The American Girl Cafe — where fans of the backstory-laden American Girl dolls can pay for the privilege of enjoying teatime (and actual food) with their poseable playmates– has reopened today after an outbreak of norovirus, the nasty stomach virus that can cause various types of digestive unpleasantness. The culprit is unknown at this point, but I like the idea of this being some grand prank played by the folks behind Garbage Pail Kids. ("Viral" marketing, right?)

There are actually maybe sorta-good reasons for prenatal sex selection, apart from crazed first-world selfishness and a passing interest in eugenics. There are, in fact, reasons to avoid having a girl-child as wide-ranging as things like "Miley Cyrus" and "institutionalized sexism" (note to self: are those same thing? Do some research later!) but really the greatest reason is American Girl, the tween-oriented "historical" doll makers (and now movie creators), whose dolls have backstories ranging randomly from the American Revolution to the swingin' 70 (this includes Addy Walker, fugitive slave girl in 1864!). Obviously, American Girl is designed to sneak into girls' minds like a corporate tribble, compelling them to [...]