Welcome to the dollhouse
Visiting the cultural past—and trade-war present—at Mexico City’s House of 1000 Dolls.
I realize I left 2024 on a bleak, murder-y note … so let’s start 2025 by talking about toys!
Dolls, to be specific, and the delightfully demented Museo Casa de las Mil Muñecas in Mexico City. During a New Year’s vacation, I wandered into this House of 1000 Dolls expecting a few cabinets of horror-movie fodder. And I found some, but they were overwhelmed by all the cultural and economic history crammed under its roof.
The collection started with several thoughtful rooms about the history of dolls in Mexico and its communities, from the Mesoamerican era through colonialism and independence. There were signs acknowledging the role that dolls play in teaching domestic chores and reinforcing gender roles. There were displays devoted to the Mexican businesswomen who built up the country’s modern toy industry in the last century, at a time when trade restrictions kept out U.S. manufacturers. (History doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, but it often rhymes.)
There were several rooms full of intricately furnished dollhouses, and the miniatures that decorated them. An English-language sign informed me that miniatures were popularized in a Mexico City convent by “nuns with free time” [???] “which gave them the opportunity to develop their creativity by dressing fleas.” [????]
The rest of the museum’s approach swung between curated maximalism and “B– student who started the final project five hours before the deadline.” There were Barbies, of course, and a couple of obligatory American Girls. A case marked “famous people” jumbled together figurines depicting Rhett Butler, Malala Yousafzai, and Bob Ross.
There was a room full of preserved historical dolls where photos weren’t allowed. Nearby, a hallway of dioramas lovingly depicted the evolution of fashion and decor over recent decades … and culminated with this PTSD-inducing scene labeled “2020.”
Then there were the “racist dolls”—which I would have missed if not for the hastily added sign next to the case, a folded piece of printer paper proclaiming in Spanish that “by exhibiting these dolls, this museum seeks to raise awareness about the importance of addressing racial prejudice in cultural history.” It gave the impression that one junior staffer had unsuccessfully argued for removing the dolls from the collection, but was begrudgingly placated with a sign that would “add context.” (Or that she had gone rogue and taped up her own printout.)
But half-hearted signs were a recurring curatorial choice. My favorite might have been the room full of Star Wars toys and GI Joes, marked only with the words: “Do boys play with dolls?” (Powerfully understated commentary or lazy gesture? Unclear!)
I didn’t go into the museum expecting in-depth cultural or political analysis, but by then it had raised my expectations. (Fleas and all.) And after all, dolls and their makers—and the entire toy industry—are on today’s political front lines, as this weekend’s headlines have made clear.
Mexico is the United States’s top trading partner, and a key part of its supply chain. With President Trump’s tariff axe falling this week, dolls and other toys are about to get a lot more expensive. So I’ll be curious to see if Mexico City’s doll museum eventually addresses this global trade war—or at least tapes up another hastily-printed sign.
Lady Bits
Diversity under Pressure “[Companies] just wanted to sprinkle some DEI on top, especially after George Floyd. And that was never going to be a viable strategy.” With everything going on with DEI these days, I took a look at what corporate America’s been up to since the George Floyd era and its sweeping promises to fight racism. Read the written feature, or listen to the radio piece that aired on Weekend Edition with Scott Simon last week.
Lumon Is Listening Speaking of the current DEI discourse, kudos to this week’s Severance for the whole “inclusively re-canonicalized” scene.
Money and Power And speaking of the 2025 news cycle, I’ll be on 1A on Monday talking about why you should care about the crypto industry, especially going into the new Trump Administration.
Letter of Recommendation I may be one of the last people to see Challengers, and I belatedly understand all the hype! (Sure, it’s basically a soapy, two-hour-long music video set on a tennis court … but an extremely entertaining and well-acted music video!)
There is a dog in the nun doll picture…