Mottos of the supposed boys toys were things like "the army will stop at nothing to control the world" and "those who conquer act: those who are conquered think". The first quote is pretty much saying that violence is the answer and violence will continue to occur until the entire world is violent ( at least thats what I make of it). The second quote is basically saying that in order to dominate or take control one cannot think, and thinking makes you weak or "conquered". The supposed girl toys have sayings like "Don't forget to stop at the makeup shop". Little girls shouldn't be pressured to wear make up. They should be secure about their own appearance.
Hoffman says that with toys aimed at girls "the focus is on being popular with boys". I can't say I disagree with her. Those "girl aisles" and filled with hair accessories, makeup, glitter, jewelry, clothes, etc. Why would they want to look that way? These toys make it look like in order to be good enough to boys, general people, and even themselves.
Hoffman says that "the girls section does not have many board games that stimulate creative thinking or require higher-order reasoning". She says that the highest level of thinking in the form of toys were coloring books and travel games. The boys section however, according to Hoffman, had plenty of science kits, brain teasers, etc. This possibly suggests that the toy companies only want girls to focus on toys that enhance their beauty or prepare them for being housewives while the boys go out into the world as smart, creative thinkers. What's wrong with this picture?
When Hoffman was looking that the educational toys she tried to find a box that had a girl on the cover. She says that she endlessly looked down the aisles desperately trying to find at least one girl representing an educational toy. She found a box on the very top shelf that caught her eye. She couldn't see the whole thing fully because it was up so high so she asked a store employee to take it down for her. She says that "for one joyous moment I thought I had found a female... the boy on the back panel just long hair". This makes me think about how there is a stereotype for some girls being dumb and only concentrating on their appearance. Well, its toys like these that teach girls to act that way. They grow up thinking that they're only good for providing to men and looking hot.
All my theories are very questionable and arguable. Feel free to comment with questions, arguments, or even appreciation.
4 comments:
I responded to your comment about my "sexist" post.
The post was actually a jest towards a megafeminist friend of mine!
I don't believe any of it, but I got a good laugh from it!
In response to this article I would like to counter your argument that the toys change girls.
I propose the notion that the perhaps human mind contains many characteristics that have been present since pre-human times, and such characteristics still present themselves in the human mind. What I am describing is basically an appendix like trait(in that it had a function at one time but no longer has a purpose but still remains) in our minds.
An example of one of these traits is the complex found in males called "the oedipus complex". Perhaps the fear of not being pretty enough is just one of these traits in females?
This is all just my speculation and I have not researched or tested my hypothesis.
Jacob
Jacob, I'm glad that you're not REALLY a sexist.
"Perhaps the fear of not being pretty enough is just one of these traits in females?"
The thing about that is how did females get that way? You see, I don't think that its genetics or something they're born with. I think that when grow up being conditioned into believing that they must. Thanks for the comments.
Your welcome, I find this topic interesting and I'll follow the progress.
And to rebut the argument that this behavior is caused by environmental and not genetic causes.
Logic states that all things that happen have a cause.
If the idea of not being pretty enough isn't a natural emotion,why do the toys that teach the message of "your not good enough" exist if this isn't a feeling people get naturally?
Basically either the toys are natural occurances that are not caused by behavior but shape it... Or the behaviour is a natural occurance and it is not caused by the toys but cause the toys to be how they are....
and since toys are a result of our born psyche's desire to emulate things in a playful manner, logically my hypothesis IS the logical answer.
Of course logic only works 100% when 100% of the variables are known, and if i forgot something i could easily be wrong.
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