About a week ago my mother and I went to Target to get a present for her god-daughter’s birthday. Her god-daughter was turning six at the time and loved the Disney princesses. So, when my mother went to the girls’ section in Target there was one word that I could use to describe every item in that aisle: pink. Everywhere we looked either one of the toys had pink on them, or the boxes did. It was funny too, because my mother and I were pointing out some of the obvious distinctions of what people were trying to tell girls what to do. Many of the toys had something to do with make-up or dresses; Things that tried to instill a fashion sense into young girls and to be self-aware as to how they look. The other thing we noted was how many items involved cooking or taking care of a baby. We knew that these items were more than just toys and that the message they harbored was about more than mere entertainment. Even though we didn’t go into the boys’ section, my memories of being in the boys’ aisle in the past gave me a good idea about what was probably in there. In that aisle, one would probably find guns, swords, action figures, and probably more things involving violence and adventure.
When I was in elementary school, the toy that many boys played with were WWE action figures. Every time I think about these action figures, the more I see how similar they are to Barbie dolls. Even some of the accessories that would come with the action figures were reminiscent of Barbie dolls, and when you regard these toys you see how they contribute to gender roles. In Target, I noticed that some of the toys where the heroine was supposed to be adventurous, they’d have mansions where they still had cooking ware and fashion accessories still accompanying them. For boys, many toys involve the action figure having some weapon and some person or animal to fight. What’s more are the colors associated with each gender: pink for girls and blue for boys. It’s upsetting to see what young girls and boys are made to think about themselves when playing with these toys. What’s more is that these toys also push how it is that they should look. Young girls tend to play with dolls who are slender, with longer hair, and the dolls are supposed to appear frail. Young boys tend to play with action figures who have short hair, are buff, and are supposed to appear aggressive. These perceptions regarding gender are why phrases such as “man up” and “hit like a girl” exist.
So long as children keep playing with toys that present a way for them to live that isn’t of their own, then they’ll constantly have trouble finding out who they want to be and finding someone to aid them in that endeavor. I’d also like to ask people who read this article to attend, watch, or read different pieces regarding gender roles and gender identity. It helps to know more about what you’ve been taught after so many years and how it is that you can understand even more so. I’d also like to ask that people don’t try to push their views on their children and fail to be there for them when they wish to pursue that goes against your own views.
