Land of Sexist Toys

[dramaqueen_23]

This morning I went to Toys R' Us (a.k.a Toysaurus) to buy a gift for my friend's daughter. I generally enjoy toy stores, because, you know...toys and stuff. But Toys R' Us..es always have this one aisle that upsets. It's like this:

Left Side Right SideCars Baby Dolls

Comments

[wraithgirl]

I hear you. I hate it too. GMinor does not like baby dolls and prefers building toys. But she is being filled with these messages on how to be a "proper" girl. It's disturbing.

This year, in which she'll turn 7, she has asked Santa for perfume and make up. It freaks me out. Fortunately, she also asked for a remote control car. It's all about balance.

It does look like some toy manufacturers are figuring it out though. Lego comes in "girl" colours too, so although the girls can still indulge in pink and purple sparkly colours, they can also build things. I noticed that you can get pink suede toolbelts too.

But yeah, I hate how Toys R Us merchandises. Your friend's daughter will love the drums. Your friend will hate you though. ;)

[sugarmommaless]

And don't forget to mention the stoopif colour coding of pink/purple = girls and red/royal blue = boys!

Argh!

[sugarmommaless]

I misspelled my misspelled version of stoopid. :(

[tinkerspink]

I know! You should see all the pink in our closet...my favourite sleeper for Bumblebee is a little blue one with a ballet slipper on it.

[starfishchick]

ARG, this is why I try to buy books, at least at DP's age, it's easy to find books that are good for EITHER sex.

[jits]

I am currently torn about this. My wee (2 year old) girl is definitely a 'girl'. Likes dressing up, playing with kitchen type toys. She also likes her ride-on car, playing with balls, and train tracks.

I was toying with the idea of getting her a dolls house for Christmas, which she'd absolutely love. And then I thought 'assigning gender roles! alert!'. And then I thought 'no she has balanced toys and I don't push these things on her, she'd like a doll's house, giving girls 'girl' toys isn't wrong'.

And then I needed a glass of wine and I put it aside for the time being.

[dramaqueen_23]

I have similar conflict in that DP is in many ways a *boy*. He's rough and tumble and loves anything with four wheels.

I'm hopeful that in the long the messages our kids absorb from observing us and other people in their lives, will have a greater influence.

I'm just a little flabbergasted to see that toy manufacturers and marketers haven't evolved AT ALL in term of gender stereotyping the 25 years since I used to play with toys.

[windwoodrose]

I read a case study where in the 70s or 80s Toys R Us as a corporation tried to make unisex aisles and their sales went down until they switched it back.