I was sorta half watching the hubbub about the Hasbro "Rose Petal Cottage," a toy designed for girls that apparently allows them to fulfill their dreams of doing laundry and making dinner. Yes, it's annoying that the toy conforms to gender role stereotypes but I had Barbies (and yes, the Barbie DreamHouse) and I'm pretty sure I turned out ok.
But now the game gets even dicier with the new Hasbro Tonka Trucks Ad -- which says... "Boys: They're Just Built Different." Incorrect grammar aside (thanks Apple), MUST toy companies insist on drawing such an explicit line between boys and girls?
There's nothing like making parents (or kids!) feel bad if they don't fancy the toys that Hasbro thinks they should play with.
Plus, how much more money could the company make if they pushed both items to both genders?
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I had a Barbie Townhouse (the one with the elevator) but my favorite toy EVER was my Hess truck and I'm pretty sure they were not marketing Hess trucks to girls in the 70s.
This issue does not worry me -- I'm more worried about lead in the toys and small pieces breaking off and becoming choking hazards rather than gender specific marketing for preschoolers.
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