Toys R Us to drop "boys" and "girls" labels/marketing

eh. kids will probably end up still gravitating to certain types of toys.. despite this group of "concerned parents" meddling... comp_atkins

this was an actual issue?

[QUOTE="Makhaidos"] I work in retail. Little boys go after the Barbies all the time. Also Easy Bake Ovens, My Little Pony, etc., etc.MrGeezer

I think that's pretty naive.

But anyway, I fail to see the problem with what Toys R Us is doing, but some people will be up in arms for cultural reasons.

This isn't about pressuring kids one way or another. It's the opposite, by giving kids the choice without obvious bias. For the longest time, my nephew's favorite color was pink, but he also played with traditionally boy's toys as well.

I'm not going to yank a doll out of my son's hand if he chooses it. Hell, I had a Cabbage Patch Kid when I was growing up and I had several male friends who did too. 

[QUOTE="jimkabrhel"]

This isn't about pressuring kids one way or another. It's the opposite, by giving kids the choice without obvious bias. For the longest time, my nephew's favorite color was pink, but he also played with traditionally boy's toys as well.

I'm not going to yank a doll out of my son's hand if he chooses it. Hell, I had a Cabbage Patch Kid when I was growing up and I had several male friends who did too. 

MrGeezer

It will appease about a dozen activists, probably. No one else will give a fvck.

Now they just need to stop marketing to giraffes.Allicrombie

Racist

[QUOTE="Allicrombie"]Now they just need to stop marketing to giraffes.lostrib

Racist

[QUOTE="MrGeezer"][QUOTE="Makhaidos"] I work in retail. Little boys go after the Barbies all the time. Also Easy Bake Ovens, My Little Pony, etc., etc.GreySeal9

I think that's pretty naive.

But anyway, I fail to see the problem with what Toys R Us is doing, but some people will be up in arms for cultural reasons.

This seems exactly like the kind of non-issue that people will get really upset over.

TacticalDesire

[QUOTE="GreySeal9"]

[QUOTE="MrGeezer"] Which sort of reinforces my point. People are gonna want what they want regardless. Toys R Us's marketing and product labelling has little to nothing to do with it. If some little boy leans towards Barbie dolls, then the fact that it's in the girls section isn't gonna turn him off from it. Boys who want manly stuff are gonna be drawn to manly stuff regardless, and boys who want girly stuff are gonna be drawn to girly stuff regardless. No one's buying this $hit just because of how Toys R Us presents. Oh, the way that culture presents it has an effect, but Toys R Us's marketing is such a small part of culture that it's negligible. Kids go for stuff because they just like it, or because it's popular with their friends, or because their parents are saying that's the kind of toy they should like.MrGeezer

I think that's pretty naive.

But anyway, I fail to see the problem with what Toys R Us is doing, but some people will be up in arms for cultural reasons.

No because those toys are all ready gendered. Also, those are extreme examples.

If there was some new, more gender ambiguous toy, Toys R Us could absolutely influence buyers by marketing it to a certain gender.

No because those toys are all ready gendered. Also, those are extreme examples.

If there was some new, more gender ambiguous toy, Toys R Us could absolutely influence buyers by marketing it to a certain gender.

GreySeal9

Good. I've done sociological studies at Toys-R-Us looking at their products and there's an obscene amount of outdated gender roles portrayed in their lineup. Toys depicting firefighters, military, doctors, and heroes in general are all exclusively male, whereas the women are given dolls and Justin Bieber crap. Makhaidos

[QUOTE="Aljosa23"]

The toy store has bowed to pressure from campaign group Let Toys Be Toys to stop promoting toys as gender specific over concerns about the impact this has on children when they are growing up and developing their personalities.

Toys R Us will now draw up plans for how to make its marketing more inclusive, and remove explicit references to gender in store. Adverts will eventually show boys and girls playing with the same toys, such as kitchens, toy guns and lego.

Let Toys Be Toys, a campaign group run by parents, has called for the removal of gender bias, saying it restricts childrens choices.

Megan Perryman, Let Toys Be Toys campaigner, said: "Even in 2013, boys and girls are still growing up being told that certain toys are for them, while others are not. This is not only confusing but extremely limiting as it strongly shapes their ideas about who they are."

Toys R Us announced the move after meetings with the campaign group. Roger McLaughlan, managing director of the toy store, told the Independent: "We will work to ensure we develop the best plan for our customers."

Tesco, Sainsbury's, The Entertainer and TK Maxx have all agreed to remove 'girls' and 'boys' signs from the aisles following pressure from Let Toys Be Toys.

Harrods also launched its toy collection last summer based on theme rather than gender.

Last year the Swedish branch of Toys R Us launched a gender neutral advertising campaign at Christmas, showing girls shooting a toy gun and boys and girls playing together in a kitchen.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10288057/Toys-R-Us-to-stop-gender-biased-marketing.html

fvck yeah, bring on the genderless dystopia

MrGeezer

Also, a .44 Magnum is good against a barbie too aparently. :P

LOL @ girly laugh and stupid top comment. 

Lol political correctness.

N30F3N1X

No all we need is to get rid of the forced stereotype that girls must like pink. And that they are deserving of more care and attention especially when down, compared to a guy.dramaybaz

[QUOTE="dramaybaz"]No all we need is to get rid of the forced stereotype that girls must like pink. And that they are deserving of more care and attention especially when down, compared to a guy.Transfer_Point

[QUOTE="N30F3N1X"]

Lol political correctness.

gamerguru100

It's not a matter of being bothered or not, it's a matter of wondering what will people b!tch about next.

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with the idea that books are homophobic because they're black and white and have no color inbetween or racist because they represent black invading a formerly all white area.

I think it's wrong to recognize gender at all.SolidSnake35

[QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]I think it's wrong to recognize gender at all.m25105

[QUOTE="m25105"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]I think it's wrong to recognize gender at all.SolidSnake35

I'll never understand how people could take issue with Toys R Us doing this.

I think it's wrong to recognize gender at all.SolidSnake35

[QUOTE="m25105"][QUOTE="SolidSnake35"]I think it's wrong to recognize gender at all.SolidSnake35

Political correctness gone madchaoscougar1

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]Political correctness gone madPffrbt

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]Political correctness gone madPffrbt

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

[QUOTE="Pffrbt"]

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]Political correctness gone madLJS9502_basic

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

Don't ask me, I'm not the one making toy guns. I'm guessing because it's fun to aim and shoot and pretend.

Toys are marketed towards a specific gender, simple as that chaoscougar1

Its just a way of categorizing toys as those sections contain products that are best suited towards that gender

Its been like this for decades if not centuries

"It's been this way so it should stay this way because."

But this sh*t annoys mechaoscougar1

Why would you even care.

Its just a way of categorizing toys as those sections contain products that are best suited towards that genderPffrbt

Why should something be more suited to one gender over another. Why can't things simply be for whoever wants them, without arbitrarily defining who it is and isn't for.

 

I guess we shouldn't have a mens and womens section in clothes stores either, as something shouldn't be more suited to one gender over another??

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]Political correctness gone madPffrbt

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]Political correctness gone madPffrbt

How is it political correctness gone mad to acknowledge that toys don't need to be gender specific. Boys can cook and girls can use guns and tools. Literally nothing bad can come from this.

[QUOTE="chaoscougar1"]But this sh*t annoys mePffrbt

Why would you even care.

Could ask you and the people who started this the same thing.

[QUOTE="gamerguru100"][QUOTE="N30F3N1X"]

Lol political correctness.

N30F3N1X

\

At this point I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with the idea that books are homophobic because they're black and white and have no color inbetween or racist because they represent black invading a formerly all white area.