Popular Culture Review Vol. 4, No. 2, June 1993 | Page 29

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baby, and the "naturalness" of a perfectly flat stomach moments after
the birth takes place. Arguably even more offensive, Mattel's My
Bundle Baby "allows children to simulate pregnancy with a strap-on
pouch that conceals a newborn baby doll. By pressing a heart-shaped
button on the pouch, the child feels a kicking motion and hears a
heartbeat" (Downey).
As an extension of the mother/homemaker role, cleaning "toys"
can also be found with names that demand female players. Eureka
offers a Princess Vacuum and Princess Sweeper, and elsewhere on
toystore shelves are the Little Miss Neat Clean-Up Cart and Little
Miss Moppit [a tragic pun] Helps Her Mom. Needless to say, when
the packaging features children "interac [