To want to ban Friends Lego?

[chippednailvarnish]

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?

[Only1scoop]

'Pink stinks'


Unless your ds wears a pink tutu and pushes a pink pram.

[DisappointedOne]

Have bought the research institute for DD for when she's a bit bigger.

[PaleoRules]

Those who are saying that MN will only let boys like pink are missing the point completely. It's nothing to do with the colour pink, it's to do with the polarisation of all toys being marketed at girls being pink, and what those toys generally represent.

It also restricts boys' choice because the marketing very clearly states pink is for girls and pink toys are for girls.

This simply didn't happen when we were kids - toys were primary colours. This pink/blue thing is very modern and the marketing companies have done a great job of convincing parents it's being driven by children. It most certainly isn't!

[chippednailvarnish]

Exactly paleo, why make it for boys and girls? Why not just have Lego for everyone?

[BabyMurloc]

I have a mix of Lego and a mix of genders of kids. They all play with all of it. My DS LOVES the Lego friends animal rescue sets. I swear he thinks he is Diego...

[Only1scoop]

Shame the campaign is entitled 'pink stinks'

[PaleoRules]

It's a catchy name that people remembers and the purpose, again, is to point out that not all girls' toys NEED to be bloody pink and that pink means that the message is "this is for girls". I would argue it actually restricts boys choice of toys more than girls as it is far less acceptable sadly to buy girls' toys for boys than vice versa.

[BlackeyedSusan]

both children use the original lego and not the friends stuff. both did get a friends set with animals in though. we "lost" the pink bows. I bought it for the interesting other bits rather than the cute animals. I discussed the marketting with dd. a bt of pink won't hurt but we poked fun at the animals needing pink hair ribbons to appeal to girls and that not everything has to be pink and sparkly for girls to like it and children can choose whichever lego they like to play with.

Lego is becoming more polarised. there seem to be sets marketed at girls and thos marketed at boys, along with a bit in between.

[PandasRock]

I hate Lego Friends too. Not be uses it is pink. But because it is simplified, and has sadly bought into the glamour industry by slimming down and placing such an emphasis on looks with the mini dolls. I would have much less of an issue with it if they had used proper minifigs, which, as the collectable ranges show, can be customised and individualised to a high degree as it is - why the huge body I age emphasis for the 'girls' lego?

Dd2 has lots of the range. She likes the animal emphasis, and has the treehouse, jungle rescue etc. also the stables, I think. I love the lighthouse/airport/caravan/hot air balloon sets.

We have lots of 'traditional' lego too, and dd2 also enjoys playing with that. But marketing works, and when let loose in a lego shop, she gravitates towards where she is 'meant' to go, because she is heavily influenced by peers and society in general. Which means at times, she has the choice (before extensive intervention on my part) of sets like: baker, cafe, shopping mall, pop star, juice bar. A complete WAG setup, in other words.

I think it is a crying shame that lego has decided to gender its products so much. Mostly because it is making toys harder for my children. Ds covets his sisters lego friends, but come next year when he starts school, I expect he will be mocked for playing with the 'girls' version (just as dd2 is belittled for liking some of the traditional sets she has - she is having to learn, at 8, to only talk of certain things with some of her friends).

If lego had stuck to using traditional minifigs, incorporated a lot of the Friends ideas into the City range, and extended the colour mix in all sets then everyone would be happy.

[Idontseeanydragons]

I think lego in general is getting annoying. All of the little bits and pieces aren't necessary IMO and it's not just the lego friends sets that do it. A couple of years ago DS asked for one of the LOTR sets and it came with loads of little odds & ends (swords and such) that were either supposed to be held or just lie around. Lego friends is even worse for it - the shopping mall set has tiny records and all sorts of assorted shite that ends up in the Hoover that get lost. It's pointless but all of the sets are doing it.
And they're really expensive.

[PandasRock]

As an aside, I love the more recent Creator ranges of animals, and the Lego Ideas birds are amazing. I'd love to see more sets like those.

[PandasRock]

Agree the accessories are getting out of hand.

I also,love the new Ferris wheel. I am eyeing that up, but sadly cannot really justify the price. The fairground range is a good thought - not gender specific, good range of colours - but with it only being Expert sets, and no fill in smaller sets, it is too expensive to filter down to children, and will mostly be for adult fans.

[SomewhereIBelong]

not sure if I should get this one for DD or Dnephew...

lego-lab though I'd have to sell the children to afford it.

[SaucyJack]

We had a Lego croissant with one of the Lego Friends sets.

I bloody loves it.

[PausingFlatly]

"If lego had stuck to using traditional minifigs, incorporated a lot of the Friends ideas into the City range, and extended the colour mix in all sets then everyone would be happy."

This exactly.

It's the separation that's the problem. Specific range of scenarios + specific simpler pieces + colour-coded for one gender (because pink vs blue/khaki is colour-coding, not aesthetics) = problem.

[SomewhereIBelong]

but research showed that they could sell more by diversifying.
You know - make more money.

Why wouldn't they?

[Cadenza1818]

The beauty of lego is that it doesn't need to have a boy / girl set. I had 'boy' lego when I was little as that's all there was. I loved it. I played with it quite different though. Liked building a town and using in same way as doll house. I only have boys. However if I had girls I wouldn't touch the friends set with a barge pole. It's so limiting!

[merrymouse]

I agree that the colour coding and lego friends figures are restrictive - what is wrong with boys having domestic sets with animals?

Nothing wrong with including pink and purple bricks as appropriate in any random set, but why do all the Lego Friends sets have to be pink and purple?

However, if you want to avoid lego friends there are some brilliant lego creator sets and the characters in the mini-fig sets are far more interesting than the bland lego friends girls.

[Only1scoop]

Saucy ....love the croissant

Love the strawb scones also....but pink mind....

[PandasRock]

I'm not sure they would make much less money if they hadn't polarised, tbh.

Lego sets are expensive. My dc will buy one each, not multiples,of the same set. So, if the Friends range had been incorporated into the City range, with proper colour spread, proper extension of a city (because since when has a city been all about swamps, police and burglars anyway? Where's the 'normal' life?) they would still buy a set each. Same money going to Lego (and possibly a bit more, as it would be far easier for me to buy the, a big set, such as the Ferris wheel, or some of the Christmas sets, to share, rather than having to get them smaller individual sets thanks to bloody marketing)

It is such a shame. Lego was always the one, gender-levelling toy. Boys, girls, a shed load of bricks, and the ability to build whatever your imagination wanted.
And now it is Boys with bricks, and girls with bricks, and some crossover in the middle. How did it go so wrong?

[TSSDNCOP]

I want the R2D2.

I absolutely love Lego. It fascinates me. DS will build for hours on end and even DM gets roped in as assistant when I'm not around.

The cheapest afternoon entertainment is a trip to the Lego shop so the kids can sit and play with the big yellow tub.

[Degustibusnonestdisputandem]

I've recently started to collect LEGO again, and have an enormous wish list DTDs have helped me build two (horribly expensive) modular buildings, and I've also enjoyed building all the elves sets with them. On their current wish list are more elves sets, the Friends airport and hotel, and the dinosaur (Jurassic world) sets! I'd love the Simpsons sets but by goodness they are £££

[DisappointedOne]

We had a Lego croissant with one of the Lego Friends sets.

You can buy those bits individually too - they're about 16p. We have croissants and apples and cups for the lego campervan.

[chippednailvarnish]

Somewhere I bet that fantastic set doesn't come in a pink box

[PandasRock]

Merry mouse, I have just (belatedly) realised the minifigs sets are not as gimmicky as I first thought. Well, they are, but gimmicky with value.

And I am now buying targeted ones on eBay, to break down the Friends barrier. Friends ones are bland, and virtually clones. The range in the minifigs sets is amazing, and has a good gender mix too.

I can foresee many versions of Olivia and Stephanie disappearing up the Hoover in this house

I do like the detail of the accessories, but hate that only girls get croissants, and boys get swords/tools