Lego - how depressing

Freddo, the figures themselves aren't as "sexualised" as most doll-figures aimed at girls. But, the cartoon that goes with the figures does depict them all has having impossibly long legs, short skirts, thin waists, busts and made up faces.

Yes see your point exexpat. I don't think the lego figures look too much that way though - they're certainly not Bratz!

Freddo - I think 'sexualised' here means that the figures have unrealistic model-type figures (long legs, tiny waists etc), wear mini-skirts, appear to be wearing make-up etc. Recognisably female is fine (gendered) but they look like teenagers trying to be attractive to the opposite sex (sexualised).

Maybe we should ask MNHQ if the DCs can try it out - hint ;-)

DS and therefore DD have got into Lego in a big way in the past six months and although she's happy to play with Star Wars stuff as soon as she saw the Lego Friends in the shops (which was just after Christmas) she was asking if she could have it for her next birthday.

I agree with all your concerns but think most girls love pink and lilac and if they do they will just naturally gravitate to those type of products.

DD has been socialised with an older brother but nevertheless loves dressing up in a very girlie manner, likes making up her doll's head, playing with dolls and everything that is frou-frou and on the pink/purple spectrum BUT she will equally play with Dr Who characters, with brother's vast collection of cars, his drumkit etc, Harry Potter computer games etc....

Without wishing to rain on your parade, I'm pretty sure that when DS first subscribed to the Lego Club magazine some 8/9 years ago, there were princess palace type Lego products for sale. And the Lego website certainly had a girls'-oriented online games section that DS used to play on in his toddler years....

ermmmm Lego Scala was from the 70's and was definitely girl based!

Is sexualised the opposite of genderless? I wouldn't say so. I don't think making it gender specific makes it 'sexualised'.

Also, while lego probably was genderless in the 70s when it was just coloured bricks, I think in more recent years it has been aimed more at boys (based on the high percentage of the minifigures that are boys) so this new range is just evening out the balance. My thoughts are it's a new range of toys aimed at girls which is actually getting them to think and construct things (rather than just dress dolls and comb their hair) which is a step forward (imo!!)

SnowyEyed no you are def not alone - find it so depressing that a formerly genderless toy (well, it was in the 70's when we were kids) now has to be sexualised, like so many other things today.
Sick.

here the father figure is male.

The figures look very similar to the Doctor Who figures we have here which are compatible with Lego.

I think one of the Friends figures is male. I will look it up.

Perhaps there will be some male figures if the range expands? All of the other lego ranges seem to be predominantly male (I'd guess around 80% or more of the figures are male??) so this provides a bit of a balance imo.

This feminist (that's the first time I have called myself that 'out loud') is not against Lego friends. I just don't see why they have to be all female and why their introduction means that Lego divides its once open club into regular and girl when girls have been playing with 'regular' Lego for many years.

I don't have any objection to the Lego Friends, in fact I will probably buy it for my children.

But it annoys me that the girls' Lego magazine doesn't have any building instructions in it. Certainly won't buy that.

As Lego Friends has just been launched we'll have the opportunity to see what the toy buying public thinks of them when we get some sales figures later in the year.My guess is that if the feminists are against them they'll probably be a sure fire hit.Buy shares now.

Glad I'm not alone lollygag, really hope the mother of the child I've bought Lego friends as a birthday present for feels the same way... I wasn't aware til now that it was so controversial!!

I don't agree with magazines for children full stop (but that's another thread!) They're all full of drivel, whether it's girlish or boyish or gender neutral drivel doesn't matter much imo

Freddo: I think Lego Friends is a great idea too.Can't understand what all the fuss is about honestly.You'd think there were more important things for people to get worked up about but maybe this is a mark of how far equality has come that all people have to complain about Lego!

Hmm, just don't go signing up to the Lego magazine

Just thinking aloud here after reading a few more posts... surely part of what gives us a personality is that we all have a feminine and a masculine side? Some children are more masculine and prefer toys that appeal to that, others are more feminine and prefer more feminine toys. Making all toys 'gender neutral' would be a bit dull imo. If my sons wanted to play with pink lego I would not have a problem with it just as I have no problem with my girls playing with anything 'boyish' - it's nice for them to have the choice!

I'm really surprised by the negative reactions here! I must admit that I thought lego friends looked great when I saw it advertised and have already bought some for a birthday present

I've been trying to introduce DD1 to lego, she had the Kingdoms advent calendar and enjoyed building the bits but overall pronounced it had too many knights and swords! She got some Harry Potter lego for Christmas which I know she wouldn't like nearly so much if it didn't have Hermione... in my experience both girls and boys like to play with things they can identify with and my daughters are simply not interested in playing with ninjago (although DD1 happily builds it for her little brother then leaves him to play with it!)

My DD's would not be interested in the beauty parlour (although I'm sure some girls might be) but they'd love the inventors' workshop and stage and girly looking cars!

Sorry, but my girls have LOADS of my old Lego Belville stuff and play with it for hours - they are now 9 and 11!! It has horses and carriages, and palaces, and mermaids and beaches with castaway tents, princes and princesses... as well as more recently a music studio and a hospital. It is unashamedly girly with loads and loads of little accessories - they build massive scenarios, they have used it to make various stop go animations as school projects etc

Lego know they have girly fans out there who already like the girly stuff - why can't they produce some?? I played with Belville and the previous girly range before that one and still ended up as a Network manager in charge of 20 blokes providing round the clock technical support to computer systems worldwide....

It is a toy....

teta can I PM you about a law/medicine question?

Befuzzled i have experience of both law and medicine and girls are now doing much better than men up to mid-level in law and in medicine too.Susi2 my twin ds still does ballet along with his twin sister [and is really good at it].But it does help that another boy does it too!.I asked my twin ds about the 'girly lego colours' tonight.He also thinks its a good idea as his twin sister likes anything pink.As does my 12 year old dd [although she says that a lot of girls pretend that they don't like girly colours these days-apparently its not cool to like pink/purple].I personally think the future is female [and i worry about my sons].