After recently reading an article on www.cracked.com entitled “15 Unintentionally Perverted Toys for Children,” I was horrified at the idea that some of the toys on the list were ever put on the market. The article explains and shows pictures of toys that are overly sexualized and very inappropriate for young children. Some of the toys also promote ideas about gender, as the sexualized aspect of them makes children of certain sexes feel they must identify with a certain gender.
One of the toys presented on the list is called “Growing Up Skipper,” a doll produced by Mattel that “was supposed to be Barbie’s little sister”. The doll grows taller and her breasts increase in size when her arm is turned around. This is supposed to be representative of puberty, but poses problems since it is only marketed towards young girls. This can be determined by the pink packaging and feminine clothing accessories that come along with the doll. This reinforces the norm that girls should play with dolls, while boys should be focusing their attention on something else. If a young boy were to pick up the doll, it would be going against social norms because the doll portrays a developed female body. Many parents would be frowned upon for giving a young boy this doll, and the boy might be seen as strange if he enjoys playing with it or shows any interest in appearing similar to it. Girls who want to look like their dolls, however, are not seen as strange. Some dolls even come in packages that provide makeup for the doll and the same makeup for the person who owns it. This marketing towards genders not only promotes stereotypes, but shows the fear that our culture has of different sexes identifying with other body types.
The “Batman Water Gun,” which is also described on the list, is marketed primarily to boys since it comes in dark colors and portrays very masculine themes. This water gun also promotes ideas of the body, as batman appears to be very muscular and strong. Thus, boys who pick up this toy are meant to identify with batman’s body type and strive to achieve it. This poses problems once again, as boys who might not feel inclined to look that way feel excluded. It would also be interesting to see the reactions that would occur if a young girl were to pick up the toy and associate with it or its body type more than she does with her dolls. I do not think that young girls are given as much pressure to follow gender roles as boys, because “tomboys” do not seem to face any discrimination while effeminate boys do. However such toys still help to create gender roles early on, which is just as significant a problem as the sexualization of such toys.
Finally, after reading this article, I began to wonder whether or not all the toys were truly “unintentionally perverted”. It seems plausible that sexualization of toys could be just another outlet for companies to promote ideas about gendered bodies. While such toys might appear to merely promote ideas about the body, they also potentially make those who do not identify with their “proper” body feel very excluded or confused.
It seems to me that the "Growing Up Skipper" doll is especially egregious because it also shows little girls that "growing up" is all about physical changes. Girls who may aspire to be like their super-feminine Barbie dolls are also learning that all you need to do to be a woman is to grow breasts. This doll is truly the ultimate objectification of women.
ReplyDelete