Wow.

[sdwolfpup]

So the 'girl' version of board games thing goes deeper than I initially thought. I was compelled today (by this blog post, via cofax7) to look at the games more in-depth to see if there were any actual differences in the games themselves or were they just pinked up, which is what I had assumed. I was wrong. So very, very wrong

Comments

I do not envy...

[themadblonde]

some of the guiding you will have to do for the puplet as he grows, but @ least you can give him some perspective. & make sure he knows how to do laundry.

Re: I do not envy...

[sdwolfpup]

I will certainly do my best! Right now I'm just focusing on diapers and sleep, because the rest is just so big. I feel like everyone should know how to do laundry, regardless of what sex you are. Heh.

Absolutely!

[themadblonde]

laundry, simple cooking & cleaning, balancing & budgeting, & basic car maintenance for BOTH sexes. My friend is raising a boy & a girl & she has a list of things they BOTH need to learn before they go off to college. Not sure how she's going to teach them to clean, though. ;-)

Re: Absolutely!

[sdwolfpup]

Yes! Those are the keys to a basic modern American life. I took both Home Ec and Autoshop in high school and they were both equally useful. (Auto shop was more fun, though, because we got to get dirty and then one day we got to flip a car. Good times!)

[gwyn_r]

As a girl who loves pink and purple, and shopping, and flowers and butterflies, I HEREBY DISAVOW ALL KNOWLEDGE OF THESE PEOPLE. Because I also love brown and red and blue and green and playing with dinosaurs and tools and little green soldiers and do not wear jewelry.

THESE ARE NOT MY PEOPLE!

[sdwolfpup]

Right? I mean, I actually have come around to like pink on its own (and because I look good in it, heh) and I've always liked purple and butterflies and I had unicorn posters in my room growing up - but I really did not EVER need my Monopoly to use MALLS instead of HOTELS. UGH.

[gwyn_r]

I feel the need to go work with some heavy duty tools and wear primary colors just to CLEANSE my SOUL

[sdwolfpup]

Aw, good for your dad!

When we separate these things into just boys and just girls and perpetuate these notions, we take away the options kids have to grow into their own ideas of what they like -- if boys like the pink and purple versions of a game, they're faggy, and if girls want to play with little green soldiers, they're tomboys.

Yes! This is a perfect articulation of why it bothers me. Thank you.

Though, as you say, at least we have the option to make these choices. I'm grateful for my First World problems and all that.

[brynnmck]

I also believe that people should be able to like whatever they want. If a girl loves pink and shopping and those 'stereotypical' girl things, that's totally fine, and I wish her the best with her pink Monopoly.

Right, totally. But the problem is the implication that ALL girls like this stuff (or should). If it was the "pastel version" or the "shopping edition," it wouldn't have NEARLY the same connotations. This is saying girl = shopping and pink and butterflies and "who's going to text me next", and implying that girl ≠ all those other things that the classic versions of the games have always included, AND (as you said) it's implying all that shit from a very young age, and THAT is what is not cool. Plus, by extension, then all the versions of those games that are NOT specifically for girls are then... not for girls? The whole thing is just fucked.

[sdwolfpup]

Ah, yes, thank you for articulating my problem with it much better than I could. That's EXACTLY the issue. That it's labeled as 'for girls' and thus a)everything else is for boys and that girls are ONLY interested in these things.

This is why I keep you around. You're the smarter version of me. Hee. ♥

[brynnmck]

HA. That is a blatant and filthy lie, but I am glad you keep me around anyway. ♥ ♥ ♥ (Plus I know you really keep me around because Dude On Fire would COLLAPSE without me.)

[sdwolfpup]

Excuse me, but I AM Dude On Fire. Have you seen my HAT?

[stoney321]

We have a constant tongue in cheek joke in our house about how we can't buy stuff unless it's in "a lady color!" And we say it with bright, vapid expressions.

And then my girls tighten the laces on their black Converse and climb trees. :)

[sdwolfpup]

Heeee. I hope they're only climbing PINK trees, Stoney!

[stoney321]

I planted tutu ballerina trees and I decorate them with Manolo Blahniks and jewelry! Math is hard... Why can't every day be chick flick and ice cream day? *chin on fists*

[spectralbovine]

Man, this shit is out of control. They replaced Chance and Community Chest with Instant Messaging and Text Messaging, WHAT? How does that even make sense?

I still want Clinical Trial Monopoly.

[sdwolfpup]

It doesn't make sense! At all!

I'm surprised they don't have that type of Monopoly. They have everything else, including college team specific ones, which surprised me. I don't know why I constantly am surprised by the things corporations do to make money, but I am!

[spectralbovine]

Oh, they do have Clinical Trial Monopoly! Which is why I want it. For kicks.