It's Christmas, time to reinforce those gender roles!
by Jess McCabe // 10 December 2008, 10:42
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Anj Green // Posted 10 December 2008 at 15:37
Working in a supermarket, I had a thoroughly depressing morning the other day doing price changes on the toys aisle. Topped off by having trouble finding the cooker, iron and pots and pans sets only to finally discover them just a little around the gorner IN THE GIRL'S UNDER THREE SECTION!
The boy's section? Yeah, pretty much just punching things. Of course, try to explain your heavy grimace with a mini CalmRant(tm) about how heavily gendered the section is and sit back to bask in the glow of the genuine belief that girls do laundry and practice make-up in the womb.
Rosalind // Posted 10 December 2008 at 16:29
I remember going to see Father Christmas in department stores as a child. My mum would always be annoyed that me and my brother had to pick our presents from different piles. It did make me think (or would have if my mother wasn't constantly challenging it) that the "fun" toys were just for boys. It's hard when an authority figure like Father Christmas is reinforcing these gendered stereotypes even if parents try to avoid it, I think it's a hard struggle.
Tei Tetua // Posted 10 December 2008 at 19:08
What's been puzzling me for a while is--when did angels start being female? I mean, in the Old Testament they could actually be pretty muscular. Now a guy wouldn't be caught dead with white wings on. Funny how things change.
Ruth Moss // Posted 11 December 2008 at 11:57
Puts me in mind of this F word entry from a while back:
http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog/2008/07/lauredhels_toyc
The "Bechdel Test" but for toy catalogues - what a fabulous idea!
maggie // Posted 11 December 2008 at 19:18
Okay. We have an icky central heating system. Sometimes it's cold in the morning. The other day my son got up and was 'freezing'. I gave him the dressing gown that my youngest daughter had when she was his age. It's white with pink flowers on. He wanted my dressing gown which is blue and fluffy but obviously would be too big for him.
I asked him did he want a new one like mum's for Christmas. He said yes but he wanted it in PINK.
It's his favourite colour.
PINK.
I'm going to buy him one. As a present from Mum and Dad. And yes my partner is all for it.