Gender

[poliphilo]

This probably isn't news to you but I discovered yesterday that Lego has a new line of box sets aimed specifically at little girls. It's called Lego Friends. I was gong to write a moany piece about gender stereotyping, but after a couple of sentences realized I was being insincere and what I really think is that it's nice that Lego is no longer just about pirates and spaceships and big diggers. Besides some of the sets are quite aspirational.  If I had the money and the face I'd be tempted to buy Olivia's Invention Workshop and Mia's Magic Tricks for myself. (Mia is a stage magician, how cool is that!)  As it is, I guess I'll wait a few years and buy them for my grand-daughters (who are both currently at the stage where Lego bricks are for eating).

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I have a big bag of old style Lego in the attic. It's what my kids used to play with. I remember when Lego was just bricks. I also remember the big, themed play sets coming in. Mixed up in all that old style Lego are the remains of a pirate ship that never got fully assembled.

What you're saying here is what I nearly wrote- or the gist of it- though I was unaware of the "Hey Babe" advert. I've been annoyed to see Lego turning more and more boyish and sexually exclusive. I miss the old days when Lego was just bricks and you could make what you wanted out of it.

But, given that Lego has turned itself into a boy's toy over the past 20 years, I'm happy to see girls getting a look in once again. Happy too that the Friends sets aren't all puppies and ponies and pink stuff (though they're that as well). I'd love to see a return to the ungendered, dungaree-wearing 80s, but, since that isn't going to happen (at least not yet) I think Olivia's Invention Workshop is a step or half-step in the right direction.