Pokemon -- Boy Toys?
Hi everyone! I've been a lurker here for a while, but this is my first post in this awesome community.
Basically, I have a bit of a rant about McDonald's, and I'd like to hear everyone's opinions on this matter.
I do not eat at McDonald's, but my brother heard that they were giving away Pokemon Happy Meal toys, and he decided that he wanted to go and order a Happy Meal (yes, he's technically an adult, but who can say no to Pokemon toys?). When he went to order his meal, he was asked if he would like a "boy toy" or a "girl toy". I am so proud of my brother, because he decided to explain to the person at the register that Pokemon is not a boy specific toy (the "girl toy" was apparently some kind of doll -- not Barbie).
I heard about this incident a few days later, and was outraged. I'm happy that my brother thought to argue against it, but it saddens me that McDonald's would try to make Pokemon a gender oriented item. In my mind, Pokemon -- as a video game, tv show, and trading card series has always been extremely gender neutral. In the recent games, it has even been one of the few games on the market where you can choose to play as a male or female character!
I went to The Happy Meal Website and was even more saddened and angered to find that they actually specify on the website that Pokemon is a "boy toy". If you go to the link you will see that it actually says "Boy Toy" in the bar at the top of the browser when you're viewing the Pokemon page.
This is, of course, an age old battle -- little girls who like to play with Hot Wheels cars have always had to tell cashiers at McDonald's that they would rather have a "boy toy" than a barbie. I am just even more saddened that a game that goes out of its way to be appealing to both genders is flippantly labeled as a basically boy-only item.
What do you girls (and open-minded guys) think about this?
Basically, I have a bit of a rant about McDonald's, and I'd like to hear everyone's opinions on this matter.
I do not eat at McDonald's, but my brother heard that they were giving away Pokemon Happy Meal toys, and he decided that he wanted to go and order a Happy Meal (yes, he's technically an adult, but who can say no to Pokemon toys?). When he went to order his meal, he was asked if he would like a "boy toy" or a "girl toy". I am so proud of my brother, because he decided to explain to the person at the register that Pokemon is not a boy specific toy (the "girl toy" was apparently some kind of doll -- not Barbie).
I heard about this incident a few days later, and was outraged. I'm happy that my brother thought to argue against it, but it saddens me that McDonald's would try to make Pokemon a gender oriented item. In my mind, Pokemon -- as a video game, tv show, and trading card series has always been extremely gender neutral. In the recent games, it has even been one of the few games on the market where you can choose to play as a male or female character!
I went to The Happy Meal Website and was even more saddened and angered to find that they actually specify on the website that Pokemon is a "boy toy". If you go to the link you will see that it actually says "Boy Toy" in the bar at the top of the browser when you're viewing the Pokemon page.
This is, of course, an age old battle -- little girls who like to play with Hot Wheels cars have always had to tell cashiers at McDonald's that they would rather have a "boy toy" than a barbie. I am just even more saddened that a game that goes out of its way to be appealing to both genders is flippantly labeled as a basically boy-only item.
What do you girls (and open-minded guys) think about this?