(Untitled)

[yubsie]

Things that make me sad:

We were at McDonald's yesterday. They have gendered toys for Happy Meals this month. Now, almost invariably the "boy" toy is infinitely cooler than the "girl" toy, but this time it went even further than usual. Girls are apparently supposed to get Strawberry Shortcake.

Boys get freaking STAR WARS.

Comments

[stormkpr]

The gendering of toys in this society is out of control.

And it's especially bad when we don't get Star Wars.

[yubsie]

There's really absolutely no reason Star Wars couldn't be a gender neutral month. Have they learned nothing from the story of little Katie and her water bottle? (Though really, the boys' toy has always been more interesting. My mother spent a lot of time telling clerks she had three boys because my sister and I would get jealous if our brother got a toy that did stuff and we were stuck with a doll)

[yubsie]

... there is a certain appeal to the costume plan.

[nixmom]

WTF!?!?!?
Getting my keys and my daughter and going to McDonalds. Two happy meals please! Strawberry Shortcake is pussies, give me a damn jedi!

[yubsie]

There are lightsabers! Why do they think girls want a doll that doesn't do anything when they could get light up lightsabers?

[utah_yoda]

I have two girls, so don't get me started on the gendered happy meal toys. They only get kids meals when Grandma is buying, anyway, and last week they got Transformers toys that light up. My MIL was furious; "Why would they give boy toys to girls?" Since it was her birthday, I decided not to verbally tear her head off. I should probably send a thank-you not to the employee for giving my kids the cooler toy.

[yubsie]

My coworkers would tease me because I would trip over my tongue asking parents which toy it should be by the full names rather than just "Would you like a boy toy or a girl toy?". I figured even if my mother hadn't spent years telling order takers that she had three boys rather than two girls and a boy, the mere fact that it was the "boy" toy we were opening up to play with in the break room was a hint that a lot of girls would probably prefer it too.

And I would get very annoyed when they'd say "girl toy" only to have their daughter inform me that she would prefer the other toy. I did not ask them whether their child was a boy or a girl, I asked which toy she wanted.

[seryan]

You are awesome. I approve of this action.

[yubsie]

I knew full well there were a lot of girls who didn't want a stupid doll that you couldn't even change the clothes on, thereby limiting her role in any story.

[seryan]

You'd think/wish/hope that by now there'd be LESS gender-specific nonsense. Instead I could almost be certain there's MORE.

[yubsie]

I'm pretty sure that when I was a kid, the gendered toy thing was once a year for Hot Wheels/Barbie.

Of course, that's the other thing. When they do the gendered toys, there's a HUGE variety for what they'll do for the boy toy, but the girl toy is always some sort of doll.