I always admired Sasha for her understanding of children and how they play. I also admired the fact that her baby dolls were -- what the prudes call "anatomically correct." Several doll companies have tried to produce realistic baby dolls and all have been severely criticized by the more conservative population. I have often wondered if their point of view was the result of playing too much "doctor" as a child or not playing it often enough.
In 1950, I joined hundreds of students in a giant hall to hear Margaret Mead discuss her work as a researcher and anthropologist. She was a powerful speaker and passionate about her work.
At one point she explained how she had to add "sex parts" to the dolls so that the natives would not think white people were -- "incomplete" as she put it.
Sadly, the beautiful Sasha babies were forced by circumstances to become "incomplete" just as every other doll who dared to be "real" had done.
But, on the bright side, children still play "doctor."
