A few weeks ago, I saw
this video on YouTube titled Riley on Marketing. It shows a little girl, about
4 years old, questioning gender stereotyping in her own way. She wonders why all
toys for girls are always pink. "Why do only girls end up with Pink Princesses",
she asks. She also wonders why boys get to have superhero toys in all colours?
She feels girls are tricked into buying the Princess dolls by their pink
packaging, so that the boys can have the Superheroes. She reasons that although
even girls want Superheroes, boys would never/rarely buy anything that's pink!
Little Riley got me thinking about a deeper
problem... Why is pink a 'girly' colour? What's wrong with being 'girly'? Do
boys actually dislike pink? Is it wrong for a girl to like pink? Does liking
pink mean she is not as strong or independent as a 'Tom-Boy'? Does linking pink
mean you are a bimbo? What's wrong with pink? Have we, in our bid to correct
gender stereotyping, actually reinforced it? And what's wrong with having
a Barbie or a Princess doll? It makes you more loving, more caring... a
nurturer.
Instead of discouraging little girls from playing with toys that augment gender stereotyping, why not encourage boys to play with 'girl' toys too? A girl who plays with cars may not necessarily be a tomboy or will grow up to be a lesbian! Neither will every boy who likes fashion, grow up to be any less a man than those who play baseball or football. Chances are that he will grow up to be a loving, protective dad and a man who doesn't physically abuse his wife/girlfriend.
No, I never enjoyed outdoor sports as a kid and yes I loved my Barbies (much to my mom's dismay), but I turned out just fine! I have fought off a mugger (taking a knife in the face in the process), broken 6 out of my 206 bones in the line of duty and been as tough and ready to get my hands dirty as any of my male colleagues. I'm not 'afraid' of bugs, I go running in the woods behind my house everyday and can change car tyres on my own. But I haven't lost touch with my 'feminine side'. I'm very observant, creative, expressive and yes I love dressing up and applying make up...
In short, there is nothing wrong with being 'girly', coz it doesn't really matter if you are a girl or a boy. What really matters is that you are caring, compassionate, well read, independent and most importantly... a good human being.
Instead of discouraging little girls from playing with toys that augment gender stereotyping, why not encourage boys to play with 'girl' toys too? A girl who plays with cars may not necessarily be a tomboy or will grow up to be a lesbian! Neither will every boy who likes fashion, grow up to be any less a man than those who play baseball or football. Chances are that he will grow up to be a loving, protective dad and a man who doesn't physically abuse his wife/girlfriend.
No, I never enjoyed outdoor sports as a kid and yes I loved my Barbies (much to my mom's dismay), but I turned out just fine! I have fought off a mugger (taking a knife in the face in the process), broken 6 out of my 206 bones in the line of duty and been as tough and ready to get my hands dirty as any of my male colleagues. I'm not 'afraid' of bugs, I go running in the woods behind my house everyday and can change car tyres on my own. But I haven't lost touch with my 'feminine side'. I'm very observant, creative, expressive and yes I love dressing up and applying make up...
In short, there is nothing wrong with being 'girly', coz it doesn't really matter if you are a girl or a boy. What really matters is that you are caring, compassionate, well read, independent and most importantly... a good human being.
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