The American Girl Dolls Got A Tragic But Fitting SNL Movie Trailer

Millennials’ favorite historical dolls just got a Saturday Night Live moment. A faux American Girls movie trailer debuted on SNL on April 15, and it embraced the tragic parts of the dolls’ stories. Remember how Samantha lost her parents in a boating accident? And Kirsten’s best friend succumbed to cholera? And how Addy had to escape from slavery? All those dire backstories and more were spotlighted as the late-night sketch comedy poked fun at these “bigger, younger, sadder” dolls.

The faux trailer featured six characters taken from the actual American Girls franchise: Samantha (Chloe Fineman), Addy (Ego Nwodim), Kirsten (Heidi Gardner), Josefina (host Ana de Armas), Molly (Molly Kearney), and Kit (Sarah Sherman). Though they hail from different time periods, SNL unites them in American Girl Land for “a live-action story … as they travel to the modern world.” The narrator teases, “Come for the fun, stay for the overburdened preteens wearing four layers of petticoats and pantaloons.”

Unfortunately, tragedy isn’t just in the dolls’ past. Two of the dolls fall victim to disease in the trailer (RIP, Kit and Kirsten). But not to worry! They’re used to tragedy, so they operate with the catchphrase “That’s OK!” anytime they discuss or face loss.

SNL’s trailer has a lot of great touches. Not only do the dolls wear their iconic outfits, the decor in their dorm room is inspired by the franchise. You can see an embroidery sampler reminiscent of Samantha’s, portraits like the ones from the book jackets, and even the books themselves, lined up alongside a typewriter. There are also hilarious “reviews” of the movie in the trailer, such as “Emotionally devastating” and “These little girls are going through too much.”

The American Girl sketch works because it hits on a very true element of the franchise. The dolls and books teach valuable history, and they also expose kids to some very dark realities. You go from memories of enslavement to ice cream, and from war efforts to birthday parties. “Someone at … SNL is processing their AG trauma and I’m here for it,” one fan joked in the YouTube comments.

Someone in the SNL writers’ room does indeed seem to have had or wanted to have an American Girl doll in the ’90s, because this is the second sketch inspired by Pleasant Rowland’s doll empire in less than two months. The other aired during the March 4 episode, and it saw NFL star Travis Kelce as a man bringing his dolls to the American Girl Cafe. (While he and “the girls” enjoyed their outing, the staff was on serious creep alert.) Fans seem to be enjoying the SNL x American Girl era. As one viewer wrote, “Those under-nourished girls were the foundation of my entire childhood.”