This picture, featuring my baby sister Charlotte, is meant to depict the stark differences between toys advertised to girls and toys advertised to boys. Charlotte is seen holding a doll (a toy typically advertised to girls), with a toy gun (an unloaded cap gun belonging to my brother, which is a perfect example of a toy typically advertised to boys) draped across her lap. Charlotte's pink and "girly" outfit perfectly matches her doll, who is wearing pink. Dolls are used to teach girls how to be caregivers, which is a prime example of gender socialization. Guns, on the other hand, are often used to teach boys how to play "war" and engage in violent play. The gun Charlotte is holding contrasts strongly with her stereotypically girly outfit and doll, further proving that guns are a "boys' toy." Both dolls and guns can be seemingly harmless toys, but they can also send problematic messages in that little girls are taught that their role is to be a caregiver whether or not that's what they want (as a young girl, you tend to receive countless Barbies and baby dolls on your birthday), while guns encourage play which could turn violent and lead to further violence. Although Charlotte is surrounded by an array of toys, I chose the picture in which she is holding two stereotypically gendered toys, because it shows the contrast so clearly.
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This picture is a spectacular example of the issue surrounding gender stereotyped toys. I could tell immediately upon first glance what the message was being conveyed. Charlotte, in this image, has become the iconic version of a stereotypical little girl. She is clad in a white baby onesie that is adorned with pink flowers, accompanied by a pink tutu, and a pink flower hair bow. The blanket she’s sitting on is pink, decorated with little monkeys, and even though the pillow behind her is blue, it is still decorated with what appears to be a characteristic feminine pattern. These are all typical things that a little girl would be expected to wear and be seen with, so it is immediately expected of her to only play with dolls despite her not even appearing to be old enough to walk. The mind instantaneously grasps on to this projected concept, which is what leads to the most captivating part of the image; Charlotte’s expression in reaction to the toy gun. Although she is only an infant, her expression is that of confusion, almost looking appalled to have such an object even offered to her. It almost seems that she is well aware already as to what is acceptable for her by stereotypical standards and what is not, so she reacts in confusion and dismay. Such an expression is immediately picked up by the viewer, who in return feels the same. Why is this girl being offered such an unfitting toy? Shouldn’t she be playing with a Barbie instead? These are the questions that undoubtedly fill the mind of the viewer upon the sight of Charlotte’s expression and surroundings, which perfectly execute the point that gender stereotypes play a superior role in children’s lives even from day one.
I also thought that this was a perfect picture of example. It was straight to the point in sending a message of contrast. It is very common to see little girls and boys getting toys of their gender type during birthdays and Christmas. The one thing I thought about was, of course, the beautiful little girl Charlotte. Her gender role is starting to form through imitation. Which we learned in class is part of social learning for children. The toys that she is given will also play a part in gender-segregated play. I also thought about how girls have a lot of dolls, which do imitate being pretty, nurturing, and lovable. One of the most creative aspects of the picture was the contrast. As Megan said, Charlotte did look a bit confused, maybe even uncomfortable. But the mention of "play guns" and their association to the word violence made me think about the Tough Guise segment and video we watched in class. Just how Megan had pointed out that a female stereotyped toys could have a huge impact on Charlotte and other little girls, the "play gun" given to boys may perpetuate an idea that violence is ok. I am not saying that this is always the case but I could imagine that just as a doll may shape the role of the female then, of course so can a "play gun" to a boy. I believe that if you allow boys to play with toy guns, G.I. Joes, monster trucks, plastic swords, etc. then that does not necessarily mean that the boy will turn out to be violent or even a "tough guy". Because of other factors such as how the parents raise the child, what kind of media the parents allow or not allow their child to watch, and other social skills that may or may not be taught to the child could totally detour the little boy or girl in the opposite direction to what these toys may be imitating or modeling to the child.
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