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Posts from the ‘Other’ Category

Feb 3

Easy Bake Oven

When I was growing up one of the toys I wanted most was the Hasbro Easy Bake Oven. The first Easy Bake Oven was produced in 1963 and newer and more improved versions have been constantly produced ever since. I remember seeing commercial after commercial on all of my favorite television channels showing little girls baking in the kitchen with their moms using the Easy Bake Oven. I think one of the reasons why the Easy Bake Oven was so alluring to me was that after so many years of observing my mom cook, I too could now learn to cook with a toy specifically designed for girls my age.

While reading Gary Cross’ article “Modern Children, Modern Toys,” I thought about the Easy Bake Oven in reference to toys geared towards gender rolls. In the article, Cross says, “Parents certainly expected playthings that imitated current adult roles. Not surprisingly, toys were primarily sex-stereotyped miniatures of contemporary adult tools and work settings” (Cross, 24). Although Cross is referring to toys in the 19th Century, it is apparent that modern toys sold today also seem to be sex-stereotyped. In most of the Easy Bake Oven advertisements that I can recall, there are only girls and their mothers using the toy. Also, while many of my friends that were girls were lucky enough to have the Easy Bake Oven, I knew of no boys who had nor wanted one.

Initially when reading Cross’ article the idea of sex-stereotyped toys designed to teach children conventional adult roles seemed like an ancient idea so far away from what we teach children today. However, when looking closer at advertisements and the popular toys that girls and boys play with, it is apparent that gender roles are still engrained in the marketing of modern popular toys.

Below is a commercial for the Easy Bake Oven. It should be noted that the most liked comment (77 likes) on the YouTube video is from user Z33Z11 who says, “i was disappointed when my dad said it was a girl toy but i snuck and used my sisters at night.”

Feb 3

The Big Comfy Couch

Ever since I was a child, one of my favorite shows was The Big Comfy Couch. I distinctly remember I loved the show so much that my parents even bought me the doll Molly, the sidekick, which was priced around $19.99. Every day I would sit on my couch and pretend that I was sitting on “The Big Comfy Couch” with Molly sitting right next to me. The Big Comfy Couch was aired from 1992 to 2006 and was a Canadian children’s television series. Cheryl Wagner created this television series about Loonette the Clown and her doll Molly, who solve their everyday problems on this big comfy couch. Each episode focused on a different aspect of movement that children were encouraged to partake in, such as stretching, jumping, or dancing.

The Big Comfy Couch on Treehouse TV

In Gary Cross’s article entitled, “Modern Childhood, Modern Toys” he discussed how gender had a tremendous affect on the toys presented to either young boys or young girls during that time. He says, “Girls’ playthings were almost exclusively dolls and their accessories” (49). This was presented in the show The Big Comfy Couch by the doll Molly which appealed to young girls. It showed that a doll can be your best friend, which was represented by the relationship between Loonette, the clown, and Molly.

Through the continued watching the television show every day, seeing the Big Comfy Couch started to become a routine. Whenever the afternoon rolled over, my mother would always know to turn on the television for me. Just as in Gary Cross’s article, he says, “Toys did not cease serving the needs and imagination of adults, but they began meeting adults’ ideas about the needs of children” (47). Therefore, my mother knew what had then interested me, and through modern technology it became a source for parents, like my own, to entertain their children.

Feb 3

No Ruffles!

Girly Lego figure.

When I was eight years old I was the flower girl at my Aunt’s wedding. It was all fun and games through the rehearsal and doing my hair. It was all fun and games until they brought in the dress.

I slumped down to the floor, pulling my favorite move, “no bones”. I kicked my feet, and slammed my fists into anyone who came at me with the giant ruffly puff of fabric.

The wedding was delayed by an hour.

I was an eight year old girl, whose girl friends played with barbies and their mother’s high heels, while I through my barbies into the fan and chose the woods with the boys instead.

Even with all the progress in equality for race, sex and orientation, there are still gender roles that play a big part in raising a child. It is seen everywhere, Disney princesses, Comic Book movies and now even Legos.

With the release of Lego’s new “Lego Friends”, came a backlash of 50,000 petitioners saying enough is enough.

A letter from Callie the ten year old daughter of Melissa Wardy, who started the Pigtail Pals clothing line directed towards breaking the gender role standards, states “There are plenty of smart and creative girls out there eager to play with Legos. Do you want that to be ruined, by giving th

em only a beauty salon to create?” 

As a former tom boy, who still plays with my brother’s Star Wars lego set, the idea of distinguishing a difference between the “boy” and “girl” way to play with what are basically glorified building blocks with endless possibilities is RIDICULOUS.

Feb 3

Nintendo Game Boy(Girl)

As a child growing up in the ’90s, I spent the majority of my free time grasping my Game Boy as if it were the only thing of value in my life. Introduced to the U.S. in 1989, Nintendo’s Game Boy quickly became popular among kids of all ages who enjoyed the convenience of playing video games anywhere, anytime, with this hand-held creation.  The original Game Boy was released at a price of $89.99 and ran on 4 AA batteries that provided hours of playing time; in 2003, Nintendo ceased production of the original Game Boy and other portable gaming consoles have since taken its place.

 

Nintendo Game Boy Commercial from the late ’80s; uploaded to YouTube in 2006.

The Game Boy was something that kept me entertained for hours on end; I was constantly distracted by challenges and quests to save Princess Peach in Super Mario Bros. games and easily frustrated at my inability to complete all levels of Tetris.  All the games I had for my Game Boy had masculine undertones (Super Mario Bros., Pac-Man, Dr. Mario), and the console itself indicates that it’s a game for boys.  It’s highly apparent that this toy was meant to expand the adventures of young boys across the nation.  Regardless, this had no effect on me.  I didn’t see the Game Boy as strictly for boys, nor was I ever subjected to having to borrow my male cousin’s Game Boy because I didn’t have my own (I had three, actually).   In this way, I was one among a number of girls who were not restricted by the social construct that girls should play with dolls, exclusively, and boys should play with video games, exclusively.   I think because it was late in the 20th-century, the belief that “boys’ and girls’ toys reflected conventional work roles and the tools that went with them,” was becoming slightly irrelevant (Cross, pg. 49).  Both boys and girls were more interested in toys that entertained and challenged them personally, and less in toys that were specifically geared towards their gender.

Feb 3

American Girl Dolls

Molly, American Girl Doll

As a child, I loved playing with my American Girl Dolls. I loved dressing them for different occasions, making up stories about them, taking them everywhere I went, etc… When I was little there were only about 8 staple American Girl Dolls: Felicity, Addy, Molly, Kit, Josephina, Kaya, Samantha, and Kirsten. Each girl represented a certain time period or historical event. For example, Molly was my first American Girl Doll, and her story was set in America during World War II. The Dolls were each about $125, which included the doll, her book, and her accessories. The American Girl Corporation is still producing new dolls today, and they have now started making dolls that you can personalize to look exactly like you.

When we discussed the articles from the 1920s in class, the article my group read was about how American toys were seen as more practical, while the European toys were meant to be whimsical. I believe this still to be true when addressing the American Girl Dolls. These dolls were not only fun for girls to carry around and play with their friends, but they were educational as well. Each doll also comes with a book that tells her full story in their specific time period. My friends and I collected the dolls and shared the books so we could read about the other dolls we didn’t have. The books taught us about the different time periods and historical events that each doll was supposed to have lived in. They ranged from Molly’s World War II story to Addy’s Civil War slave story to Kaya’s Native American history.

These dolls also play a role in developing gender roles for girls. Clearly, these dolls were marketed towards young girls and not boys. It could be argued that these dolls taught the young girls how to care for others. The dolls also came with clothes for different occasions you could change them in to, such as gym clothes, sleeping clothes, and various party clothes. These dolls teach girls to take care of and protect others, instilling mothering instincts into the girls’ soon-to-be adult responsibilities.

Feb 3

Toy Horses

Plastic Toy Horse

As Gary Gross said “parents expected playthings that imitated current adult roles. [1]” With this mentality, there is no doubt why growing up with a farming father I was showered with agriculture animal toys. My favorite ones to play with were the plastic toy horses. With them, I would imitate everything my father would do in real life. I pretended to feed them by laying them on the grass so they could eat or dipping their head in the water so they could drink.

To me the rocking horse was pure amusement, but its creation was intended to provide additional benefits. Dating as far back as the 17th century, where King Charles I of England rode one as a child, toy horses were used to advance child development. The rocking horse would provide a form of exercise that helped build balance and coordination in the child. Additionally, it embedded in them the basic skills of riding a horse-mounting, proper seating and riding, holding on, dismounting. The model horse became so popular, adults practiced their use as well. Knights in the Middle Ages rode on wheeled horses to improve their jousting techniques just like children practiced their riding skills on rocking ones[2]. Unknowingly, I was gaining more than enjoyment out of my toy horses. I was improving my physical skills and preparing for the future role I was to hold in the farm. If I showed I could took good care of my toy horses, it displayed I had the knowledge required to take care of a real horse.

Georgian Rocking Horse Hall Museum Washington USA

Initially, the rocking horse was made of materials such as barrel,  wood and cloth[3]. Due to the abundance of the material, the rocking horses were very affordable. Rich and poor alike could own one. For this reason, it became such a popular toy everywhere. Today toy horses are still abundant and being created in additional materials such as plastic, metal, and glass. Unlike the old days where the rocking horse was simply the bareback figure of the horse, today they closely resemble the real ones by being equipped with saddles, horseshoes, and riders gear. Children now are more prepared than ever to learn everything necessary to become great horse owners.

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[1]  Cross, Gary. Kids’ Stuff.  Cambridge, Massachusetts, and London: Harvard University Press, 1997 (pg49) 
[2] “The History of the Rocking Horse.” Casam LLC, Tampa, 2012
[3] Rolo, Jeffrey. “History of the Rocking Horse.” Alpha Horse, 2011

Feb 3

Jane Austen’s Fight Club

Hey everyone!

 Just thought I would share this funny video with you all considering the debate about Fight Club and its content being male vs female appropriate. I find it hilarious that it is almost word for word from the actual Fight Club trailer.

 

Jane Austen’s Fight Club – watch more funny videos

 

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