So can you.”. “She spotted what appeared to be me on the cover,” Walkowicz recalls. TED / American Girl. When the Luciana Vega doll was released, it earned glowing press as a “role model encouraging girls to reach for the stars,” per a news article in CNN, one of many positive stories following the doll’s release. One of those NASA consultants attended a conference that year in Pittsburgh where Walkowicz spoke, the lawsuit states. Discover new clothes and dresses for girls and dolls. Follow @ChiTribBusiness on Facebook and @ChiTribBiz on Twitter. Her 2015 TED Talk called "Let's Not Use Mars as a Backup Planet," on the ethics of Mars exploration, has been viewed at least 2.2 million times on the TED website, the lawsuit states. The first five: How a Chicago hospital picked its first COVID-19 vaccination recipients, Second stimulus check updates: Negotiators near agreement on COVID-19 relief bill that includes direct payments — but no deal quite yet, Second stimulus check updates: No COVID-19 relief deal yet — and time is ticking, Melissa McGurren, Eric Ferguson’s morning show co-host, on leaving WTMX: ‘The truth will come out’, Coronavirus in Illinois updates: Here’s what’s happening Thursday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area, Mayor Lori Lightfoot apologizes for wrongful raid, said it was a mistake to try to stop CBS from airing body camera video. As a TED Senior Fellow and an astronomer at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium, Walkowicz’s many lectures reach an audience of millions. Ad Choices, This Nonbinary Astronomer Alleges American Girl Stole Their Identity for a Doll. To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Here’s how you can still be a successful Santa. MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Chicago astronomer is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. American Girl filed for a "Luciana" trademark in November 2016, which was granted the following year. But with the doll drawing so heavily on their public persona, they say the doll’s deliberate femininity and popularity reinforces “a version of me that is also not accurate.”. In addition to a cease-and-desist order barring sales of the Luciana Vega doll and accessories, the lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory, punitive and other damages. Among the places where Walkowicz has lectured was the Monona Terrace convention center, where she spoke in 2014 about the Kepler mission. American Girl's latest favorites for girls and dolls. American Girl Maker Faces Lawsuit. Find dolls for girls that she will love from American Girl – 18-inch Hictorial Characters, Truly Me, and Girl of the Year, plus 15-inch dolls Bitty Baby and WellieWishers. Walkowicz works at the Alder Planetarium and has spent much of their career with NASA, whom American Girl partnered with to cre Skip to content. An astronomer in Chicago has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Debating Dan Fogelberg’s ‘Same Old Lang Syne’: Beloved holiday classic, or worst thing to come out of Peoria? Discover fun games, videos, and more activities to inspire your imagination. One longtime friend glanced at the company’s January/February 2018 catalog while flipping through her mail. A Chicago astronomer is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll By The Associated Press April 24, 2020, 2:11 PM Email Us. It also seeks the cancellation of American Girl's Luciana and Luciana Vega trademarks. A ‘comfortable’ Mitch Trubisky has had a voice in some of the changes to the Chicago Bears offense. The company has a long record of headline-grabbing lawsuits and a legal department known for advancing litigation against artists and musicians. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz would much rather talk about space than American Girl dolls. But as they’ve navigated their social transition, they’ve also found that kind of advocacy work can sometimes lead to the erasure of people who do not neatly fit the cisgender binary. From the purple streak in her hair to the holographic shoes she wears, a Chicago astronomer says doll-maker American Girl stole her likeness and adapted her name to create a popular astronaut doll. Walkowicz’s attorney, Charles Mudd Jr., said there had been prior discussions with Mattel about the matter, but that the “filing of the litigation should be indicative” of how those went. The doll's dark hair also has a purple streak on the right side, and holographic shoes. ... MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Chicago astronomer has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Vega — a name Walkowicz has publicly uttered many times — happens to be the brightest star in that constellation. If for any reason you don't, we'll try to find a way to make it right with an exchange, merchandise credit, or refund within two years of purchase. “She called me, ‘Please tell me how this happened.’” Walkowicz had no answer other than: “Oh my god, it’s me.”. © 2020 Condé Nast. Welcome to American Girl. Walkowicz says they’re often the only nonbinary person at consequential board meetings and on conference speaking schedules. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An astronomer in Chicago has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. All rights reserved. Walkowicz acknowledges that these endeavors often brush over the nuanced stories of trans, gender diverse, and queer STEM professionals, who occupy so very few seats at the table of powerful scientists. may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Call Us. When they showed up on set in 2018 to film a public service campaign for the Ad Council, Walkowicz was excited to support the mission of inspiring middle school girls. “It was not just the superficial details of this doll,” they tell me in one of the only interviews they’ve granted on the subject. Some were at first convinced that Luciana was simply the younger, official doll version of the real-life Lucianne. Lucianne M. Walkowicz, a TED senior fellow at the Adler Planetarium who has spent much of her career with NASA’s Kepler mission, is asking in a lawsuit filed late Wednesday that Middleton, Wisconsin-based American Girl and its parent company, Mattel, stop selling the Luciana Vega doll, which first appeared in 2018. Doll Hospital. Grown-ups. “That I am aware, there is no one else who works on the Kepler Field and Mars exploration at the same time — except for this doll, apparently," Walkowicz says. We hated it for its contempt for educators. Unsurprisingly, the company promotes Vega as its first STEM-themed doll, and it’s one of many “firsts” American Girl has marketed in the past two decades: The 2020 doll, for example, is sold as the first Girl of the Year with hearing loss; the 2019 version is a chef-in-training who’s diagnosed with a food sensitivity; and the 2017 doll overcomes her stutter through dance and poetry. Walkowicz is suing over the American Girl Luciana Vega doll, alleging it is based on her likeness. Shipping delays are mounting. But an uncanny resemblance between the real-life scientist and a recent toy from the Mattel-owned company has dominated many of Walkowicz’s conversations since American Girl’s 2018 Girl of the Year descended from Good Morning America’s studio ceiling , met by an adoring crowd of young girls … Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, saying the company stole her likeness to create their astronaut doll, “Luciana Vega.”. "Here, the defendants used the name and likeness of Lucianne, a well-known figure in astronomy, space and STEM, who particularly studied the star Vega, in conjunction with the American Girl doll Luciana Vega without obtaining her authorization," the lawsuit states. Girls. “I can’t think of anything less empowering for gender minorities in STEM than having your identity taken without your permission and used to sell a commercial product.”. It ended in 2018. In 2017, the company also introduced Logan, its first doll marketed as having a male gender. “That I am aware, there is no one else who works on the Kepler Field and Mars exploration at the same time — except for this doll, apparently.”. Walkowicz has often discussed Vega, the lawsuit states. But an uncanny resemblance between the real-life scientist and a recent toy from the Mattel-owned company has dominated many of Walkowicz’s conversations since American Girl’s 2018 Girl of the Year descended from Good Morning America’s studio ceiling, met by an adoring crowd of young girls dressed in blue astronaut suits. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz would much rather talk about space than American Girl dolls. them. BACK TO TOP. The lawsuit claims that Rebecca DeKuiper, who was a lead designer of American Girl's "Girl of the Year" brand, attended Walkowicz's Monona Terrace appearance with other American Girl employees. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz looks at solar flares on the sun through a telescope Aug. 5, 2015, at the Adler Planetarium's observatory in Chicago. In the weeks since the American Girl lawsuit was filed, they say the persistent misgendering in the media has become “a source of anxiety.” Nearly every news outlet — from the Associated Press to The Daily Mail to the Wisconsin State Journal — has misgendered them, using “she/her” pronouns and referring to them as a “famous female astronomer.” It’s an unfortunate reality for many trans and gender diverse people, who often face undignifying coverage in mainstream media. MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A Chicago astronomer has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Lucianne Walkowicz is one of the most widely-seen figures in science today. them, a next-generation community platform, chronicles and celebrates the stories, people and voices that are emerging and inspiring all of us, ranging in topics from pop culture and style to politics and news, all through the lens of today’s LGBTQ community. Shop . Designer Rebecca DeKuiper and several of her colleagues reportedly attended a 2014 lecture at the Monona Terrace Convention Center in Madison, Wisconsin, located less than 10 miles from the company’s offices in the suburbs. It’s not inconceivable to imagine American Girl revealing a doll akin to the gender-neutral Barbie that Mattel debuted last year, as a part of the company’s ongoing attempts to diversify its doll line — efforts that have been celebrated for bringing greater representation to the politics of playtime as well as criticized as begrudging and profit-driven moves meant to prop up the company’s lagging sales. ... American Girl dolls. In the complaint, Walkowicz alleges the toymaker copied their likeness without authorization. 800-845-0005. That’s why, in addition to seeking compensatory, punitive, and other damages, Walkowicz hopes the pending lawsuit might teach American Girl executives a lesson about consent. In the weeks since the American Girl lawsuit was filed, they say the persistent misgendering in the media has become “a source of anxiety.”, Walkowicz has long advocated for women in astronomy. "In fact, the defendants incorporated the same color hair streak, shoes and style of Lucianne in the Luciana Vega doll.". In October 2016, American Girl doll consultant and NASA scientist Ellen Stofan appeared at the White House Frontiers Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Walkowicz also spoke; one month later, American Girl filed a trademark for “Luciana.”, A Mattel PR responded by saying that they could not “comment on pending litigation,” per corporate policy. “This character is so clearly using my identity,” they say. Shop our selection of dolls, books, and more that help build girls of strong character. They didn’t know, however, that they would be assigned a pronoun — the ad’s tagline reads “She can STEM. The lawsuit requests that Mattel, American Girl’s parent company, stop selling the doll. When the Luciana Vega doll premiered, ads for it included a quote from Ellen Stofan, a NASA consultant who attended the Pittsburgh conference where Walkowicz spoke, the lawsuit states. Official site for American Girl dolls, clothes, doll furniture, doll accessories, books, and more. CHICAGO — Lucianne Walkowicz knew American Girl dolls were out there. “American Girl takes great pride in creating original characters for girls,” a representative said in an email “We take any allegations to the contrary extremely seriously and intend to defend the case vigorously.”, If the lookalike doll wasn’t enough of a headache, the fact that it’s marketed so heavily as a cisgender girl has caused misgendering migraines for Walkowicz, who had begun opening up publicly about being nonbinary when the doll was released. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Lucianne Walkowicz’ lawsuit asks American Girl and its parent, Mattel, to stop selling the Luciana Vega doll, described as “an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars.” American Girl said in a statement that it “takes great pride in creating original characters for girls. After American Girl debuted Luciana, a lawsuit alleges the similarities between them go beyond mere coincidence. In 2016, American Girl signed a deal with NASA for the space agency to consult on the accuracy of American Girl's dolls. The federal trademark lawsuit filed in Madison this week by Lucianne Walkowicz asks American … During her career, the lawsuit states, Walkowicz has taken on a distinctive appearance, including a purple streak on the right side of her dark hair, and holographic shoes. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, saying the company stole her likeness to create their astronaut doll, "Luciana Vega." US jobless claims rise to 885,000 as COVID-19 puts recovery at risk, Canada set to approve Boeing 737 Max design changes, [Most read] Melissa McGurren, Eric Ferguson’s morning show co-host, on leaving WTMX: ‘The truth will come out’. Discussions with the company were unproductive, says Charles Lee Mudd Jr., Walkowicz’s lawyer. An astronomer alleges the company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Play . Sign up for our weekly newsletter here. At Monona Terrace, Walkowicz once again spoke about the Kepler mission. “It’s a really bad example for little kids,” Walkowicz says. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz is seen Aug. 5, 2015, outside the Adler Planetarium's observatory in Chicago. American Girl describes the Vega doll as having “a head for science” and a “heart set on exploring Mars.” To Walkowicz, it all seems to go beyond mere coincidence. ©2020 The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.), Visit The Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wis.) at www.wisconsinstatejournal.com. The doll is described on American Girl’s website as “an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars.”. MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An astronomer in Chicago has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Today on Weird AG News: some astronomer, Lucianne M. Walkowicz sued American Girl because they believe AG ripped off their likeness, name and story for Luciana Vega, the 2018 Girl of the Year. MADISON, Wis. (AP) - A Chicago astronomer has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll.. AG REWARDS / SIGN IN. Retail help. Chicago Teachers Union says ‘all options’ are on the table if it doesn’t agree CPS schools are safe to reopen, Three Floyds reportedly closes brewpub — this time for good — due to COVID-19 pandemic, 9 Chicago businesses cited for COVID-19 violations, including 5 for allowing indoor dining or drinking. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Lucianne Walkowicz' lawsuit asks American Girl and its parent, Mattel, to stop selling the Luciana Vega doll, described as "an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to … Such coverage described the doll as a part of the broader cultural impetus to inspire young women to pursue careers in fields like astronomy, where structural barriers, stereotypes, and sexism have long kept white cisgender men in the majority while locking out many women, especially Black women and women of color. Using the Kepler space telescope, the mission explored the galaxy outside the Earth’s solar system searching for planets potentially capable of supporting life. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. They often touch on two prominent themes: the ethics of Mars exploration and findings from NASA’s Kepler mission, which focused on a northern region of the sky with the constellation Lyra at its center. The American Girl doll Luciana Vega, in an image included with a lawsuit filed by astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz. The lawsuit outlines several instances when American Girl employees and consultants were exposed to Walkowicz’s research before the Luciana Vega doll emerged. ‘I was asking,’ the QB says. More Illinois hospitals begin vaccinating health care workers as state and federal officials clash over size of future shipments. Why didn’t they happen sooner? “It was also career details.” They tend to keep busy with other projects: They rank among the most widely seen figures in science today. MADISON — A Chicago astronomer has sued the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. (The doll’s surname, however, is Vega.) Read more Be in the know about the … 877-247-5223. “The message seems to be, go out, make a unique identity for yourself in STEM, be creative and we’ll turn around and steal your identity from you,” Mudd says. Editorial: Pritzker makes needed budget cuts, but why blame the voters? Play on with help and healing from our expert medical staff. For Walkowicz, the case underscores some of the lesser-known tensions in being openly nonbinary within STEM fields. A Chicago astronomer is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Column: We didn’t just hate the Dr. Jill Biden op-ed by Joseph Epstein for its condescension. We take any allegations to the contrary extremely seriously, and intend to defend the case vigorously.”. Mudd filed a federal trademark lawsuit for his client in late April. U.S. DISTRICT COURT. On Coming Out, Slow and Not Always Steady: 6 People Share Their Stories, The Scientists Fighting to Make the Future of STEM More Queer, Gay NASA Engineer Troy Hudson Tells Us What It's Like to Land a Probe on Mars, What I Learned About Being Nonbinary Through Documenting a Year of My Life, trans, gender diverse, and queer STEM professionals, first doll marketed as having a male gender. Get the best of what's queer. Send a message to our Customer Service staff. ... We hope that you and your girl love your purchase from American Girl. According to the trademark lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Madison, Wisconsin, Walkowicz has lectured extensively on Mars exploration and done “considerable research” with the Kepler mission on the constellation Lyra, which contains Vega as its brightest star. A Chicago astronomer is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, alleging the Wisconsin company stole her likeness and name to create its astronaut doll. Astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz is suing the maker of American Girl dolls, saying the company stole her likeness to create their astronaut doll, “Luciana Vega.”Walkowicz is an astronomer and TED Senior Fellow at the Adler Planetarium and says she has spoken many times about Mars — including in a TED talk that was viewed over 2 million times — and about Vega, the brightest star in … Walkowicz’s inbox and social media profiles were soon inundated with notes from surprised friends and peers, who were amazed by the many visible details the doll had in common with Walkowicz’s distinctive public image: The doll sports a similar purple streak of color in its hair, holographic boots, even a near-identical first name, Luciana. Sign up for Working Lunch, the Tribune’s free midday business newsletter. General help. American Girl's 2018 Girl of the Year was Luciana Vega, described on the doll-maker's website as “an aspiring astronaut ready to take the next giant leap to Mars.”. In this Aug. 5, 2015 photo, astronomer Lucianne Walkowicz looks at solar flares on the sun through a telescope at the Adler Planetarium's observatory in Chicago. At the same time, Walkowicz emphasizes they are “very much in support of” elevating the stories of women leaders as role models. Her lawsuit seeks to bar sales of American Girl's Luciana Vega doll and accessories, as well as unspecified damages. American Girl's latest favorites for girls and dolls. “There is this fundamental tension within the field where people want science to be more inclusive but sometimes actually end up exacerbating exclusionary concepts, ideas, ways of categorizing people that are not helpful,” they tell me. ‘This is a launch disaster.’ Here’s why you can’t find a PlayStation 5. a TED senior fellow at the Adler Planetarium, Luciana Vega doll, which first appeared in 2018, [Most read] The first five: How a Chicago hospital picked its first COVID-19 vaccination recipients, Biking through deep space on Adler Planetarium's Galaxy Ride », [Most read] Second stimulus check updates: Negotiators near agreement on COVID-19 relief bill that includes direct payments — but no deal quite yet. The lawsuit claims that Rebecca DeKuiper, who was a lead designer of American Girl’s “Girl of the Year” brand, attended Walkowicz’s Monona Terrace appearance with other American Girl employees. 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