Target removing boys' and girls' labels from the toy aisle

[jazzarama]

So, I was at Target today and took a quick look at the toy aisle signs. The only gender references I saw were " Boys Activity toys' and Girls Building toys. Now I'm sorry I didn't walk down the aisles to see what toys get those distinctions. Offhand I don't know what activity toys are specific to boys or building toys specific to girls.

[NLVgal]

Originally Posted by jazzarama

So, I was at Target today and took a quick look at the toy aisle signs. The only gender references I saw were " Boys Activity toys' and Girls Building toys. Now I'm sorry I didn't walk down the aisles to see what toys get those distinctions. Offhand I don't know what activity toys are specific to boys or building toys specific to girls.

Well, the girls only get to play with the pink and purple Legos, and only boys get the activity toys ( like the really cool Nerf guns )

Also, the boys get shamed if they watched cut throat kitchen and want to be like Alton because they have to go down the girls toys aisle to get an easy bake or any other kitchen toy.

It's obnoxious, and as adults, we should have never let it get this way. We were not subject to this bs as kids.

My easy bake oven was silver. My buddy from next door ( a boy ) and I used to cook cakes in it before we went and built forts or climbed trees. We burned ourselves a lot with that thing. I suppose they are " safer" now?

[thefragile]

Originally Posted by Vector1

What is so good about it
Unless you are some type of an ultra liberal kook or a "progressive" trying to revel in any and everything that breaks from traditional societal norms, how can you be invested in such a move. It hardly benefits anyone, and is likely just to appease a very small but vocal minority.

I for one will now stop shopping at Target, because I cannot stand how these companies make such PC decisions without considering the view of the vast majority of it's customers.
Maybe they just figure most people will be apathetic, and putting some grease on the squeaky wheel will shut up the freaks.

`

I believe the freaks are the ones who need a sign to help them choose a toy for their kid.

[jazzarama]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

My easy bake oven was silver. My buddy from next door ( a boy ) and I used to cook cakes in it before we went and built forts or climbed trees. We burned ourselves a lot with that thing. I suppose they are " safer" now?

Your boy neighbor built a fort. What you built was actually a princess castle

Next time I'm at Target, I'll take a look at what's in the Boy Activity toys and Girl Building toys aisles. I'd never noticed the boy/girl distinctions until I specifically looked for them today.

[beachie123]

Originally Posted by NLVgal

Well, the girls only get to play with the pink and purple Legos, and only boys get the activity toys ( like the really cool Nerf guns )

Also, the boys get shamed if they watched cut throat kitchen and want to be like Alton because they have to go down the girls toys aisle to get an easy bake or any other kitchen toy.

It's obnoxious, and as adults, we should have never let it get this way. We were not subject to this bs as kids.

My easy bake oven was silver. My buddy from next door ( a boy ) and I used to cook cakes in it before we went and built forts or climbed trees. We burned ourselves a lot with that thing. I suppose they are " safer" now?

ridiculous. toys like pink legos are for kids who want and like pink legos. they are not meant to force a parent to purchase pink legos for girls only, that she can only have pink legos and that only girls can play with them. they make pink legos because some kids, girls especially, actually like to have a lot of pink stuff. boys too of course, but honestly, i'm guessing there are a lot of parents out there that would not want to purchase the pink lego sets for their son. but that's the problem of the parent, not the toy store. because the toy store isn't prohibiting anybody from buying pink legos for a boy. they are not checking ID and making sure that you actually have a daughter or a girl that you are buying for. i think it's pretty sad for people to get so angry because the lego people thought they would make pink legos for the many little girls out there who like pink and really want a pink castle or whatever.

interesting last night i was at the fair. long story short, there were three kids called to the stage for fun. at the end of the fun, the lady offered each kid a free bandana, they could have either a pink one or a blue one. the two girls both chose pink and the boy picked blue. she held out pink and blue to each one, they chose what they wanted. i know some will probably say why didn't they offer a different color? green or yellow? pffft you can't win. try to give someone something for free and it's still not good enough.

stereotypes exist for a reason. most kids who like pink are girls. blue doesn't have as big of a stereotype for being for boys. lots of girls like blue and there isn't as much stigma as for if a boy likes pink. maybe it shouldn't be that way, but sometimes things just are the way they are, good bad right or wrong. same for "girls toys" vs "boys toys" same thing.

the signs at places like target are not meant to force you or anybody else to buy what they have put on the shelves. the sign is for your convenience; to help, not force, you to find what you are looking for. i have never in my life walked the aisles of a toy store and felt like i was being forced to purchase any specific toy for any specific person that i was shopping for. the signs are not there to say if you are buying for a girl you have to purchase only from this aisle right here, don't even think about going over to the "boys" aisle because we won't let you purchase from there, those are for boys. ridiculous.

i don't know when so many toys for girls started getting really pink and girly, but i'm coming up on 52 years old and i have pictures of me as a toddler and i had tons of pink things. from dolls to stuffed animals to clothes and to various toys. i liked all of that stuff. i understand not all girls do. and to them i would hope that their parents and family would know that and would shop accordingly for them. it is not the stores responsibility to make sure you buy your kid what your kid wants.

and not all toy ovens are pink. not all legos are pink. not all girls who want legos HAVE TO HAVE the pink legos. putting them in the "girl" aisle is a matter of convenience for the shopper. i bet they figured, put them in the aisle where the dolls and other "girl stuff" is. they probably made a mistake in doing that. but i honestly believe that they only had convenience of the shopper (and kids) in mind when separating the regular legos from the pink. and pink legos are relatively new. all this time that there have been legos, they have been played with by boys and girls. they have been making those kits, the sets (planes, cities, trucks, etc) so why not pink too. they have castles that aren't pink and castles that are pink. big deal. if your kid doesn't want pink don't buy the dam pink.

same with stuff for boys. if your boy wants an oven but he doesn't want a pink one, guess what? they actually sell those too. google is your friend. toy ovens come in all shapes, sizes, designs, colors, etc. they are not only pink easy bake ovens by a long shot. just because they make pink doesn't mean they make pink only.

the signs are for guidance to help you find what you are looking for. they are not there to dictate what you have to buy.

[Minervah]

interesting last night i was at the fair. long story short, there were three kids called to the stage for fun. at the end of the fun, the lady offered each kid a free bandana, they could have either a pink one or a blue one. the two girls both chose pink and the boy picked blue. she held out pink and blue to each one, they chose what they wanted. i know some will probably say why didn't they offer a different color? green or yellow? pffft you can't win. try to give someone something for free and it's still not good enough.

Not really interesting or unusual. Just an example of how kids are taught to respond to certain commands from an early age.

These girls undoubtedly gravitated towards the color pink because they were old enough to have already been told they were supposed to. "Pink is for girls." "Blue is for boys." They would have felt uncomfortable picking blue in any situation. The reverse would be true for the boys. Had these kids never been told that one color was for boys and one for girls prior to this, the outcome of their choice may have been different.

I doubt very much anyone is born with an innate preference for color based on gender.

[beachie123]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Not really interesting or unusual. Just an example of how kids are taught to respond to certain commands from an early age.

i meant interesting because it was last night and this thread was on my mind when i saw it happen.

i still don't agree with that children are all "taught" to respond to certain commands when it comes to stuff like colors and toys. are some? probably. but people are making it sound like every single little girl that likes pink only likes pink because she has been programmed to like pink. that is ridiculous.

maybe just maybe those two girls actually like the color pink over blue. maybe that boy really does like the color blue. not too shocking.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by beachie123

i meant interesting because it was last night and this thread was on my mind when i saw it happen.

i still don't agree with that children are all "taught" to respond to certain commands when it comes to stuff like colors and toys. are some? probably. but people are making it sound like every single little girl that likes pink only likes pink because she has been programmed to like pink. that is ridiculous.

maybe just maybe those two girls actually like the color pink over blue. maybe that boy really does like the color blue. not too shocking.

Okay, I get your point now. I don't think I did before. Sure I would imagine some girls like pink and some boys like blue as you say. Not because they have been programmed to but because those colors appeal to them.

But I also think that kids have had a lot of influence about those things. I mean if you are a girl and you are surrounded by pink in a nursery from the time you are born and likewise blue for a boy I believe you will be slightly biased without even realizing it. And then you go out in the world and see toys and clothes categorized by these same colors for boys and girls you might believe you have to choose these colors regardless of what you prefer.

I always thought I was a little less of a girl because I never liked the color pink, I just didn't. Maybe because it didn't look good in me. My mom never dressed me in pink for that reason. But I was seeing all over the that pink was supposed to be for girls. See what I mean? And again, the reverse could be true for boys. Maybe a boy would like the color pink but would be afraid to say it.

So bottom line for me is, forget the colors and let the kids choose whatever color and whatever toys they want.

[Luciano700]

Now I wonder what does this say about age marketing?

[gentlearts]

I have grown grandchildren, and a new 3 month old. It has been an adventure in frustration to find any suitable toys lately.. Has anyone really taken a look at toys at Target, or anywhere else? In keeping with the gender subject of the thread, many toys have always been gender neutral, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

I just looked at Target for a simple toy for a baby. The dolls are ugly and hard, and most of the toys are TV or movie characters. I am not buying that stuff. I finally bought a Fisher Price toy that was age appropriate. It was between that, and the old rocking stack of doughnut shaped thingies....the only age appropriate toy I recognized.

I tell you what, this grandmother is sticking to the classics and will not be buying the trendy stuff. I guess that someone must be, or the stores wouldn’t be carrying them. If my granddaughter likes to play with trucks or likes to play baseball, that’s fine with me.