Polly Pocket Helped Me Through My Parents' Divorce

I had my own tiny worlds that never left me—even as my own world had abruptly changed

Polly Pocket Fairylight Wonderland 1993 (image via)

I kneel down like I’m about to pray, I dig my knees into the soft carpet and rest my hands on the coffee table. The coffee table where I wrote my name and drew a smiley face on its underside in blue crayon when I was four. The coffee table that lived through my parent’s divorce and stayed at my Dad’s house. It was time to open up the many tiny worlds I had received as birthday and Christmas presents. My favorite toy: Polly Pocket. I played (prayed?) for hours on end. I would line them up and eventually I had so many that they couldn’t fit end-to-end. I had my own Polly Pocket micro-community. I created the scenarios that Polly and her friends found themselves in. Opening each “clamshell” was an invitation to a tiny world. As a child of divorced parents who was suddenly going back and forth between two homes, I liked that I could easily carry a few of my Polly Pockets with me. I had my own tiny worlds that never left me—even as my own world had abruptly changed.

I recently found a bag of the majority of Polly Pockets that I had from the 90s. What I loved about this toy is still what I love about it today: the bright shiny plastic colors, the coziness that exists in tiny things and spaces, the various themed “homes” that Polly invited you into, and the portability.

Polly Partytime Surprise, aka, Polly’s Birthday Party, 1989 via

For those new to the world of Polly Pocket, here’s a brief description from the Wikipedia page:

The original Polly Pocket toys were plastic cases that opened to form a dollhouse or other playset with Polly Pocket figurines less than an inch tall. The dolls folded in the middle, like the case, and had circular bases which slotted into holes in the case interior, allowing them to stand securely at particular points in the house. This was particularly useful for moving points in the case. Because the dolls were so small, sometimes they came enclosed in pendants or large rings instead of the more typical playset cases.

The idea for Polly Pocket came from Chris Wiggs in 1983. He created it for his daughter by using a makeup powder compact (how deliciously femme!). Bluebird Toys of England licensed the toy and started selling them in 1989. In the 90s, toy giant Mattel bought Polly Pocket and Bluebird Toys. Mattel ruined what was so alluring about Polly Pocket—the tininess. Post-Mattel purchase, Polly Pocket was bigger, didn’t come with her home attached to her, and they traded her curly bob haircut for a straight ponytail (why is it that any sort of update means farewell to curls?!). Mattel essentially tried to make Polly a smaller version of Barbie. To nobody’s surprise, except maybe Mattel’s, Polly Pocket sales started to dwindle. However, in 2018, Mattel relaunched Polly Pocket, making her smaller, but not as small as she was originally.

The sad looking rubber Polly from Mattel circa late 90s. Seriously, wtf is this shit? via

Mattel’s Polly Pocket relaunch of 2018. I’m still not a fan of this, but at least it’s getting back to the original idea via

My interest in the OG Polly Pocket was, as previously stated, due to the “clamshell” homes bursting with surprise lights and moveable pieces inside. Part of the fun and enjoyment of each toy was figuring out the hidden features. Take for example, Starbright Dinner Party. Upon opening it, the toy lights up. The double-doors at the entry can be opened. The curtains on the left can “open” to show a city skyline. The refrigerator door opens. The table setting changes when you push the serving cart beside it. The closet door slides back and forth to reveal different clothes hanging up. These hidden movements were exciting each time I opened a Polly Pocket, but they were also familiar. As my own family structure was changing, my Polly Pockets were dependable and stayed the same. I had the option to change things, but only to a point. There was safety and trust in that.

Starbright Dinner Party via

After I started to look back into my time with Polly Pockets, I came across one that I never had: the 1989 Christmas edition. I turned four in December 1989, so I didn’t know of the shiny plastic world of Polly just yet. Thus, I never had this specific Christmas one. I changed that a few weeks ago when I found it on eBay and decided to purchase it. It’s a beautiful cherry red in the shape of a heart. It comes with Polly, a snowman, a reindeer, and a pair of skis. It also has a hidden music box that plays “Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer.” When it arrived and I first opened it, that child-like wonder came alive. I realized it never left me. The Christmas Polly Pocket sits open on my small white bookshelf in my bedroom. Its coziness has me dreaming of living in a tiny cabin of my own someday. It has me dreaming of safety, security, and reliability; all of which I know I can create anywhere I go—because these things are already within me. I learned after my parents’ divorce how to make myself my home, just like Polly.

Christmas edition Polly Pocket. Read about it here.

I will probably always like tiny things since small equates to cozy in my brain.

I will probably always want to wander into worlds other than my own.

I will probably always search for the magic that finds me after an abrupt change.

---

🎉 Things From the Week

1. Recently bought a pair of these boots. The ones I’ve had forever are great, but they have a slight heel, and since I’ve been having back issues, I’ve read a lot about how bad any type of heel is for both your feet and posture.

2. When Did Fitness Become a Luxury Item? by Anne Helen Petersen

3. What a wild read: How E-girl influencers are trying to get Gen Z into the military by Günseli Yalcinkaya

4. “While many pregnant people say their doctors and nurses do not listen to them and their concerns are often dismissed, pregnant Black people face an even higher burden.”

5. This Tweet. Please, yes.

   

---

✨Reminders✨

• The Guerrilla Feminist is reader-supported! Thank you to the folks who pay monthly to support my work. If you want to be added to a paid plan, go here.

• Want my consulting on Digital Violence Prevention Programming? Go here.

• Have an anonymous question for Ask Guerrilla Femme? Submit it here!

• Forward this email to a friend you think would enjoy it or take a screenshot and share it on social media!