Question of the Day

Via Broadsheet, I found the DYKEdolls website, which features an array of cool lesbian dolls (some of which are for adults only), including Badass, pictured, developed by S. Perdomo as to way to reflect a part of current culture she felt was underrepresented by dolls—and because she got sucky dolls as a kid. I would have liked getting a DYKEdoll when I was a kid, since they’re a lot closer to the tomboy I was than Barbie ever was.

I think adults close to me figured out pretty quickly I wasn’t the babydoll type, so I didn’t get too many crap dolls. One year, I got the most awesome Lone Ranger and Tonto doll set (not action figures—Barbie/G.I. Joe-sized), and they came with horses, which was the real draw—horses with movable legs and everything! The horses each had an intricate set of rubber bridle and saddle, which had to be pieced together by the nearest tolerant grown-up. My mom spent what had to be nine hours putting all that crap together, only to have me ask her to take them off, because I thought the horses looked prettier without them.

I was by no means a spoiled kid, but I pretty much always got the stuff I wanted, mainly because I never wanted very much. One year, my entire Christmas list was: Football. (Which, incidentally, led to one of my first lessons about sexism—the boys wouldn’t tackle a girl, even in spite of my pout-for-equality, until my team starting winning every game.) The only thing I always wanted and never got was an invisibility cloak, but I don’t think that had anything to do with Santa.

What about you? Best toy? Worst toy? Toy you always wanted and never got?