The recent launch of two "historical" American Girl dolls from the 1990s is making some millennial women feel very, very old.
Isabel and Nicki Hoffman, the newest characters in American Girl's "historical characters" line, were released officially on Feb. 22, 2023.
The Hoffman sisters are the first twin dolls in American Girl's historical characters line, and their stories are set in Seattle during the year 1999.
Their shared birthday is May 22, 1990, said the company.
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"These fraternal twins join the brand’s long line of historical characters that feature inspiring role models from pivotal eras in American history," said a press release from American Girl, headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin.
The two dolls have distinct personalities, with Isabel described as "bubbly, extroverted" and a lover of dancing, while introvert Nicki prefers skateboarding and listening to alt-rock.
"Though they share the same birthday, these twin sisters are as different as glitter and grunge," said the release.
Throughout their stories, "Isabel and Nicki discover who they are as individuals," and "they realize they share the same girl-power goal: to be true to themselves and learn to face their fears with confidence."
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In 2001, American Girl (AG) debuted the "Girl of the Year" collection, which features a new doll each year with a story set in the present day.
Unlike the dolls in the historical characters line, these dolls are only sold for a limited time, notes American Girl Doll News, a blog.
The "historical character" line debuted in 1986, with dolls named Molly McIntire, Samantha Parkington and Kirsten Larson.
Their stories took place in 1944, 1904 and 1854, respectively, says the American Girl website.
Since the three original American Girl Doll figures were released, additional dolls have been introduced with historical backgrounds dating from 1764 through the 20th century.
Each doll's story details the character's perseverance through period-appropriate trials, such as slavery, immigration and the polio epidemic.
Until the release of Nicki and Isabel, the most recent "historical" doll was Courtney Moore, whose story takes place in 1986.
The realization that the late '90s are now considered "historical" did not sit well with many.
The official American Girl account even acknowledged this, with a tweet "apologizing" for the release.
"Didn't mean to hurt so many feelings today," tweeted the brand's account.
"Feeling very personally attacked by the accessories for the new *historic* (???) '90s American Girl Dolls, Isabel and Nicki," wrote Boston-based Twitter user Hell on Heels Girl.
"I had inflatable furniture. I read American girl magazine; I had a subscription. I had grin pins. I had that back cushion pillow. I loved my clear bag," she tweeted.
"American Girl just released their newest historical dolls: Isabel & Nicki from … 1999. I never felt so disrespected in my life," tweeted the account Black Girl Nerds.
Several millennial women who grew up with the original historical character dolls told Fox News Digital that these new additions to the line made them feel equal parts nostalgic and elderly.
Lexi Oakley, 26, of Southern California, told Fox News Digital that she was an avid collector of American Girl dolls as a child — and was feeling her age seeing a "historical" doll from her lifetime.
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"Growing up with the dolls [based in] the 1800s-1900s, it is so strange seeing a doll that's now ‘my generation,'" she said.
"My mom's friend has three daughters [who] I took to [the] American Girl [store] about five years ago, and it's so weird to think that if they were that age now they'd be looking at dolls that were ‘my generation.’"
Jess Miner, 35, of San Diego, was a little more blunt about her reaction to Isabel and Nicki.
"The fact that 1999 is considered long enough ago to birth a ‘historical doll’ is criminal," she told Fox News Digital.
"Give me Felicity or give me death."
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Felicity Merriman, a colonial America-era doll from 1774, was released in 1991.
Her collection was retired in the mid-2000s and her character is now only available as a mini doll, says the American Girl website.
Jess Niewiemski, 30, of Buffalo, thought it was "crazy, but also pretty cool" that American Girl now has dolls who used to play with other American Girl dolls.
"It's like ‘Inception,’" she told Fox News Digital, referencing the Leonardo DiCaprio time-travel film, adding that she "very vividly" remembered receiving a Felicity doll in 1999, the year her younger sister was born.
"Now my seven-year-old niece has my Felicity books, and I can’t wait to tell her there’s going to be an American Girl doll and book series about a couple of girls just like Aunt Jess," she said.
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Erin Villeneuve, 40, of Seattle, grew up reading American Girl books and received a Molly doll for her ninth birthday.
"As someone who has loved history from an early age, it was love at first sight," she told Fox News Digital.
As a child, she even took vacations to locations from the books, and researched her family history after being inspired by the characters.
Villeneuve said she's "loved seeing the new historical character releases over the years," and has passed on her love of the dolls to her own daughters.
"It’s fun for them to learn which doll was a girl during grandma’s childhood, and see AG dolls live through historical events or in places that align with our family history," she said.
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Unlike others who spoke to Fox News Digital, Villeneuve was not caught off-guard by the announcement of Isabel and Nicki.
"Several years ago I started to feel like a '90s doll was inevitable, so I was prepared," she said.
"It’s so funny to see a historical doll with grin pins, an AG magazine subscription and an AOL account like I had," Villeneuve said. "I’m looking forward to all the nostalgia while reading the Nicki and Isabel books with my girls."
Even among American Girl super-enthusiasts, the introduction of "historical characters" from the 90s came as a bit of a surprise.
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"I assumed we wouldn't be getting anything from the '90s until later this decade or even next decade," Sydney Satalino, founder of the blog American Girl Doll News told Fox News Digital.
"I was shocked, but it made sense when I thought about it more due to the popularity of '90s nostalgia and the successful limited edition versions of the original six historical dolls that were released in the summer of 2021 and sold out quickly," she said.
Although just 18 years old, Satalino has been blogging about American Girl dolls since she was eight years old.
Even though she was not yet alive in the '90s, she understands the appeal of Nicki and Isabel to women of that decade.
"Girls from the '90s loved American Girl, so it was smart for the brand to create more nostalgia for that audience while satisfying younger children whose parents grew up in the 90s," she said
Initial reaction to Nicki and Isabel in the American Girl fandom was "pretty mixed" due to their time period, but people have since warmed up to them, said Satalino.
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"A lot of people feel it's a bit too early for 1999, but that reaction is mostly from millennial fandom outsiders," she said.
As more information was released about Nicki and Isabel, their popularity grew, she noted.
"[People in the fandom] like their personalities, the references to the classic American Girl doll items from the '90s in the story … and their outfits and accessories," Satalino said.
"Outside the fandom, the reaction has been from millennials that either adore the historically accurate accessories, or feel old [now] that 1999 is ‘historical.'"
