Gender Specific Toys at McDonalds
Why does it matter whether I am getting a Happy Meal for a boy or a girl? The Peanut Gallery responds "Because they have different toys for girls and boys!" And I understand that. But why are we re-enforcing Gender Specific roles at McDonalds? Has McDonalds become the last outpost of the 1950's mentality of dolls for girls and cars for boys? What if my little girl wants the Tek toy or the Matchbox car? What if my little boy wants the Bratz playset or the Barbie doll?
Thus the Peanut Gallery now screams "Then tell the cashier you want the Boy toy if your little girl wants the Boy toy and vice versa!" And yes, that's a solution. A solution I thought of. But that doesn't teach a good message to my child and it does nothing to dispell the myth of the Gender Specific toy. Basically, you are asking me to lie (bad) about my child's gender (also bad) just so they can get the reward they want (really bad). You are asking me to encourage my tomboy or effeminant male child to lie about themselves to make themselves more "Socially Acceptable." And you are still, whether I ask for the boy toy or the girl toy, re-enforcing an idology that really needs to die already. There isn't anything wrong with a boy who wants to play with a baby doll, nor is there anything wrong with a girl who wants to play with toy cars (or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!). But apparently, according to McDonalds anyway, girls must ONLY play with dolls and boys must ONLY play with video games (the toys at my local Micky Dees are a toy from a crappy video game called Tek and some baby doll thing or other). Here's a thought...how about we ask the parent whether they want the doll or the Tek toy instead of asking the parent whether they are buying a meal for a boy or a girl? See that? With one simple language modification we have erased the belief in a Gender Specific toy and encouraged the child to play with whatever he or she wants to rather than what Society tells them they "should" play with. In this day and age it is fucking ridiculous that there are commercials/fast food restaurants/whatever that are enforcing Gender Specific toys/roles/whatever. It makes me fucking sick.
Ok and now that my rant is over, a bit of news. My cat died yesterday. I'm rather upset about it. She was sick, we thought she was getting better, she suddenly took a turn for the worse, and then she died. It was awful. But at least now she isn't suffering. I miss her so much. She was one of the best cats in the universe, if not the absolute best.
RIP Curry 2003-2005. I'll miss you and I'll always love you.
Thus the Peanut Gallery now screams "Then tell the cashier you want the Boy toy if your little girl wants the Boy toy and vice versa!" And yes, that's a solution. A solution I thought of. But that doesn't teach a good message to my child and it does nothing to dispell the myth of the Gender Specific toy. Basically, you are asking me to lie (bad) about my child's gender (also bad) just so they can get the reward they want (really bad). You are asking me to encourage my tomboy or effeminant male child to lie about themselves to make themselves more "Socially Acceptable." And you are still, whether I ask for the boy toy or the girl toy, re-enforcing an idology that really needs to die already. There isn't anything wrong with a boy who wants to play with a baby doll, nor is there anything wrong with a girl who wants to play with toy cars (or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!). But apparently, according to McDonalds anyway, girls must ONLY play with dolls and boys must ONLY play with video games (the toys at my local Micky Dees are a toy from a crappy video game called Tek and some baby doll thing or other). Here's a thought...how about we ask the parent whether they want the doll or the Tek toy instead of asking the parent whether they are buying a meal for a boy or a girl? See that? With one simple language modification we have erased the belief in a Gender Specific toy and encouraged the child to play with whatever he or she wants to rather than what Society tells them they "should" play with. In this day and age it is fucking ridiculous that there are commercials/fast food restaurants/whatever that are enforcing Gender Specific toys/roles/whatever. It makes me fucking sick.
Ok and now that my rant is over, a bit of news. My cat died yesterday. I'm rather upset about it. She was sick, we thought she was getting better, she suddenly took a turn for the worse, and then she died. It was awful. But at least now she isn't suffering. I miss her so much. She was one of the best cats in the universe, if not the absolute best.
RIP Curry 2003-2005. I'll miss you and I'll always love you.
posted by Jenn at 17:53
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