Christmas catalogue raises ire

Advertising ombudsman reviles festive season catalogue released by toy company Toys ‘R’ Us

‘Narrow-minded’ and ‘demeaning for both genders’. That’s how the Swedish ombudsman for advertising has described the Toys R Us Christmas catalogue.

Danish gender researcher and sociologist Karen Sjørup agreed, saying the catalogue - filled with pink toys and makeup for the girls and tools and weapons for the boys - was based on gender stereotypes.

‘It’s a pity for both genders,’ Sjørup told freesheet MetroXpress.

Grethe Krag-Müller, who researches children and learning at Aarhus University’s Danish School of Edcuation, said children immediately decoded whether they sided weapons and cars or with dolls and makeup.

But according to Toys R Us retail director Søren Blangsted the catalogue reflects reality.

‘Children copy what mum and dad do, and it’s actually still the women who use makeup,’ he said.

‘It’s not our responsibility to change society’s gender roles. We sell products.'

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PC - wow

|2009-12-02 13:50:21

The level of stupidity from this so called intelectuals is shocking sometimes!

I have no problem if there are women that want to be handymen and men that want to wear makeup in this world, but seriously do you really think women are feminine and man are masculine because of Toy'r'us catalogs?!!!

NotaBITTERforeigner - Yet again...

|2009-12-02 14:24:15

this just goes to prove people are not happy unless they have something to complain about!

damestjernelys - ...

|2009-12-02 22:47:21

I'm wth the ombudsman and sociologist here. It's demeaning when even things like play kitchens, real food making kits and craft kits are geared only toward GIRLS when a good number of BOYS actually LIKE to help out in the kitchen, cook, bake, do leatherworking, jewelry making (there's more to it than stringing beads, you know,) weaving, etc. It's just as demeaning when the chemistry sets, Lego Technics, build-your-own-robot kits, insect observatories and the like are geared only toward BOYS when girls also take an interest in science, robotics, nature, etc.

It's humiliating to take my son to Toys 'R' Us or BR and have him show an interest in something like a birdfeeder kit or a 'make your own lollipops' kit and have the box and its contents say crap like 'Girl Gourmet' all over it... excuse ME for having a son who already feels just as much at home in the kitchen or sitting learning to embroider or weave (I see nothing wrong with it; my FATHER embroiders and he's the one who got ME interested in it when I was a kid) as he does playing a computer game or racing his cars!

It was no better when I was a kid.. Yes, I had my Barbie dolls (and gee, was it fun to conduct 'experiments' on them, like burying them in the garden to see if the plastic would decompose,) but I also had G.I. Joes, Transformers, Hot Wheels, Legos, Erector Sets, Nerf guns and a crapload more 'boy' toys. People in the shops used to think I had a brother who wasn't with me when my mum bought me a good portion of my toys ;)

By marketing toys to one gender or the other, stores are enforcing the idea that only girls should take an interest in what goes on in a kitchen, (never MIND that pretty much all of the world's best and most famous chefs are MEN) crafting, child care, horses, and that regular Legos aren't good enough for them because they're not pink and flowery. They enforce that only BOYS should be interested in weapons, science, robotics, computers, action figures from cartoon programmes, construction.. and these stereotypes just do NOT fit anymore.

And no, it's not actually still just women (and drag queens and transsexuals) who use makeup. Take a look at emos, punks, goths and several other subcultures out there.. in those subcultures, BOTH genders use makeup and nail polish! Subcultures aside, cosmetic companies are now manufacturing concealers and foundations for MEN so that they can hide circles under their eyes, fine lines or what ever else they want in an attempt to look younger.

somsoceel - wake up toys r us, wake up

|2009-12-02 23:08:40

I am also with the ombudsman & shrinks on this one. I think ' damestjernelys ' has said it all!!

TOLENTONE - Unbelievable.

|2009-12-03 00:48:36

Some people just don´t have a clue and have to make a huge deal out of nothing just to have a voice.

Do you think boys would like to play with pink guns or girls with camouflage barbies ? no did´t think so.

The old PC brigade must have had a few hours to spare to come up with this drivel .

Get a grip and think for once what the Children like and want instead of going of on your own righteous agenda .

But what the harm because this Christmas morning all the little girls will be delighted with their pink dolls and the little boys equally delighted with their action men, Toys `R` Us will be delighted with the free publicity so the only losers are the PC brigade that want to make everyone else as miserable as them .

JoeThePlumber - GI Joe with the Kung-Fu Grip

|2009-12-03 09:00:42

Damestjernelys, get your kid a GI Joe, a transformer and a Nintendo. Forget the 'make your own lollypop kit'. Do you want to make him an outcast?

Although I do agree with some of what you say, there are still things that are boy things and girl things. I have a 2 year old girl, and she is very interested in 'girl' things. Makeup kit, hair clips, and 'my little pony'. She also loves my iPod and computer, but to play girly games like Dora's Rainbow rider.

I did not grow up with toy guns, and wasn't allowed to play with them, but doesn't mean I wasn't interested in things like that. Boys just are! And I too love to cook.

The bottom line is, your kid needs more than what YOU think he should have, he needs that plus things that he can share with his friends. Day after Christmas, does he go to his friends and say, wow, we did embroidery for Christmas? While Jens got a cool toy?

wor - Parental awareness / responsibility

|2009-12-03 10:33:07

...I remember seeing a BBC program where they "tested sexist attitudes" of people towards babies.

The test consisted of using the SAME baby, and dressing the baby in:-
1) blue baby clothes and a blue hat
2)pink baby clothes and a pink hat

Then the researchers in the program took this baby into a (male/female)couple in a room, and observed the reaction of the couple.

It was clear to observed that the the couple treated the baby as, and addressed the baby as a "boy" when the baby was dressed in blue, and treated the baby as, and addressed the baby as girl when the baby was dressed in pink.

Keeping the above in mind, one has to be aware that boys and girls get treated differently even by people who say that they are gender indifferent - this is something to watch out for as a parent (even watch yourself), as if you have a child that shows interests in activites that are not usual to their gender...you or someone else may unwittingly sabotage their interest.

So it comes down to Parental awareness / responsibility...the shops will sell what's in demand...no demand then they have to adapt or go bust.

damestjernelys - Well,

|2009-12-03 17:06:58

I haven't said it all. Søren Blangsted claims that children copy what mum and dad do, but that's not the entirety of the story. Children are (for better or worse) still influenced by the media, their peers and other sources outside of the home.

Parents who don't necessarily follow 'tradtional' gender roles (be it in their jobs, behaviour or what ever else) can raise their child with the idea that it's acceptable for girls to aspire to have a CEO position or work for NASA and that there's nothng wrong with boys who want to be a nurse, florist or stay-at-home dad, but when the majority of OUTSIDE inflences are telling children something different, which voices do you think children are goig to listen to most?

Throgh the years, we've had various professions hold 'awareness' fairs at schools to try and garner more female interest in them because they want more women in these fields. Why do you think many of these professions are stll considered 'male' jobs? Look at the toys and games associated with them and see who they're marketed toward!

Men who choose to become nurses, daycare workers or something else considered more 'female' are still subjected to a bit of derision and suspicion, even though there are good number of institutions who would like to see more men in these jobs. Why? Again, look at who the play items associated with these sorts of jobs we use in our youth are marketed toward.

Children learn through play too, you know... So even if they're fortunate enough to have parents who are doing the right thing by teaching them that what they want to do or be shouldn't be ordained by their gender, they're still going to be exposed to these outdated ideas in the cartoons they watch, the toys they play with, and the attitudes they encounter from their friends throughout the course of their childhoods.

And Joe, my son has a myriad of computer games (we don't do console gaming in this house- hubby and I are diehard PC gamers,) action figures and other 'boy' things. I will not, however, deny him his 'make your own lollipops' kit or 'make your own (insert nam of food item)' kit or a craft kit that he ASKS for just because some people think that's 'girly.' If he wants to try making candy, I'd rather see him use a kit geared for kids in his group than put him before the stove with molten sugar; that can wait unti he's older. And if you think boys can't have fun making their own candy or ice cream or pizzas with their own equipment, then that's your problem.

My husband has many fond memories of making lollipops, hard candies and chocolates with his mother.. and his friends often came over to try their hands at it as well. Fun was had by all not just making the stuff, but eating it too. Was my husband an outcast? Nope.

Hell, before I moved to Denmark, I was an avid bowhunter, loved to sit and watch hockey games on TV, attended classic car shows so I could drool over the beauties at them and worked on cars in my driveway. Was I an outcast because of that? No.

Just because my son has an interest in embroidery and culinary arts doesn't mean he'll be an outcast, especially since he has OTHER interests. It's called being 'well-rounded' and having 'broad horizons.' THAT is what I teach my son; to not limit himself, to try out activities that interest him and to always be open to new things.... as well as always being true to who and what he is and not giving a damn what others think.

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