Your prejudice has nothing to do with reality

[kattahj]

So, Swedish magazine company Egmont have started two new magazines for children. Their press release states:

Emma is a peppy, fun, and activating magazine for girls 6-9 years old. It's full of crafts and girly stuff, with a focus on creativity and knowledge in a charming and happy way

Comments

[irmelin]

I just got so very tired when I read about this the other day. And that interview on svt.se... It's a question of interpretation whether the magazines are marketed for boys and girls... Really?

I was interested in football and crafts when I was a kid. So were most of my friends, boys and girls. Crafts weren't that glittery back that, were they? It was all about glue! Glue is awesome!

[kattahj]

It's a question of interpretation whether the magazines are marketed for boys and girls... Really?

Well, because when they say "for boys", they don't actually mean for boys, they just mean... no, I don't get it.

Crafts weren't that glittery back that, were they?

I don't know, but legos certainly weren't! I'm all puzzled by lego nowadays, it's all gender divided and you can only build pre-decided things (with less actual building for the girls). Thank God Playmobil is still recognizable.

[irmelin]

I hate lego nowadays with a passion. You're right, it's all pre-decided things! And the parts for those things are absolutely worthless. I mean, you can't build that thing once, take it apart, and then build something else of it. They're so specific!

And tricky! I was babysitting a five-year-old, and we were building one of those lego trucks. 8 pages of instructions! And if you got one tiny thing wrong, the whole thing went to hell. In what world is that fun or inspiring?

[kattahj]

The kids do still play with it - but they also play with the more modifiable stuff from 30-40 years ago, and have just as much fun. In what way would this have been better with pre-decided parts, you know?

[therru]

My little nephew loves (or at least used to) playing with beads and stuff. He also really likes Hello Kitty.

[kattahj]

Yeah. My oldest nephew was all about princesses for a while, and my second-oldest (to other parents) really likes Barbie dolls. But I don't have any stats on those interests, and while statistics may be "damn lies" I trust them a tad more than anecdotes, so I concentrated on that bit.

[therru]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean it as conclusive proof of anything.

[kattahj]

No, no, I just meant, yes, I recognize your experience, and I was mostly making excuses for not having included that aspect in my entry.

[kattahj]

I taught some kids how to fold boxes the other week. Believe me, the boys took to it just as much as the girls did.

But no, of course there can't be any overlap in children's magazines, and a gender neutral one would never last... say since 1892...