Gendered marketing to children

[grethel]

I know this isn't only a toddler issue, but as we've been discussing branded characters, marketing and advertising, I wanted to share this here. It's not surprising, of course, but seeing it spelled out so clearly is still astounding to me.

http://www.achilleseffect.com/2011/03/word-cloud-how-toy-ad-vocabulary-reinforces-gender-stereotypes/

It really brings home how important it is to me to limit advertising, but also how profound and far-reaching stereotyping is for youngsters. I feel like we can limit media exposure and try to counteract some of the effects at home, but it's practically impossible to avoid completely. 

Or maybe it shouldn't be completely avoided? I tend to veer toward gender-neutral toys, clothing etc. for my girls, but I know many people feel innate differences in the sexes should be celebrated.

Thoughts?

[hildare]

thanks for sharing that link.  advertising like that makes me want to in a way that makes me too angry to be articulate.  i liked the link but it's no surprise.  our only tactic is to raise our child as neutrally as possible, avoiding exposure to stuff like that until an age that we can critique and discuss.  i know we're raising a child completely outside the norm, which is sad that  our culture makes it necessary.  it's just awful, awful, awful and what's worse to us is that parents who try to do other things in a thoughtful, carefully considered fashion, think that pink crap and princess paraphanalia are completely harmless.  i don't know.  this is a very, very touch subject for me and my family and i wasn't kidding when i said it makes me completely inarticulate.  it's also difficult because even our crunchy friends don't always respect or honor our choices about that..  even here on mdc it doesn't seem like there are very many gender neutral households.  i don't know.  i also feel like those 'differences' that you speak of are completely made up and orchestrated by advertisers and other forces that want to control society.  gender is a social construct. 
 

[JudiAU]

I struggle with this issue too. But not with my son. For some reason I find it pretty easy for me to gender neutral and paint sparkle toes if he wants them. But I am terribly conflicted over raising a daughter. I just loathe the opressive princess culture so much that I need to find some balance before I hit that stage.

[mckittre]

I have a 2 year old son who doesn't see TV, and I was wondering where he was getting gender stereotypes from.  Then I realized - basically all children's picture books!  Since many of them have cartoonish kids, you can't tell gender very easily, and the books usually distinguish boys and girls by hairstyle and clothing.  The cartoon kid "she" has a dress and/or pink clothing and/or long hair, and the cartoon boy has the opposite.  I thought of reversing the pronouns when I read him some of the books, but he's memorized too many already. 

[melon]

My 2 year old son watches very little TV, and almost no commercials.
From the time he was old enough to reach for toys, he showed obvious preference toward the little cars and balls over the stuffed things and other GN stuff. He shows no preference in color--doesn't care if the vehicle is pink or blue, as long as it has wheels and goes....But he is not ever interested in his girl cousin's dolls or girly toys.  If it has wheels, or if it flies, it's amazing to him.

Also, balls and balloons. Baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, etc. And we are not into sports at all. From the beginning, he had those soft stuffed baby balls, and he looooved them, so more than his stuffed animals, rattles, puppets, etc.

So I don't think it's all advertising. I think SOME little boys are just wired to like things that go....Which is where the advertising stereotypes probably came from, like most stereotypes, they are based on some truth.

That said, it annoys me that the 2 biggest words on the boys thing are "Battle" and "Power", while the girls are "love" and "fun".

I'm glad he has girl friends and cousins.

[danaudallweiner]

I totally agree about the princess culture, and I think it's a pretty rough time to be a girl, due to sexting and what has been called the rape culture.  I just wrote a post about it this week, which you can find here:  http://bodyandbrood.com/2011/03/29/padding-and-patriarchy-the-state-of-american-girlhood/  It's called Padding and Patriarchy:  The State of American Girlhood.  

[happysmileylady]

The thing is...the company didn't create these stereotypes.  They use these words......because they work.  Same with adults.  Have you ever thought about how many ads for mens products use the word turbo?  Using the word turbo in the name of a product designed for men (like mens razors, sportscars etc) sells more of that product.  The stereotypes were and are already present in our culture.  All the advertising does is play into them.  Advertising is about making money...and if the ads don't bring in money, they change tactics.  Advertisers don't care about the stereotypes.  They only care if using them makes money. 

[hildare]

Originally Posted by happysmileylady 

The thing is...the company didn't create these stereotypes.  They use these words......because they work.  Same with adults.  Have you ever thought about how many ads for mens products use the word turbo?  Using the word turbo in the name of a product designed for men (like mens razors, sportscars etc) sells more of that product.  The stereotypes were and are already present in our culture.  All the advertising does is play into them.  Advertising is about making money...and if the ads don't bring in money, they change tactics.  Advertisers don't care about the stereotypes.  They only care if using them makes money. 

perpetuating stereotypes by keeping the cycle going is a bad thing, is it not?  using women's bodies as sexual objects are also techniques used in advertising.  are you making a general critique of advertising within a capitalistic framework?  i'm confused.

[Summersquash]

Originally Posted by melon 

My 2 year old son watches very little TV, and almost no commercials.
From the time he was old enough to reach for toys, he showed obvious preference toward the little cars and balls over the stuffed things and other GN stuff. He shows no preference in color--doesn't care if the vehicle is pink or blue, as long as it has wheels and goes....But he is not ever interested in his girl cousin's dolls or girly toys.  If it has wheels, or if it flies, it's amazing to him.

Also, balls and balloons. Baseballs, footballs, soccer balls, etc. And we are not into sports at all. From the beginning, he had those soft stuffed baby balls, and he looooved them, so more than his stuffed animals, rattles, puppets, etc.

This is also true of my 2 year old daughter since she became old enough to start showing a preference for toys, though.  Baby dolls don't get much interest here.  She sleeps with a full size basketball and her favorite activity is dunking in her little hoop.  And there are almost always matchbox cars in our family room in various states of driving or parking.

[Turquesa]

Sigh!  It starts so young!  The other day I was shopping at a kids clothing store. Carter's makes t-shirts and onesies for little boys with a fire engine and the words "Mommy's little hero."  For the girls: "Daddy's little princess."     

Because, you know, being a girl and all, my daughter couldn't possibly achieve anything heroic.  And GOD FORBID she become a fire fighter. 

[happysmileylady]

Originally Posted by hildare 

perpetuating stereotypes by keeping the cycle going is a bad thing, is it not?  using women's bodies as sexual objects are also techniques used in advertising.  are you making a general critique of advertising within a capitalistic framework?  i'm confused.

My point is that the stereotypes come from society.  Stereotypes in advertising is the symptom, not the problem.  Advertisers don't care what the stereotypes are and aren't in the business of perpeuating them.  They are in the business of making money and if perpetuating the stereotypes stops making them money, they stop perpetuating them.  But it does work.  Unfortunately shirts that say "Mommy's Little Heroine" or Daddy's Little Prince" Just don't sell as well.  Ads for toys targeted towards girls that talk about blowing things up and battles and stuff....they just don't produce the dollars like they do for boys.  If they did, advertisers would do it that way more.