Toy Ads and Learning Gender
Originally posted at Feminist Frequency. Cross-posted with permission. Created for Bitch Magazine’s Mad World Virtual Symposium.
I recently watched afternoon cartoons on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network and I was shocked to find a flood of highly gendered toy commercials. These ads not only market toys to children but it also promotes and encourages gender specific values that are very limiting to boys and girls in different ways. The values and skills promoted in these commercials can play a critical role in the socalization of youth and their development of emotional expression, conflict resolution, the confidence to pursue various careers and the ability to maintain healthy relationships as adults.
Related Links and Articles:
- Read Media Literacy, an article by Cynthia Peters discussing and analyzing media literacy programs and how we need to transform them and hold the media accountable.
- The Reel Grrls remix was made by Sahar & Diana, check out more remixes made by Reel Grrls participants here.
- Reel Grrls is an amazing after school program that teaches girls and young women video making skills in a safe and encouraging environment.
- Jonathan McIntosh is pop culture hacker who facilitates workshops that promote and teach critical media literacy through the use of remix video (You might also recognize him from his viral remixes Buffy vs Edward and Right Wing Radio Duck).
- Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood is an organization whose mission it is to reclaim childhood from corporate marketers. They are a coalition of health care professionals, educators, advocacy groups, parents, and individuals who are working to stop the commercial exploitation of children
- To learn more about what “Male Identified†and “Male Dominated†means read Allan G. Johnson’s The Gender Knot and check out articles and videos on his website agjohnson.us
- Links to statistics: Open Source Developers, Video Game Developers, Advertising bans in Quebec and Sweden, Number of ads viewed by youth and amount of money spent on advertising to youth.
** This video is available to be translated into other languages by volunteers like you. Please visit the subtitling page on Universal Subtitles and click TRANSLATE to get started.
NOTE from Melanie Klein on additional articles related to gender socialization in childhood:
- Have Yourself A Very Sexist Holiday
- Scholastic Books Encourages Girls to Seek Glamour and Boys to Seek Adventure
- Step Aside, Princesses, Here Come the Boomerang Throwing Bronte Sisters
- Thinking Pink
- Gender Socialization in the Media From Childhood to Adulthood
- Sexy Girls, Sexual Boys
- Sexing Up Our Kids
- Gyrating 7-year-olds Gone Viral
- I Mean, Really?
- Toys Receiving Makeovers: New, Improved, Sexy?
- Baby Gaga: simple role playing or kiddie porn?
- Bethany Frankel Will Help Your Baby Lose Weight
- When Teachers Highlight Gender, Kids Pick Up Stereotypes
- Marketing, Media and Childhood: Research Shows Positive Images Do a World of Good
- Doll Parts: The “Barbie Executioner” Strikes Back
I’ve seen some pretty disgusting commercials targeted at children. There is one targeted at girls that I find rather disturbing (considering the girls seem to be wearing pageant quality make-up)because is marginalizes girls into growing into egocentric, self-absorbed brats. Whatever happened to becoming doctors and lawyers? Not many people actually learn about media literacy and it is something that is highly-needed in this society. This is great information.
Comment by ElizabethP — December 1, 2010 @ 6:24 pm
This is disgusting. I recently entered a Toys’R’Us to purchase a gift for my toddler niece and was so shocked by the blatant gender socialization that I left the store empty handed… I couldn’t bear to be in there for another minute. The store was divided into the “boys” and “girls” sections, which were decorated accordingly: the “boys” section was blue and black and full of all things monster trucks, wrestlers, and toy guns. The “girls” section was a pink, glittery nightmare filled with toy ovens, baby dolls, and mini strollers. No wonder women feel the pressure to become a mother. We’ve been brainwashed to do so since infancy.
Comment by Jennifer Edgerton — December 8, 2010 @ 10:42 pm
I don’t mean to be confrontational or anything, but, from an impartial perspective, I just don’t see this as sexist. I think that advertisers are not trying to keep women down and men repressed emotionally. They are simply catering to the viewer’s tastes. Most (not all) boys at that age are more interested in fighting and building than they are in cooking and taking care of babies, and at the same time, most girls of that age prefer to have toys that make them pretty, let them act like a mother or increase their popularity. That is it. Boys and girls are fundamentalism different mentally, and the advertisers are playing into that.
Comment by Adrienne — November 1, 2011 @ 2:05 pm
Appreciate you sharing, great article post. Want more.
Comment by Cassie Dee — February 19, 2012 @ 1:16 am
Teach Media Literacy Using Toy Ads
http://www.middleweb.com/4164/here-come-the-toy-ads/
Comment by Frank Baker — November 12, 2012 @ 7:22 pm