Radio Atlantic: "The Art of the Doll"

Release Date: May 8, 2025
Host: Hanna Rosen
Guest: Eleanor Mack, Founder of Jilly Bing
Expert Contributor: Martha Gimbel, Executive Director of the Budget Lab at Yale

Introduction

In the episode titled "The Art of the Doll," Radio Atlantic delves into the intricate world of independent doll manufacturing amidst the turbulent economic landscape shaped by U.S. tariffs on China. Host Hanna Rosen engages with Eleanor Mack, the passionate entrepreneur behind Jilly Bing Dolls, and Martha Gimbel, an economist from the Budget Lab, to explore the broader implications of trade policies on small businesses and American consumers.

Eleanor Mack’s Journey: Creating Jilly Bing Dolls

[01:06]
Hanna Rosen introduces the episode by recounting President Donald Trump's offhand remark about dolls during a Cabinet meeting, sparking a conversation about the evolution of doll diversity and choices available to children today. Reflecting on her own childhood, Rosen asks Eleanor Mack about her first doll, prompting a nostalgic and heartfelt response.

[01:44] Eleanor Mack:
"My first doll was Ada. I took Ada with me everywhere, like to the park, to dim sum. She was beautiful in a way that I felt I never could be."

Eleanor shares her personal connection to Ada, highlighting the limited representation in dolls of her generation. This lack of diversity fueled her determination to create dolls that truly reflect her Asian American heritage.

[03:02] Eleanor Mack:
"As an Asian American mother, I don't relate to any of that."

Unable to find dolls that her children could relate to, Mack took the bold step of founding Jilly Bing Dolls, named partly after her daughter Jillian. The company aimed to offer dolls with authentic Asian American features, challenging the stereotypical and limited representations prevalent in the market.

Navigating Manufacturing Challenges

[03:37]
Mack discusses the challenges of manufacturing dolls in the U.S., encountering closed factories and ultimately partnering with a factory in China. She emphasizes the meticulous, manual process involved in doll-making, where precision is paramount.

[03:52] Eleanor Mack:
"Doll manufacturing is a heavily manual process. The rooting of every doll's hair is done manually. There is tremendous precision required."

Despite initial success and positive media coverage, including features on CBS and the Today Show, Mack's business faced a critical threat from escalating tariffs imposed on Chinese imports.

The Impact of Tariffs on Jilly Bing Dolls

[05:37] Eleanor Mack:
"Our doll retails for $68, so that is considered a premium price already. To think that I would charge, you know, $150 plus for this doll, I just... it was like putting a nail to the coffin of our business."

With tariffs soaring to 145%, Mack found herself at a crossroads, struggling to maintain the affordability of her dolls without compromising her business’s viability. The uncertainty and financial strain led her to make the tough decision to halt production, prioritizing her mental well-being over her entrepreneurial dreams.

[09:58] Eleanor Mack:
"This doll is meant to be Asian American. And our doll has brought joy to a lot of kids and adults. And it was devastating to think, you know, this if I'm forced out of business."

Mack’s story poignantly illustrates the human side of economic policies, showcasing how tariffs can devastate passion-driven businesses that strive to provide meaningful products to consumers.

Economic Analysis: Tariffs and Consumer Impact

Transitioning to a broader economic perspective, Hanna Rosen introduces Martha Gimbel from the Budget Lab to discuss the nationwide repercussions of the tariffs.

[13:44]
Gimbel explains that while tariffs are intended to protect domestic industries, they have a far-reaching impact on consumer prices and household budgets.

[14:29] Martha Gimbel:
"In the short run, rubber and plastic products overall will increase their prices by about 22%. But given the tariffs on China, if something's entirely in China, it will likely increase by much, much more."

She projects that the average American household could face an increase of approximately $5,000 annually due to higher prices on a wide array of goods, disproportionately affecting lower-income families who spend a larger share of their income on essential items.

[16:31] Martha Gimbel:
"We are hitting everything rather than trying to think about what is the behavior that we are actually trying to do here."

Gimbel criticizes the blanket approach of imposing tariffs on a broad spectrum of goods, arguing that it is an inefficient and crude tool that fails to target specific economic behaviors or objectives effectively.

The Broader Implications of Tariff Policies

Gimbel further elaborates on the emotional and economic toll of tariffs, acknowledging the valid grievances of those who have lost manufacturing jobs but asserting that the overall shift towards a service-based economy has been beneficial.

[20:32] Martha Gimbel:
"The shift to services has been really, really positive for our overall economy. Tariffs are just a blunt tool that hurt everyone."

She challenges the nostalgic longing for manufacturing jobs, emphasizing that tariffs do not address the underlying economic evolution and instead create widespread financial strain without delivering the promised long-term benefits.

[22:45] Martha Gimbel:
"Putting giant tariffs on China in an attempt to bring back jobs... is not going to end the way I think a lot of people want it to."

Gimbel argues that such policies disproportionately harm consumers and the broader economy while offering minimal relief or advantage to the targeted industries.

Conclusion: No Silver Linings

As the episode wraps up, the discussion underscores the complexities and unintended consequences of tariff policies. Mack’s personal struggle and Gimbel’s economic analysis converge to portray a picture where the intended protections offered by tariffs instead result in widespread economic hardship and diminished consumer choice.

[29:33] Martha Gimbel:
"Everyone's going to be paying more money at the grocery store. They're going to be paying more money for children's clothes. Jobs are going to be lost. There will be impacts for the stock market. There are no wins here. This is not good."

The episode concludes on a somber note, highlighting the absence of positive outcomes from the current tariff strategies and emphasizing the need for more nuanced and targeted economic policies.

Notable Quotes

• Eleanor Mack [01:44]:
  "My first doll was Ada. I took Ada with me everywhere, like to the park, to dim sum."

• Eleanor Mack [03:52]:
  "There is tremendous precision required."

• Eleanor Mack [09:58]:
  "This doll is meant to be Asian American. And our doll has brought joy to a lot of kids and adults."

• Martha Gimbel [14:29]:
  "In the short run, rubber and plastic products overall will increase their prices by about 22%."

• Martha Gimbel [20:32]:
  "The shift to services has been really, really positive for our overall economy."

• Martha Gimbel [29:33]:
  "There are no wins here. This is not good."

Final Thoughts

"The Art of the Doll" offers a compelling examination of how macroeconomic policies trickle down to affect individual entrepreneurs and consumers alike. Through Eleanor Mack’s heartfelt narrative and Martha Gimbel’s incisive economic analysis, the episode sheds light on the profound and often overlooked human costs of trade policies, urging listeners to consider the broader implications of such decisions on American households and small businesses.