Davy Crockett and The Cabbage Patch Kid

 

Davy Crockett and the Cabbage Patch Kid

 

The Cabbage Patch Doll craze of the early 1980s is one of the most iconic retail phenomena in American history. It reached its peak in 1983, driven by the immense popularity of the dolls and the frenzy surrounding their limited availability during the Christmas season.

 

Xavier Roberts, a Georgia artist, created the first Cabbage Patch Dolls in the late 1970s. He began handcrafting the dolls, which were characterized by their soft, cloth bodies,  and unique faces. Each doll had a  name, and this delicate touch became a major part of the appeal. The Cabbage Patch Doll experience was also boosted by its unusual, "ugly-cute" appearance, which set it apart from other dolls at the time.

In 1982, Roberts partnered with Coleco to mass-produce the dolls, and they  became instantly popular and within one year, a massive  cultural phenomenon.

During the 1983 Christmas season, retailers  were overwhelmed by the demand, leading to chaotic scenes in stores. Shoppers, desperate to secure one for their children, began fighting and brawling in aisles. News reports showed pushing and shoving as parents fought over the dolls, which contributed to the frenzy known as FOMO.  (Fear of Missing Out.)

Prices for the dolls were often marked up by resellers on the secondary market, as consumers were willing to pay a premium to get  one. In some cases, Cabbage Patch Dolls were selling for several hundred dollars, many times the original price.

During the height of the Cabbage Patch Doll craze, First Lady Nancy Reagan received a Cabbage Patch Doll as a gift. The doll was presented to her by  Coleco’s CEO as a way to acknowledge the massive cultural impact of the toy. But it was really a great marketing ploy. Nancy Reagan posed for a photo with the doll., which added to the doll’s already immense popularity.

Today, the Cabbage Patch Dolls are seen as nostalgic items and have become valuable collectibles, with some of the original dolls fetching soaring prices at auction.

Decades earlier, another similar cultural phenomenon swept the nation.

The coonskin hat craze for boys in the 1950s was not owing to the item itself, but  to the success of The Adventures of Davy Crockett, a popular television series based on the life of the 19th-century frontiersman and folk hero. Fess Parker, who played Davy Crockett, wore a coonskin hat as part of his costume, which became iconic. Although in truth, the real Davy Crockett never wore one. Yup, fake “news,” and BTW, fake fur. See Meme.

 

In 1955, during the height of the Davy Crockett mania, a  somewhat similar Cabbage Patch doll - like White house  incident occurred involving First Lady Mamie Eisenhower only with  a coonskin hat.

One day in 1955, a group of  schoolchildren from Kansas, dressed in their best frontier outfits complete with coonskin hats, were invited to visit the White House as part of a special event organized by the Eisenhower administration. The children, excited beyond belief, paraded into the White House wearing their coonskin hats proudly. When the kids arrived in the White House, they were greeted by Mamie Eisenhower and they brought along a coonskin hat specifically for the First Lady, thinking it would be a perfect keepsake. “We brought one just for your Mrs. Eisenhower.” Overwhelmed by their thoughtfulness, the First Lady carefully put the hat on her head and posed for photograph. It’s displayed in the Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, Kansas. Trouble is:

It didn’t happen exactly in that way.

Mamie Eisenhower, who was known for her impeccable sense of style, was not a fan of the coonskin hat trend—not in the least! Even though the hat had become a national symbol of Americana, Mamie felt it was a bit too “rough” for the decorum of the White House. Mamie, though gracious, could not contain her shock at the sight of the hat. She paused for a moment, looking at the hat with a raised eyebrow and a slight smile. Then, in a mixture of surprise and wit, she replied, "I don't know if this is quite my style, but thank you."

The children teased her gently, encouraging her to try it on, saying things like, "It'll look good on you, Mrs. Eisenhower!" But Mamie politely declined, instead laughing and making a joke about how the hats were better suited for "young adventurers."

The coonskin hat given to Mamie Eisenhower reflected the spirit of American ruggedness and folk heroism. It was a playful and fitting tribute to the First Lady at the time, during an era when Davy Crockett was a pop culture sensation and a symbol of both adventure and pioneer toughness.

While Davy Crockett never physically visited the White House, his political career, legendary status, and legacy were deeply intertwined with American history and culture during the time of Andrew Jackson. His influence as a frontiersman and folk hero still resonates even today, and the coonskin hat remains a beloved cultural artifact, representing the enduring appeal of Crockett's image and the frontier spirit he came to symbolize.

 

The coonskin hat given to Mrs. Eisenhower is included as a part of the Eisenhower Presidential Library’s historical collection, alongside other artifacts from his presidency and personal life.

A hat is a flag, a shield, a badge, and a story.” – Kurt Vonnegut

 

 

Meme:

With increased demand for coonskin hat due to the TV show's popularity, many of them were mass-produced and  made with synthetic materials or faux fur.

The use of real animal fur in making such items had become controversial.