Becky and I were wandering the toy shelves at our local Target store recently, finishing up some Christmas shopping for the girls. On one shelf I saw this little set of dolls:

A boxed set of International Dolls labeled Kool Totz features 12 dolls representing different countries with traditional outfits.

A couple of thoughts came to mind: first, how quaint! This reminds me of something out of the early 20th century, all nicely culturally stereotyped in ethnic garb. I am surprised that the PC police haven’t come down on it. But then I looked a little closer, and noticed this particular doll, which you can still make out even with the fuzzy picture quality from my camera phone:

Four dolls are dressed in traditional costumes representing Norway, England, the U.S.A., and China, with a recommendation label for ages 5 and above.

Notice anything wrong? Yep, the doll is supposed to represent England, but she’s wearing Scottish plaid. If I were from England, I’d be unhappy. Obviously, somebody from Target (or whoever in China designs their toys) doesn’t realize that Scotland /= England. Ah well, a geography lesson for another day.