Toy catalog goes gender-neutral-- Your thoughts?

[?]

http://twentytwowords.com/2012/11/30/swe...-pictures/

"Top Toy Group, a part of the Toys “R” Us brand in Sweden, recently released their Christmas catalog. It’s garnering attention for featuring boys and girls playing with toys stereotypically reserved for the other gender. So we see both genders being domestic as well as playing war…"

[halorays]

Awesome. Toys should be gender neutral.

[ʄaçade]

That castle and knights set is only SEK* 650! (U.S. about $100). Pretty cool.


* krona

[Rowdy McFarlane]

A classic example of feminist "social engineering".

And, of course, all that it will lead to is Sweden's increasing irrelevance. Do you recall when they, or rather the Nobel Committee, gave Pres. Obama a Nobel Peace Prize for "potential", things not yet done? Such things are indicative of a culture that has lost any sense of reality and, instead, chooses to bury its head in the sand and, by sheer wishful thinking, make the world anew.

[Sophie]

I think it's a good thing. Let children decide what toys they want to play with on their own, without pressure, regardless of gender. I love how another commenter said that gender neutral is "social engineering" but somehow actively reinforcing traditional gender roles isn't. Gender neutral is the opposite of social engineering. You are letting people decide what they want to be without pressuring them in one direction or the other.

[Integration 20]

I buy my 5 year old daughter toy cars and dolls. She also like Batman and Iron Man. Superheroes were typically thought to be the domain of boys. Then she also likes Hello Kitty.

I'm not saying a support or do not support the advertisers on this. But, advertisements typically cater to how people feel and believe anyway. This is opposed to the generally accepting, though patently wrong, belief that corporations successfully convince you how to think and feel.

[marina_breeze]

I think toys should be gender-neutral. Allow them to make their own choices as long as the toys don't present a safety hazard. Why impose limits on them based on sex when they are too young to even understand any of it?

And by the way, allowing kids to choose toys they like without forcing them into a stereotypical mold is not social engineering. Please learn the definition.

My dad thought that way, and worried about my brother playing with my sister's dolls because he didn't want him to turn out gay. Guess who did turn out gay? (hint: it's probably not who you think) I think nothing is wrong with being LGBTQ, but I want to just point out that reinforcing "traditional" gender roles doesn't work the way some think it does.

[Jess]

I view it as a positive thing. Let children make their own choices instead of telling children what their interests should be.

[Timmay]

I have to disagree with Rowdy. This isn't social engineering. It's advertising, which is the most conservative of all media. Toy companies don't advertise unless there's already a market there. In the last 20 years, we have seen increasing numbers of women getting pulled into the video game market, far more movies with women heroines engaged in violent adventure like their male counterparts. As I've said before in another context, advertisers aren't out there to promote a social ideology--they're out there to PUSH PRODUCT. Nobody gives a sh-t about anyone's ideas of what is appropriate for what gender as long as the company maximizes its profits.

[Rhodanthe]

I dont see the problem. When I was a kid I always played with some of my brothers toys. It's also how I got into gaming. The people who flip out over stuff like this and seem to hate the idea of boys liking traditionally girly things and vice versa probably have issues they need to work out. Now if a parent is forcing it on their kid thats another story entirely.