The Sweetheart Doll
In this Doll Diaries, the archetype we will be discussing is the antithesis to the Vixen/Bad Gal as we previously analyzed. As a disclaimer, I do not own these images, but I do own this archetype series.
Today, we will analyze 4 things that contribute to the layers of The Sweetheart with the Black community’s poster child for the Black “clean” Good Girl/Girl Next Door: '
Brandy Rayana Norwood
aka: “The Girl Next Door”,“The Good Girl”, “The Princess”
The Sweetheart Doll is the one that is known to be soft and amicable with everyone they meets. Their general disposition is that of optimistic naïveté, sometimes to their disadvantage.
Lifelong Loyalty
The Sweetheart Doll has unwavering loyalty to those she loves.
To stay true with this archetype being aligned with a princess, we see an emphasis on family values and loyalty in the early Disney movies, during the cult of domesticity and peak of purity culture.
A lot of Disney princesses fit the mold of rebellion and empowerment in today’s age. This signaled to young girls that you can be a people’s champ while also fighting for your identity/values. A common trait of a Disney princess is an uncanny ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes.
Brandy reminds me of the classic version of a Disney princess. She was literally the first Black princess before we even had Princess Tiana. She is majestic and graceful when she is in a room and takes up space with a small, genuine smile of reassurance. Just watch the movie and see how she enhances the role.
Cinderella (1997)
The proverbial story of Cinderella is how she put her family and friends first to a fault, but found happiness in the end through discovering her agency by building a family system of her own.
Brandy got her heart broken and got pregnant out of wedlock which shattered her sense of self. It was antithetical of her clean, pure image and the traditional values that her mother pushed.
So, Sonja in momager old school mode concocted an elaborate plot that her and the baby’s father had privately gotten married. In reality, they weren’t but it was to save face. Now, in this day and age, she would’ve been embraced rather than shunned. It became time to take the steps to heal away from the spotlight for a few years. This gave her a layer of understanding that she wouldn’t have had beforehand. This gave her a sense of loyalty, not just to her family, but now to herself and her daughter.
You can only be as loyal to others as you are to yourself.
Another example of her loyalty and empathy is her dynamic with her brother Ray J. While she is known for being the poster child for respectability, Ray J goes against the mold. He has always been allowed (as the son) to be rebellious, self-serving, and reckless. However, when it comes to her brother, right or wrong, Brandy is there behind him. She always lets him know what he could have done better. In their Family Business reality show (available on YouTube), Brandy aired those frustrations. You can now see the transition between the stressed, resentful Brandy to the Brandy at peace that allows Ray to be his own person because she has grown into her own as well.
Positive of this trait:
strong dynamics and ultimately appreciated by those around them
Negative of this trait:
can fail to be loyal to self and can resent giving too much loyalty to others
What we can learn:
Reclaim the parts of your identity that you have so freely given to everyone else.
Figure out what matters to you, and what sets your heart on fire when it comes to the things of the world.
While your journey may not be ideal, life is not linear. The shame you feel from the decisions you have made is just fear from the way you were raised and the desire to be accepted. Sometimes, you have to accept yourself.
Don’t just be devoted and loyal because it sounds good, put forth the effort and extend your gratitude and love. You never know who may need it or even whose life you could save unknowingly.
2. Humility
Brandy was a fast sensation, and is the first Black superstar to have her own doll. She had a syndicated show as the protagonist. Not only was she in a longterm acting role, she was musically gifted beyond her years and spawned inspiration for many pop artists (even Britney cited her as inspiration during her album once Never Say Never came out in 1998).
Despite all of this, Brandy only recently began to realize her power.
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Brandy has been dubbed “The Vocal Bible”. This is due to the technicality regarding runs and riffs can be heard with R&B acts such as Jazmine Sullivan. Her infamous and meticulous vocal layering influence is heard in every fiber of Ariana Grande’s music. The eclectic and daring sounds of Full Moon represent a lot of sounds today. Never Say Never was hailed as a staple for most artists in the industry. She has been crowned for a pinnacle of excellence that most cannot achieve. Her mentor, Whitney Houston, was named “The Voice”, so it’s only fitting that she is “The Vocal Bible”. She spoke out about it in 2020, finally, about her difficulties accepting it.
In a 2020 interview with Entertainment Weekly, she shared that it wasn’t always easy for her to bear the title. She said she was “a little bit taken aback” by it at first.
“It came with a huge amount of pressure and expectation to be 100 percent. I got nervous because you just want to find yourself in your creativity and not care so much about being perfect all the time,” she told the publication. “But I’ve dealt with all that and let it fester. Now I accept it graciously.”
She never felt like competition was a problem, even when her formula was being mimicked. She always knew the value in being personable and appreciating those who support her (and having grace for those who don’t). A lot of people have so much trouble exhibiting grace when being imitated.
This is a good reminder of the mindset of the Sweetheart and who the Sweetheart is at the core.
She doesn’t act like she’s too good for other people. She doesn’t constantly brag about the things she has done. She allows everyone to come to their own conclusions about her many accomplishments, because it speaks for itself… and even when she was underestimated, she proved them wrong by staying quiet and letting her art do the work for her.
It’s much easier to be “humble” if you are downplaying your gifts, though. There is a limit to how far this trait can go, which is why people don’t always like the label.
Basically to make it clear, all of this isn’t to say being “humble” can’t be manipulative sometimes. In fact, a lot of people go out of their way to state that they are humble or don’t care about validation when they do. It’s a natural, human thing to care about and desire validation. But too much or too little of anything is harmful to literally anyone.
Positive of this trait:
easier time keeping friends due to recognizing others’ talents
Negative of this trait:
can become too self righteous
What we can learn:
The only competition you have is you. You are trying to outdo your old self, not anything or anyone else.
Humility doesn’t mean the absence of needing praise, but moreso embracing that need for praise in moderation.
3. Quiet Storm
The biggest misconception is that The Sweetheart cannot evolve from her gracious demeanor and grow beyond her label of perfection and respectability.One of the most heated displays and tests of Brandy’s even tempered and unproblematic character was her “feud” with Monica. Originally, it was orchestrated for PR and to market their single “The Boy is Mine”. But somewhere along the way, tensions grew and Monica, allegedly, punched Brandy backstage. Despite this, you don’t see Brandy dragging her name through the mud or constantly bringing it up. Other big name stars would not be able to make so many attempts to reconcile as Brandy did.
The Vixen Doll may hold a grudge if she’s the “unevolved” version of the archetype, but The Sweetheart Doll will exhibit grace. These two archetypes are polar opposites of each other, light vs. dark, good vs. bad. The unevolved version of The Sweetheart Doll is giving people too many chances and being walked all over, or being “nice nasty” due to jealousy. Both of the “good” vs “bad” archetypes find commonalities in their ego leading their values just in different ways.
The Sweetheart is the person that would rather withdraw from conflict. At their best, they pray on it and speak when the time is right. At their worst, they avoid conflict entirely and become passive. Sweetheart archetypes eventually must grow into facing their fear of conflict to stop being seen as a kid. The Sweetheart uses silence to convey a message (sometimes negatively and selfishly) This isn’t always the case, but they mean well most of the time.
Brandy has said before that she’s watched people “come for her life” and watched silently for years, but now she likes to remind them. This can also be seen in her character on the show Queens. Bold and stepping on necks! Something she would never do even in 2001. C’mon B-Rocka! Darkchild voice
“Sometimes I get a kick out of reminding them…I’m not bothered, I just have a voice now… and I use it from time to time. Not all of the time, just time to time.”
not it giving nice nasty 😭
Positive of this trait:
having tact and knowing that silence may be better than words
Negative of this trait:
can become “nice nasty” and passive aggressive if resentment builds
What we can learn:
Don’t be a doormat, but don’t react out of ego.
It’s okay to dislike confrontation, but it’s a natural part of life and you’ll feel better once it’s productively handled.
Remain composed. It’s okay to have off days from that, but at least do your best to maintain grace.
4. Sensitively Youthful
“I have that ability to unconditionally love people, and with that ability comes a very sensitive heart.”
A hallmark of the Sweetheart Doll is how they are! This archetype is known to feel everything around them to a fault. Out of all of the archetypes, they are more centered around youthfulness and innocence. While they may outgrow childhood they don’t outgrow their feelings.
A lot of Brandy’s music centers how painful and turbulent heartbreak, betrayal, etc. can be. In an era of happy go lucky bubblegum pop and upbeat R&B, she stuck out. Many of her biggest hits cover these emotive topics, such as “Angel in Disguise”, “Almost Doesn’t Count”, “What About Us?” and more.
“How could you lie to me
After all that we've been through?
It's just so sad to see
Me in love with you, I gave you all of me
Still, it wasn't enough for you
Is this how love's s'posed to be?
Now I'm trying to get over you” -U Don’t Know Me Like You Used To
”I found it quite strange
The way you said her name
And when you look in her eyes
I see the lust you can't deny
It's more to this than what you said
'Cause in your sleep, you called her name
You say she's just a friend
I knew right then 'cause the rain began”-Angel in DisguisePeople box the Sweetheart archetype as seeing things through rose colored glasses, when really, they just digested their hardships over time and didn't present that hard exterior whilst healing to the public. While the Sweetheart experiences an array of emotions, they aren’t prisoner to them and doesn't make anyone else one either.
The vulnerability of a Sweetheart inspires everyone to be open and soft with their feelings.
I believe the first step of becoming softer to everyone else is becoming softer to yourself. A lot of people have struggled with being nicer and softer, but that’s because it starts with you. You cannot pour from an empty cup. When is the last time you felt safe? When is the last time your inner child was able to express themselves?
Truth be told you are already living a “soft life”. It’s such a popular concept right now, but this is what everyone’s missing. Looking for ways to fulfill that is useless because the answers are inside of you. Whatever way that looks like may evolve over time.
Most people, especially women of today, don't stop to ponder every facet of their being...they just go go go. The youthfulness that The Sweetheart archetype embodies is entirely due to living in the present moment and feeling those feelings in a responsible, inward manner and translating authentically outwardly.
I know everyone talks about their inner child, but I've had to realize within the past two years that moments are fleeting and ephemeral... you may never get it again. I was so used to worrying about deadlines and my future, but I didn't slow down to live until I was forced to. There's absolutely no harm in tapping into your inner child by being true to yourself.
The Sweetheart archetype inspires us to connect with the kid in us. That’s who they are, really, a person who has decided to operate in youthfulness in a modern, balanced way.
Positive of this trait:
in touch with emotions and overall more conscious of people
Negative of this trait:
can be called “too sensitive” due to people’s fear of vulnerability
What we can learn:
Living a “soft life” is within you and your birthright already.
People that call you “too sensitive” are really just looking for permission to disrespect you.
Embrace your feelings to the extent that you would want someone else to.
Keep going. Remember how far you have come, remember where you've been, and remember where you are now. Learn to love all of that.
