Playskool Tonka commercial

[elanorh]

Gah.

Tonight we saw a commercial for Playskool's Tonka truck (a new version) - I don't remember what the voiceover was but essentially it was a continual loop of "Boys are built differently, so our new truck is too." ::

(Incidentally the next commercial break, they ran one with a pink Playskool playhouse, talking about little girls fulfilling their dreams, while showing a little girl *removing laundry from her play dryer*)

I'm not saying that little boys don't like Tonkas; I'm not saying little girls don't like playing house. But the commercials just felt like something from the 50's. Neither clothes dryers nor Tonka trucks are or should be gender-specific.

I couldn't believe them. I'm really tempted to send them an email about the Tonka ad in particular --- since my dds own many Tonkas and play with them daily.

I know at least one of my sisters wouldn't see anything at all untoward in the ads - I wonder how many parents don't see any concerns, and how many others are fuming over them? I'd imagine they've done control groups and the "fumees" like me are in the minority in the end.

[olliepop]

I haven't seen the commercial yet, but I was definitely put off by a Tonka ad I saw in a magazine. It was something to the effect of: "You know you're the mother of a boy when... they crash trucks or jump in mud or climb a tree," and I remember thinking, You mean all the stuff that my daughter likes to do?

Nice way to gender stereotype. Hopefully there will be a backlash. Sometimes big companies change their marketing strategies when people don't respond. Unfortunately, the majority probably won't see a problem with it.

[chicagomom]

What a stupid way to cut off half of your market!

I had tonka trucks when I was a kid and loved them. Sure puts me off buying them for my dd, tho.

[Viola]

There was a thread about the new Tonka ads in TAO awhile back, and at that point I hadn't seen the television ads. I did finally see one, and I found it very problematic. I have no interest in giving this company any of my money.

[Katiemare]

DH and I were both taken aback. It almost seemed to taunt us. Like , yeah, we said it!

[fishface]

OH SNAP, I saw this commercial over the weekend and thought the same thing! I KNEW I would see something on MDC about it! Boys are built differently so they can play. Girls are built differently so they can cook....and make babies.

[**guest**]

i haven't seen the commercial, but fwiw, boys ARE built differently, i.e. their brains are wired differently, and there is research to support it.

however, i wouldn't want my children to see this commercial because i don't want their ideas on what toys they like to play with be influenced by the ideas of gender imposed by our society. so far my children do confirm to gender stereotypes, in terms of toy preference, but it is coming solely from them, as they are exposed to a wide variety of books and toys, and they don't watch commercial TV.

[IndigoRayne]

I just saw the girl/laundry commercial
Loved my tonka jeep I had when I was a little girl

[sophiekat]

YES!!!

my dh actually saw it first and laughed the whole time i watched it because he knew it'd raise my blood pressure

[AAK]

saw it too, thought it was stupid-- I agree that there are differences between boys and girls but I don't think those differences mean that girls don't or won't play with trucks

My girls are "girly girls" but they also love trucks. . .they play with them differently than the boys I have watched though.

The commercials really did irritate me though. It seems that our society can't find good middle ground they just keep being extreme (either the boys=trucks girls=homemaker OR they ignore any difference at all)

[carlylovesthesims2]

i have 3 brothers and i used to play with trucks and boys toys to my sister came along:

[simplelah]

I just taught my DS how to take laundry out of the dryer and he thinks it is the funnest thing ever.
Take that, gender stereotyping.

[CaraboosMama]

Originally Posted by elanorh

Gah.

Tonight we saw a commercial for Playskool's Tonka truck (a new version) - I don't remember what the voiceover was but essentially it was a continual loop of "Boys are built differently, so our new truck is too." ::

Does the new truck come with a penis?:

That is dumb

[adon]

i haven't seen this one, but i saw the one where the little girl was inside vacuuming with her mom with a play vacuum, and the son was outside mowing the lawn with his dad with the toy lawn mower. this one bothered me!!! so i don't know if i could take the one you saw!!:

i was always outside mowing when i was little! and DS likes to vacuum!:

[Nature]

Their ads anger me.

Tonka trucks were my FAVORITE toys as a child. To see them market them towards boys only infuriates me. :

[lakesuperiormom]

Originally Posted by elanorh

Gah.

Tonight we saw a commercial for Playskool's Tonka truck (a new version) - I don't remember what the voiceover was but essentially it was a continual loop of "Boys are built differently, so our new truck is too." ::

(Incidentally the next commercial break, they ran one with a pink Playskool playhouse, talking about little girls fulfilling their dreams, while showing a little girl *removing laundry from her play dryer*)

I'm not saying that little boys don't like Tonkas; I'm not saying little girls don't like playing house. But the commercials just felt like something from the 50's. Neither clothes dryers nor Tonka trucks are or should be gender-specific.

I couldn't believe them. I'm really tempted to send them an email about the Tonka ad in particular --- since my dds own many Tonkas and play with them daily.

I know at least one of my sisters wouldn't see anything at all untoward in the ads - I wonder how many parents don't see any concerns, and how many others are fuming over them? I'd imagine they've done control groups and the "fumees" like me are in the minority in the end.

we saw the commercials : this is part of the reason our society as a whole has issues with gender conformity: the large companies stereotype the masses to fit into their mold of generalization.my dh does the laundry around here and my boys love to vacuum. my dh has her own (purple of course!) tonka cars and they all play house together. most of our society wouldn't catch the subliminal messages in these type of commercials...how sad.

[chaimom]

"TONKA -- built for boyhood."

This is the slogan listed on their website. Ironically, I saw their new commercial for the first time while my 22-month-old daughter was playing with her Tonka trucks.

I sent Hasbro (Tonka's owner) an email saying I'll buy my daughter and her two brothers trucks and other toys built for both sexes from now on-- and that means no more Hasbro toys. I suggest anyone else offended by their ridiculously 1950's mentality to do the same. Just google Tonka, go to Hasbro customer service (it takes a bit of work to find it).