Strawberry Shortcake is getting dolled up for a new generation. American Greetings, the owner of this berry ’80s icon (the very first scented doll), has revamped her ragamuffin look, opting for something a bit more Bratz. Judging the character’s new appearance as recently featured in The New York Times, this Miss Shortcake is something of a tart.

AG describes the franchise’s Fall 2009 reboot (the latest in a series of tries) as a “fruit-forward” makeover. Parents concerned about child obesity, please note: There won’t be much, if any, emphasis on the more dessert-centric dolls. So long, Lemon Meringue. Wouldn’t want some hunger-crazed youngster to mistake you for the not-so-nutritious snack. (Aren’t such critical thinking skills what No Child Left Behind was designed to remedy?)

My neighbor had quite the collection of Strawberry Shortcake stuff. The dolls themselves weren’t much of a draw for me, though their scented hair was the mane attraction. I did covet the various playsets made to match the characters (boys like building towns, and my brothers and I had buckets of Legos). During the height of the Strawberry Shortcake’s popularity, over 25 million dolls and 35 million accessories were sold, and I’m pretty sure Jennifer’s stash accounted for nearly half of that.

I welcome the return of such classic characters, candy-coated nostalgia at play or not. While some are skeptical of the all-new Strawberryland, this time the Peculiar Purple Pie Man may not be to blame for what could berry well be a half-baked attempt. The dastardly baker (Strawberry Shortcake’s nemesis) might be too sweet to meet nutritional guidelines.