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AIBU?

To want to ban Friends Lego?

202 replies

chippednailvarnish · 02/06/2015 09:01

I know it's been done before, but I'm just looking at Lego for DD's upcoming birthday and I'm most put off.
Why are most of the Friends sets which appear to be marketed at girls just so crap? There's a popstar dressing room set, a recording studio, a popstar limo, a shopping mall, a food market and the all important hair salon.
Why do Lego produce such dross aimed at girls, but the sets marketed at boys are so much more inclusive of a wider range of interests?

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meglet · 02/06/2015 09:02

yanbu. I've 'accidentally' lost the lego friends mini figures too. silly little lollipop heads.

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whatsthatcomingoverthehill · 02/06/2015 09:07

There's also a vet clinic, ranch, tractor thing, lighthouse, jungle rescue...

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ghostyslovesheep · 02/06/2015 09:08

but playmobil instead

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prorsum · 02/06/2015 09:09

It's is highly annoying but I do have some Friends sets for my nieces and they love them. They can be quite complex to put together.

Lego took quite a beating when they introduced the range and their response was informative. Can't remember exactly but it was to do with the different ways girls and boys play. My nephew builds his Lego once, then dismantles it and does his own thing. Nieces build then play with the structure as is.

Lego is very boy centric on the whole. How do you think they should accommodate girls? I can't really make up my mind on this one.

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DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 09:09

Banned in our house and I'm not sorry. Lego is lego. Doesn't need to be made girly. (DD prefers Star Wars lego anyway.)

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DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 09:11

Lego is very boy centric on the whole. How do you think they should accommodate girls? I can't really make up my mind on this one.

WTAF?! Boy-centric?!

DD has sets that are buildings, sets that are cars, diggers, lego movie sets, star wars sets and massive boxes of random bits that she uses to make any thing she likes. WTF does being a boy or a girl have to do with that?!

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DisappointedOne · 02/06/2015 09:13

Eg

To want to ban Friends Lego?
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DawnOfTheDoggers · 02/06/2015 09:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Artandco · 02/06/2015 09:14

Really? Don't see a problem, mine are both boys and have some friends pink/ purple Lego, and some from other sets . It's all just Lego

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trice · 02/06/2015 09:14

Dd only ever builds spaceships with Lego. Those friends sets would annoy her. My niece on the other hand will not play with anything that is not pink or princessy. She likes the new elves series too because 'fairies!'. It takes all sorts as marketing teams know.

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spidermanswoman · 02/06/2015 09:15

Dd has a couple of the houses which can be built in three different ways. She's also got a car and the school. She loves them so yabu.

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prorsum · 02/06/2015 09:15

Lego introduced a range for girls which is selling like hot cakes so I assume being a boy or girl does make a difference. We have different experiences of boys and girls playing Lego. Shocking right. My neices showed no interest in Lego until the Friends range came out, though I tried.

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SaucyJack · 02/06/2015 09:16

Yes, YABVU.

I find your attitude misogynistic tbh.

Toys are toys.

Girls and stereotyped "girls" interests are not less worthy than boys or their stereotyped toys.

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ghostyslovesheep · 02/06/2015 09:16

why is it dumber down to have girl figures and pink? it's still lego

It's up to the child if they want it really - I have a house full of babies, Monster High Dolls and hello Kitty - she also has cars and plays footy - they are toys - she is being raised by a feminist mum I am sure I can educate her

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chippednailvarnish · 02/06/2015 09:17

I don't think Lego was boycentric, but it is now. I used to love Lego before it was purposely aimed at a particular sex. It's a construction toy, so clearly the purpose is to build the items and then play with them. You don't need pink packaging to do that.
And why is there only one "professional" set in the Friends series? Are girls destined to either become a vet or spend their days in shopping malls or juice bars?

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Wristy · 02/06/2015 09:17

When we were younger (3 girls) we had boxes and boxes of Lego bricks. No sets, no 'instructions'.

We still loved it. Just buy the bricks and let her decide what she wants to build.

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prorsum · 02/06/2015 09:18

Why is is dumbing down to introduce a range for girls. I know there are many aspects that some may find questionable but if they enjoy what is the problem.

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Only1scoop · 02/06/2015 09:18

Yabu dd loves the horse farm and market she has. It's set up next to her police station and diggers.

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chippednailvarnish · 02/06/2015 09:19

Disappointed that picture sums up how Lego was when I was younger.

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038THETA · 02/06/2015 09:19

There is more profit to be made by reinforcing than by challenging gender stereotypes and cultural constructs which tell us that girls and boys play differently ?

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AmberNectarine · 02/06/2015 09:19

YANBU, Lego friends is shit. The people can't even sit in vehicles FFS.

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GormlessNormTheGardenGnome · 02/06/2015 09:20

My DDs haves tonnes of the stuff, courtesy of PILs .I can't stand the stupid pink shit. Not to mention the Disney Princess lego. They came back from the PILs with a lego Elves set last week though. The figures are still the same stupid shape as Friends but it seems to be slightly less pink shopping mall airhead rubbish.

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Only1scoop · 02/06/2015 09:20

Just mix it up a little and don't let a pink box bug you so much.

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TaurielTest · 02/06/2015 09:21

Wouldn't touch Lego Friends with a bargepole. As a child I never imagined that the little boxy yellow people were specifically male, so Friends felt like something of a slap in the face! :)

They have introduced a new range called Lego Elves - primarily aimed at girls it would seem - which I have a little more time for. If you think thinks like jewels and magical creatures would appeal to your children, maybe take a look? My son really covets Azari's Magical Bakery - there's also a castle/ship/treehouse (though also a spa)
www.lego.com/en-gb/elves/products

If they're not into vehicles, how about one of the 3-in-1 creator kits that feature animals? DS has a nice one that's a monkey/bear/kangaroo with a bonus toucan..

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ghostyslovesheep · 02/06/2015 09:21

I was born in 1970 ... I used to use 'non gender specific' Lego to make houses for my Pippa dolls Grin

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