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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Feminism: chat

Original poster

I just want to put this here because I think I might not get told STFU.

50 replies

thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 13:24

A small thing but its really niggling me.

I went to ELC yesterday to by the boys some HappyLand stuff.

Its great for them all to play with. I work in 'play' and really rate the stuff. Bright, not all pink or blue. Great for role play, imaginative play etc (I cant help it, I look at all toys from a professional angle nowdays Grin )

Anyway. Got this stuff home. I had bought a 'Rose Cottage'. On the side of the box there is a picture of the family members.

Mr xxx is a geography teacher...
Mrs xxxx keeps rose cottage clean and tidy Shock
Little boy plays outside
Little girl stays indoors and plays with her toys

This is not exact. I threw the packaging away. It is definately the tone though and the Mrs xxx is pretty much word for word.

WTF is going on with ELC? I have had 5 children over nearly 20 years. When DD was born ELC was the place to get primary coloured toys, irons and broom sets that were 'boy friendly', multi cultural dolls etc etc.

Now it sells 'boys toys' and 'girls toys' and puts crap like that on the side of its boxes.

I think it is dreadful. I remember questioning the labelling of boys and girls toys aisles on a forum a couple of years ago and the general consensus was 'stop getting your knickers in a twist' and various other twattery.

It IS wrong though, isnt it?

OP posts:
AliceWorld · 22/04/2011 13:29

Oh yes you're totally right. Of course it matters. pink stinks specifically targeted ELC when they started out for the same kind of reasons, that they hold themselves up as a centre of Early Learning yet sell stereotyped stuff. Their pink microscope is a lower spec than their non pink one.

pointydog · 22/04/2011 13:32

I recently started going into ELC again after around 10 years away from it because I have a little nephew. I was also struck by the blue/pink divide and sexist steroetypes in packaging. I used to like it for my own dds because it was pretty gender neutral.

TheOriginalFAB · 22/04/2011 13:34

My son said something the other day that made me feel sexism is inate.

I hate the pink/blue separation in ELC. What is wrong with green, yellow, red?

Goblinchild · 22/04/2011 13:39

I found the same thing when shopping for a niece birthday present.
When my children were small, ELC was a beacon for good toys that were not gender-specific. I spent quite a lot in there 15 years ago.
I think it's one of the signs that feminist ideas in society are taking a bit of a backwards step, in the same way that when DD was little, toys and clothing were not wall to wall pink for girls. Yet they seem to be now.

Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 13:40

Thank you.

DD would be 19 and DS1 is 17. I found it much easier to buy them gender neutral toys when they were little. As it happens I love pink and have it everywhere but I dont like it on toys and clothes, marking them out as girls only.

Children naturally prefer bright colours anyway. Why the insipid pinks and baby blues?

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Goblinchild · 22/04/2011 13:41

On the upside, DD appears to have borrowed my copy of 'Living Dolls' to take back to uni.

greencaveman · 22/04/2011 13:46

I think half the problem is that there is a HUGE chunk of the population who like getting pink stuff for girls. Also, I am frequently asked by many people why DD isn't in a dress/skirt (she wears leggings mostly).

MIL will often go to ELC, buy something in pink for DD and something in blue for DS - they will be the same toy, just in different colours. She'll hand them over to the kids and say happily "blue for a boy, pink for a girl". I don't say anything and just thank her for the toys. DS is 5 and DD is 3. It doesn't really matter to me because everything I get them, I try not to do this and both of them play with "boy" and "girl" toys.

ChippingInLovesEasterEggs · 22/04/2011 13:47

I love HappyLand - do you use eBay? There is A LOT of fun to be had buying HappyLand on eBay Grin

Burn the box, live in Happyland Bliss - the weather is too nice - no-one reads the box (well no one normal that isn't mourning the loss of a much loved budgie) x

TheOriginalFAB · 22/04/2011 13:49

I love Happyland too and DH has banned me from buying any more. I have listened to him but am going to buy the royal wedding set and knickers to him Grin.

Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 13:50

I DO love happyland.

The kids love it.

I bloody hate the 'Mrs Happyland is housewife' bollocks though.

I cant help it! I am a child of the 70s!

I will write to ELC and tell them how disappointed I am. This will vent my spleen and perhaps result in a/a change - unlikely and/or b/ a freebie - equally unlikely.

OP posts:
Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 13:51

Even I baulked at the Royal Wedding set. You got it bad Fab Grin

OP posts:
Goblinchild · 22/04/2011 13:52

Child of the 70s here too, it's not a false memory you are having MDV.
Smile
Good luck with trying to make a point.

TheOriginalFAB · 22/04/2011 13:54

It's history MrsDV!!

aliceliddell · 22/04/2011 16:23

Of course it's wrong! YANBU. This is all part of the backlash against feminism. Does everyone think if you tell kids from birth that boys do this and girls do that, it makes no difference when they grow up? If boys never play with dolls, it's not surprising they don't know what to do with babies

ChippingInLovesEasterEggs · 22/04/2011 16:54

I didn't have Happyland as a child.

I've made up for it since Grin

TFMDV - there are lots of women in uniform in Happyland Wink. Maybe MrsRoseCottage IS happy to be at home doing homely things. It's really not a crime is it to like to do those things?

It's not as though all of the female Happylanders stay at home while all the male Happylanders go out to work, then I would think it was complaint-worthy.

There are female Drs, Nurses, Vets, Police, the Bakery is owned & run by a woman... (not too sure about the fireset or the road workers set?).... lots of women working... why is it wrong to have 1 at home doing baking & looking after the kids?

Prunnhilda · 22/04/2011 16:59

Let us know what they reply to your letter.
It's just so unnecessary to have the woman be a housewife and the man go out to work.

Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 17:39

I agree Chipping that is why I am so suprised at the rose cottage thingy. On the whole it seems pretty spot on with gender roles and ethnic mix. There is just something so Hmm about that damn packaging.

It irks me.
It irks me sorely.

Smile
OP posts:
Whatevs · 22/04/2011 17:43

I must live in a parallell universe, because our local ELC has never been anything but gender divided. It drives me mad. Absolutely mad. I could rant on the topic at length, but I won't spoil a nice sunny day with my feminist fury Grin

Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 17:47

I am quite old whatevs Grin

Def remember ELC being all bright red, green and yellow and no pink castles or blue irons in the early 90s.

OP posts:
Trebuchet · 22/04/2011 17:47

Totally eff's me off. I feel like all the toys for girls are homemaking type ones or dreadful make up-lelly kelly type shit. Not really aspirational. I grew up in the 80's we had very few toys.

ChippingInLovesEasterEggs · 22/04/2011 17:53

OK - just for the sake of debate (and because I know my head is safe in your mouth TFMDV)....

Can you try to explain to my why it is so terrible to have one, out of all of the Happylanders, be happy to be at home baking and looking after children? As I said earlier, I could understand the fury if all the female Happylanders were at home playing house while all the male ones went out to work... by why is it so wrong that Mrs RoseCottage wants to be at home cooking, cleaning and looking after the children?

I really don't understand why it's an issue :( It feels like it's saying that all women should want to work and it's wrong to enjoy being a homemaker. (Frankly I'm so far from a homemaker it's not funny, but my best friend IS MrsRoseCottage and it's what she wants - why is it 'wrong').

Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 17:58

I dont think its wrong to want to stay at home and bake and not go out to work outside the home chipping I really dont. I wanted to be a SAHM but didnt have the chance until I began fostering my little boy, then all plans were shattered by DD's diagnosis.

I do understand what you are saying and yes, you have a point. One which I didnt really think about, I just reacted to the wording on the packaging.

Given ELC's dodgy record on this issue I do still think it is worth bringing up with them.

OP posts:
Original poster
thefirstMrsDeVere · 22/04/2011 17:59

AND it was the way the girl figure was portrayed as a little thing staying indoors playing with her dolly whilst her brother ran about being boyish outside.

OP posts:
TheVisitor · 22/04/2011 18:05

ELC got taken over a couple of times and are now owned by Mothercare. I do remember the days when they declared that they would not have Barbie or other such brands in there. That changed.

Prunnhilda · 22/04/2011 18:09

blogs.pitch.com/plog/2011/01/hallmarks_old-school_list_of_w.php

It's a bit 'oh dear', isn't it?
Just like that box!