We are disturbed by the many anti-gay and anti-trans bills that have been proposed and passed in the United States in the past several years in backlash to their visibility. Trans and nonbinary people are real and valid. They are part of the American Girl community, our society, and our world. There is no space here to support anyone—creators included—who actively denigrates and oppresses trans people. Trans people have the right to be allowed to exist in peace as who they are and no social minority—regardless of race, gender, or ability—should be bullied or hurt. Trans rights are human rights.
This is not a debatable situation. There's nothing to be debated. Every person, at every age, has the right to live as who they are no matter where or whom they are on the gender spectrum. This includes trans and nonbinary youth as well as adults. There is nothing wrong with children, from any age, to know that trans people and LGBTQ+ and queer people exist. We and they always have, even if society has historically suppressed this information in bigoted ways. Trans people are a real, truthful, honest part of our world. Children have the right to know not only about trans people, but about themselves.
Furthermore, American Girl has shown support for trans youth in two recently released books: A Smart Girl's Guide: Body Image and A Smart Girl's Guide: Tough Stuff, both of which include discussions of and support for trans youth and are aimed at the same target audience as this collaboration.
We encourage all visitors to the American Girl Wiki to find truthful, valid information that supports trans voices and to make themselves aware of the Harry Potter creator's continued bigoted statements against trans people (including her statements on how continued support of the franchise and products related to it is interpreted as quiet support of the author's anti-trans positions), the fandom's and other creators’ responses, and the ongoing conversation surrounding this topic.
Here are selected online resources on trans people's support and rights:
If you wish to personally address the issue with American Girl, we encourage you to send both e-mail contacts and direct mail to the company.
Regarding the collaboration, the American Girl Wiki will, as our task requires, document any and all items that are released. This means that there is the potential that visitors will wish to purchase these Harry Potter items, and thus that the creator will receive some small degree of profits from these sales. This means that we bear some degree of responsibility.
No promotional images will be uploaded to the front page on either sliders or news about releases. A corporation article will not be made for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (or its media company Warner Bros.) as is done with other collaborations, so as to minimize displaying items or emphasis beyond necessary documentation. These products are being documented because they must be, not out of any desire to promote or encourage the collaboration. Every page discussing the items released for the collaboration will be headed with the following template:
The transphobic views expressed by the creator of Harry Potter do not align with that of the American Girl Wiki. Trans rights are human rights. Please see our stance here. Items are only documented for informational purposes.
ETA, 9/4/22: Any editor caught removing any of the templates used to warn other users will be removed from the project under vandalism. As was stated, this is not a topic that is up for debate.
March 26, 2024 / Special Image Cases - Header Images for Modern Dolls
Everyone loves new policies, especially when it comes to Image Quality standards.
Header images for modern dolls that retired before the wiki started in 2008 are hard to get official good header images for--these are the first edition of Just Like You 6, Just Like You 9, Just Like You 10, the first edition of Just Like You 19 with grey eyes, and Just Like You 20. Several of these dolls retired before even the American Girl website offered a proper showcase of dolls. Other than scanning and cleaning up older catalogs to try and get excellent pictures, the reliance has been on personal images to showcase these dolls (and catalog shots if we can find them at all).
But not only are these images on the main article page for each doll, but several are present on the Visual Chart of Truly Me Dolls that shows all the dolls in numerical order in their last availability. Images were donated from users over the years and have been long standing, because they're good at what they do. But many editors--in good faith mind, but still wrong--have tried to replace these pictures and have not upgraded the quality of them in the process. Furthermore, we've had issues with people uploading the photoshopped examples from AG Playthings' site; these are these very recognizable because the dolls never came in the I Like Your Style Outfit as a meet set and are theft from the site. If they get uploaded, Admin knows exactly where they came from, and not a single one of them are real.
Since these header images have to represent these dolls for anyone researching them here, they need to stand out to a level not required of many others. They have to be the very best, like no one ever was. So we've implemented new policy.
As of 2024, policy for these particular doll pages is that all images of these dolls must be approved by admin before being placed on the page. They can be uploaded, but editors will need to contact admin through their talk page for approval of the image being placed on the page. Admin can give feedback, but the decision to change the image lies in admin's hands.
Unless a new personal picture for these dolls is enough of a high quality upgrade--which means it needs to meet all qualifications for a picture as stated on the Image Policy page--it likely won't be given approval. Nor will it be if it's merely a switch to an image by the uploader because it's one they took and they really want it here. Consider what TV Tropes does for good images--new images have to be chosen by committee to replace what's standing there, and just "but I'd like mine there" isn't good enough of a reason. They have an entire flowchart and a dedicated forum for it.
Pictures of these particular dolls, if uploaded and added without approval to the page under any circumstances--especially if it replaces the current header or is done as a new version of file--will be immediately removed and the user informed of their violation, with continued violations resulting in blocks. Uploads of the photo-edited versions of these dolls from Playthings will result in an immediate two-week ban from the first violation. Any attempts to photo edit the doll images to place them in meet outfits they were not available in will be immediately removed. We don't need your attempts at digital manipulation--we want real pictures.
Frankly, there have been too many low quality and unapproved images over the years and I and other admins have had to do multiple reverts for poor images and copyright violation issues. I for one would like to have to stop doing that.
The American Girl offices in Middleton, WI are to close, with operations being ended by late spring to September; operations will be moving to the Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Multiple workers--about 200--will remain employed at the distribution center and remotely.
Feb 7, 2024 / AG x The Disney Princess Collections
American Girl has released a second collaboration with The Walt Disney Company focused on the Disney Princess line, AG x Disney, also known as the Disney Princess Collection. This release is based on three other iconic Disney Princesses--Tiana, Cinderella, and Ariel. Unlike the last collaboration, this one is not limited edition and has no collaboration with Swarovski. The three princesses also have two additional outfits available for each character based on movie outfits; each comes with accessories, and some come with miniatures of sidekick characters. Dolls are of slightly higher cost at $125.
A news article by MSN has hinted there will be more items in the collaboration with American Girl citing it as a new core collection focused on Disney, and that there will be items for other Disney Princesses and the Frozen franchise.
American Girl Place Dallas has been stated to be officially closing January 30, with a reopening at the Shops at Park Lane by early 2024. ETA: This has been updated to state the opening date is March 2nd.
Dec 29th, 2023 / Clarification on Copyright Infringement and Video
The American Girl Wiki has a very clear policy on copyright and copyright infringement. Like any fan-run wiki, we ride a fine line between offering information and committing violations. Full text, full song lyrics, too many images from any book, and/or full data on book and movie contents (to name just a few things that constitute a copyright violation) can and will result in a violation of American Girl's copyright. We use images as fair use information, discuss media to inform rather than redirect away from legitimate sources, and always with encouragement, in the case of media--books, songs, movies, etc--to use first hand sources without using any methods of copyright violation or piracy.
This has needed a further clarification, due to a recent violation.
Violations include uploading entire episodes of any videos of shows, movies, and visual media. Yes, the entire WellieWishers series is on YouTube. And that's where it'd better stay. We aren't in any position to host a full video nor do we want to be. Any data about the series needs to point to the place it is legitimately available.
The reality is that no videos should be uploaded here at all. Images of items and characters are best done with still images, and clips from shows and movies are not wanted nor necessary.
Any and all violations of copyright start at two weeks for text and a month for video uploads. Any and all videos will be deleted immediately. Any lyrics listing will be purged immediately and, like video uploads, lead to a one month block. Continued actions will result in full banning.
November 29, 2023 / AG x Mattel Classic Barbie Doll
American Girl, in collaboration with its parent company Mattel, has announced the Classic Barbie Collector Doll for preorder starting November 30th. The doll is intended to evoke the design of the first released Barbie doll in 1959.
Only 5,000 individually numbered dolls are being produced. Purchase will be exclusively available to Berry level AG Rewards members and Barbie Signature members (through Mattel Creations) for the first 24 hours of sale (starting at 6 am on November 30th), then made later available to all purchasers as a preorder until December 14th. The doll is only sold in the United States and cannot be shipped to Canada; no refunds, returns, or exchanges will be honored.
Julie Albright will be receiving a graphic novel titled Julie and the Blue Guitar in June of 2024; the plot includes a character of the modern era reading an old diary that involves learning about a mystery from 1977. The book is being published by IDW, a known comic book imprint, and the series is being called Mysteries Across Time. No further details are available at this time.
Lila Monetti is from St. Paul, Minnesota, and studies gymnastics. Notably, her gymnastics coach--in a nod to older characters--is an adult McKenna Brooks!
Parents and Guardians, please check our Parent Page for a quick overview.
If you have never edited on a wiki site before, please test any changes and code in our Sandbox before editing or making additions to the actual article page.
Read the Articles on Article Creation, Editing Guidelines, and Style Guide and about Image Policiesbefore creating articles, editing articles, or uploading images! Don't let your new articles, edits, and pictures get deleted (and you possibly blocked!) for not reading what we require in our style guides.
Tiana, after having her first outfit damaged at Charlotte's costume ball, is outfitted in a blue evening gown and tiara. This was the first dress she was seen in during the teaser trailer for The Princess and the Frog. Tiana also had the most outfit changes for a Disney princess--with nine!
American Girl's early collaborations with other series and brands include Angelina Ballerina, a series about a mouse girl who loves to dance first published in 1983.
While Samantha's series first mentions ice cream, the Ice Cream Freezer was first released for Addy's collection and later added to Samantha's. The item can make actual ice cream--though a very small amount.
The History Mysteries series covered American Historical eras with an underlying mystery theme. Eras like the Federal Period and 20th Century Civil Rights era that were later covered by Historical Characters first saw prominence in this series, and Shadows in the Glasshouse covers the earliest period seen in any series, being set in 1621.
Hopscotch Hill School was the first attempt from American Girl to market a line aimed at elementary school children, with 17" jointed dolls.
Explore The Wiki for More Facts, Lines, and Trivia!
Please note that the American Girl Wiki staff does not collect or personally locate these news articles; they are pulled in by an automated Google News feed and may not be specifically about the American Girl brand (and may have offensive takes). The American Girl Wiki and its admins have no official opinion on any article posted, except to say that any and all bigoted sources are not endorsed in any way whatsoever.