Alumni University—Dolly Ludens: Why American Girl Dolls Play Video Games

American Girl presents dolls with often lavish accessories—the catalog includes doll kitchens, bedroom sets, and even a bowling alley—and Courtney, the brand’s most recent historical doll, is no exception. The character’s Pac-Man obsession is a fun bit of nostalgia for classic arcade games, and the doll-sized arcade cabinet certainly made a splash. But why, exactly, is a doll playing video games? Join Illinois Tech Associate Professor of Digital Humanities and Media Studies Carly Kocurek for a talk about dolls playing games and what American Girl’s vision of the 1980s can tell us about our past and present.

Register for this virtual Alumni University presentation below. Alumni University invites members of the Illinois Tech community to learn more about the work of and virtually meet some of our university staff, faculty, and researchers.

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