Child-ish
By Diana Vidals
Growing up I was a Barbie girl, my room was a wall-to-wall shrine for Disney princesses. But by the age of 9, I began abandoning my Barbies and games of “house” to keep up with appearances. Being and acting like a child was suddenly a crime.
The idea of acting older was ingrained in me through “compliments,” “you’re so mature for your age” and insults, “Aren’t you a little too old for that?” It wasn’t until I was 19 that I stopped scoffing at the idea of indulging in childish hobbies and interests and thought, how old is too old?
The answer to this question came to me earlier this year, in the form of a plastic baby/cherub. Everywhere I go, I am inundated with the sight of Sonny Angels! Perfectly labeled with the tagline, “he may bring you happiness,” these collectible mini figures evoked so much tenderness in me and many others as they developed a cult following within Gen-Z. Though silly and relatively useless, Sonny Angels have brought joy and excitement, providing a distraction to the mundane, and becoming a bridge for friendships and communities who share their love for these wholesome dolls. Similarly, Calico Critters have been gaining a following. While I don’t own any, that might change as I’ve recently been getting a lot of videos of their accessories, ranging from the tiniest cowboy hats to pipe-cleaner recreation of the Chapultepec monkey hats.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLaJ3CGf/
Watching girls my age and older parade their obsessions on keychains, t-shirts, and more, still hadn’t moved me any closer to accepting this resurgence in childhood that everyone else seemed to be indulging in. My turning point was meeting the two little girls I nanny. Decked head to toe in pink, bows, and Sanrio, they are the epitome of little girl. It was through these little ones that I learned that there was more than just Hello Kitty ( who I’m sorry I saw no appeal in), there was a whole gang of adorable characters. My knowledge of Sanrio came with a heavy bias, they are Cinnamon Roll and Kuromi fans so naturally…I am too.
Initially, my purchases of stickers and keychains were for them, soon enough I wanted one to match and began decorating my phone, bookbag, computer, and room with Sanrio merchandise (licensed and unlicensed).
My Favorite Pieces of Sanrio Merchandise
Initially, this interest was met with disapproving comments from my mother who upon seeing a Cinnamon Roll scrunchie I wore to work questioned, “But you’re in college?” This time, I didn’t allow my interest to be dismissed. I loved that I was acting childish, finding joy in this silly interest that connected me with the girls I nanny and even girls my age! It was comforting and liberating, it was the exact thing I was missing. As I get older and slowly immerse myself in the adult world, it is nice to find comfort and refuge in something as simple as a mini-figure, plushie, or character.
Now at 19, the question “Who’s your favorite Sanrio character?” isn’t answered with a scoff but a neutral, “It’s a close tie between Cinnamon Roll and Kuromi.”
