Mattel introduces 'gender neutral' dolls

I actually like the idea of a child fashion doll with a non sexualised body. Even as a kid Barbie made me feel inadequate because I knew I would never be like her.

What I don't like is all of the pronoun stuff, and the fact the girl and boy clothing is still heavily stereotyped.

I'm sure we had a Sindy growing up that had a button at the back to change the length of the hair. Ahead of the times it seems.

I had one of these as a child, and lots of Action Men because I had a big brother and when he grew out of them I got his hand me downs.

Just Mattel cashing in They won't!

Little girls who want Barbie will be pissed off, little boys who want Barbie won't be impressed, and little boys and girls who want action man will be very pissed off.

I look forward to seeing them in the 99p bin soon.

OMG why are so many people buying into this crap? As OP says it's just going backwards. This is what a girl looks like, this is what a boy looks like, what's under the pants doesn't matter. That is not progress

And these already exist - "fashionista" Barbies who are allowed to be female and yet not "gender conform" if that's the phrase we must use.

here

and here

They've been discussing this on Vanessa Feltz' radio show this morning (BBC Radio London) incidentally. She's remaining impartial (I suppose she has to as a presenter)

Given that "gender neutral" mostly means young woman with short hair and deep anxieties about the societal role that's being pushed on her do the dolls come with welts from binder usage?

Just Mattel cashing in on all the gender neutral crap.

It’s just bragging rights for the parents.
‘Oh Zippy only plays with their gender neutral human figure.’

I like the idea of child bodied dolls - makes a change from barbie's boobs.

Not impressed with the reinforcing of ideas that hair length and clothes changes somebody's gender though.

and why the fuck does an 8 year old even know the term gender fluid, much less identify as it.

I had to stop reading at "8 year old who's gender fluid"

Theres no coming back from that.

The whole point of toys is it keeps kids quiet so you can shower or wash up.

If you are there to sit and watch what they are doing to the point you can pin.point the pattern of gender fluidity then....

The heads on sticks all in a row are a bit creepy...

Also, this is such classic virtue signalling crap, and the reporting is even worse. Fluttering eyelashes? Please.

And kids will just out whatever clothes they want on whatever doll. It is it to make it ok for boys to play with follows when they don’t want soldier ones? Sexist/homophobic?

Aren’t action men gender neutral? Anyway. These dolls are ugly so kids won’t want them - they either like pretty or pig-ugly dolls. I assume the are asexual (no boobs or testicle bulge). How very ‘victorian’.

I can’t see kids choosing them to be honest.

And people who make cartoons and toys and stuff for kids really need to learn that boys have eyelashes too.

Jenna Karvunidis, who popularized the gender-reveal party, recently revealed on Facebook that her now 10-year-old child is gender-nonconforming and that she regrets holding the party.

I've never heard of this woman but assume she buys heavily into gender stereotypes. Not surprised her daughter pushed back.

As for the doll, long hair = female and short hair = male is pretty consistent with the ideology so it makes sense.

From the article, it looks like they just saw a trend and thought they'd make money out of it. Pinkification by another name imo.

This.

I'm sure we* had a Sindy growing up that had a button at the back to change the length of the hair. Ahead of the times it seems.

*When I say 'we' I mean big sisters 1 & 2. I as little number 3 didn't. Obviously absolutely no trace of jealousy and bitterness at all. My, My Little Ponies, were better than theirs

I had a Suntan Tuesday. She had stickers to show where she’d caught the sun.

Mind you I do like a sunbed session so maybe there’s something to this.

So I’m guessing they’ve got smooth genitalia AND flat chests if they’re going the full gender neutral route?

Corporate virtue signalling is absolutely fine unless it actually challenges anything. I'll never look at it the same way after the Gilette fiasco.

This is 100% a commercial decision. As PP said, it fills a gap in the market and is a massive virtue signalling ploy.

Saw these in the news. They all just look like girls.

A woman with short hair, jeans and dm's on is not gender neutral. She's just cool. 😁

I fail to see how this isn't a good thing. These are dolls free from gender stereotypes. Just because two children who played with it associated long hair with girls, and referred to the long hair as girls, doesn't mean all children will. Plus, up till now all children have seen is the likes of Barbie. Long hair, overly sexualized features and body shape. Of course they'd initially think the long haired doll was female. That's all they know. This doll can be whatever the child wants it to be. If you think gender stereotypes are bad, how could you object to this doll?

At first I was WTAF
But now I think about it, it’s a good thing. I was thinking about Bratz dolls and their fluttery eyelashes and pouty lips- setting girls up to buy fake eyelash inserts and lip fillers. On the boys...I then thought of that human Ken doll guy who has implant everything and ribs sawn off to get that pinched in waist look.

Gender neutral is a good thing. A doll can now be a girl without the implied necessity of fluttery eyelashes, big boobs and plump lips. A doll can be a boy without looking like a gladiator with a hipster beard.

I hope they have all the skin tones and hair types covered as well!

This is just capitalism.

Ride the wave, and contribute to, the market of increasingly gender stereotyped toys, pink things, blue things, over the last two decades.

And when it's been pushed to it's extreme, and you see a new gap in that market, market something that's 'different'. But it's really, really not ground breaking:

“Should I put on the girl hair?” Shi’a fits a long, blond wig on the doll’s head, and suddenly it is no longer an avatar for him, but for his sister.

Carefully manicured features betray no obvious gender: the lips are not too full, the eyelashes not too long and fluttery (huh? child dolls with full lips/long and fluttery eyelashes= girl?)

Awesome. Sex differences delineated by the length of your hair, and the fluttering of your eyelashes, fullness of your lips, eh? So ground breaking. So stunning.

What a load of crap.

I had a big sindy house when I was little. I filled it with action men and dinosaurs.