The second unit of our class is about the processes by which society socializes children into appropriate gender roles. Toys are an important part of this socialization.
Here is a post about advertising for Tonka. Do you think it matters that only boys are shown in the ad.
16 comments:
It does matter mainly because it sneaks into the socialization of every person that reads it. Children think that it's wrong for them to play with certain toys if they never see a child of the same gender playing with it. I've always been a big fan of "boys toys". I think it's unfair that toy companies would present it in this way.
is it right is it wrong...is is any better that barbie is targeted for boys or dolls for that matter. my son at three loves to vacuum does that make him less of a boy. he loves his monster trucks, his trains, all his "boy toys" but he loves his dolls, his stuffed animals, and playing with his sisters strawberry shortcakes. My daughter was the very similar....but she didn't like to vacuum. she enjoyed marbles, match box cars,building tracks, but had and still has a big doll collection. i believe it is not the job of society to teach our children what is right or wrong to play with . give them a little of both and let them decide. is tonka "right" for targeting just boys? its a marketing scheme. just like other companies targeting an audience. you don't see a bunch of adults sitting around a table eating fruit loops or coco puffs but they eat them. the commericals target kids because they know they will bug the death out of their parents to buy them. but adults eat them too. are they wrong as well....? is just marketing. simple minded society at its best.
I completely agree with what bridget said. It is all just a part of marketing. they see who they could sell the most to and target the whole marketing scheme around those people. they care more about the money. It's bad for the people that it doesnt target because then they feel like they arent allowed to have it or its not meant for them, even if this feeling is subconcious. these techniques put a damper on people in general. whether it with what they buy, jobs, etc. Its just another way gender is kept organized.
It’s not wrong if we as the consumers continue to give the manufacturing and the marketing enterprise permission. We as the consumers give in to that gender separation, differentiating what constitutes a boy toy, and what constitutes a girl toy by buying these without any fuss. We gave into the division giving the manufactures and marketers the upper hand (power). I struggle with separation and division of toys when there more likely will be a struggle in which difference has superiority. That’s when the struggle for power comes and takes the fun out of the creativity of the play. Boys are called “sissy” if they play with girl toys, and girls are called “tomboy, butch” if they play with boy toys. I refused to join the girl scouts because I wanted to join the boy scouts, just because they did more things that I thought were fun. Because I was a girl and couldn’t, I played softball instead. Playing softball was the best part of my childhood. I would not of been happy being a girl scout.
I dont think it is that big of a deal for them to advertise it for boys only, you dont see them advertising polly pockets for boys and other girlie things
When I first read this I thought: so what? Tonka targets boys, so does the Superbowl. What's the consequence of boys liking trucks? Well, they grow up to be men who drive gas guzzlers and tow things. Now, I recognize trucks as a very useful tool for doing lots of the other things that males are conditioned to do: boating, construction, moving, etc. and I'll probably buy one, but I probably won't drive it religiously.
My point is that men in our society are conditioned to seek fulfillment though a career, a toy truck, a sport, while women are empowered to create a healthy, happy home and raise a family. I read an eye-opening article that said this is why men seldom clean their rooms. It spoke volumes about my life. Since my sisters moved out I have 3 rooms in which to spend time and they are all messy, whereas my car is spotless. Though I want my room to be clean, I'm not motivated to clean it.
I was taken aback by Bridget's post when she asked if her son was less of a man for vacuuming. I thought to myself that maybe he is less of a man in the traditional sense, but a more functional person in the long run; I'm a big fan of men moving into the the "private sphere" and doing all they can around the house.
Though this advertisement is not particularly dangerous, this type of marketing could change society for the better. If only I had seen ads with little boys making their beds when I was little, maybe I'd have as clean a room as my car.
~Chris R
P.S. about what Gale Marie said about the Girl Scouts: the Boy Scouts is one of the greatest things that's happened in my life and I think The GS needs to be equal. I have a friend who used to be in a Girl Scout troop which was only an excuse to let girls go backpacking and whitewater rafting. :-)
Right on Bridget! I agree with Bridget, we the parents can buy both kinds of toys and let them choose to play with one or both. I think the reason the marketing strategy is the way it is, is because of the consumers. Maybe some parents don't think further into the situation and are accepting of the fact that the toy manufacturers will choose what toy is meant for their child. It happens even at McDonald's when you ask for a happy meal and you get "for a boy or a girl?" I answer "it doesn't matter!" I want my children to use their imagination and not be limited.
I don't think it matters. There are advertisements just the same for girls toys. Marketing companies, like others have said, are trying to target a specific group and in this situation its boys because they feel they can sell more trucks to boys than girls. Those notions stem from market research and previous sales.
I also agree with Chris. Boy scouts was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I really wish girl scouts were equal, important life lessons are learned in scouting. If America thinks about the girl scouts like Gale Marie thinks about girl scouts, doesnt something need to be changed?
I believe this ad is a perfect example of the kind of advertising we need to eliminate. There is no reason why toy trucks can not be marketed so they appeal to all children. I have a five year old god daughter who turns 6 next friday and for her birthday she said she wants a monster truck. I think it is great that she shows an interested in many different things. I would hate for her to see an ad like this and decide she no longer wants a toy truck because she thinks they are "boy toys." We need to encourage our children to explore whatever it is that they are interested in. Instead of forcing them to be interested in "gender apporiate" things.
I think it is completely wrong, but that is how this country runs. It aims it products toward the people that will buy them. This country is not worried about gender sterotyping they are worried about making that dollar. A good thing is there are not only toy companies specific for boys there are also toy companies specific for girls. For example, Barbies.
I saw the actual commercial this past week and the "mom" says "boys are built different". The reason they are built different is because of the parent, they are letting boys be more rowdy (whatever the child was doing in the commercial) and not the girls. Will the next parent encourage the girls do the same as the boy in the commercial and then say "children, they're built different". I think there is an equal blame to the parents and toy manufacturers because of supply and demand. It's what our professor was telling us to do, look beyond what they are telling us to do, question what's on t.v. Whether it's what a commercial is trying to sell us or the news informing us of a story. We can sit on our couches and say oh yeah that's a great toy for my son or hey why can't my daughter play with that even if they say it's for boys.
It matters if you, as a parent, sybling, aunt, uncle, etc., make it matter. But if a child sees the ad, and sees only boys, it will put a certain notion that boys should play with it. However, those who care for a child should let them know it's okay to play with whatever toy they want. I'm glad I waited to comment on this because yesterday I got home and my nephew, who is 2, just got his first doll. It was a little rollerskating girl from McDonalds. He loved it and wanted to play with it more than his football or truck. Surprisingly my father said something along the lines of why didn't you get him a G.I. Joe. His mom and I plainly said, he can play with whatever he wants. My nephew, to this point, has been raised with "boy toys", and still he likes the doll. It's fun to him. He doesn't yet realize that society does put standards. Luckily his parents don't push things on him. As for Tonka ads, among others, they reach for their target buyers, and most are over 4 so the children are already gender socialized.
Yes it matters that only boys are shown in the advertisment because now more boys are likely to want it because they have seen other boys playing with it.Its the same thing as putting only girls in barbie commericals. Girls want barbies because they see other girls playing with it. That and society has said that boys play with cars and trucks and girls play with barbies. This is just another example of how things are so gendered based in our society
i think it is crazy that even at such a young age, the little girl is becoming conditioned to boy vs. girl. I mean not that i am a pink back pack wearing kinda guy, but i like the fact that i have the choice. I mean, boys and girls should be able to play with whatever as long as it makes them happy. I know that when i have kids, i will do the best to teach them they can do whatever they want and not worry about gender stereotypes, but its just hard.
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