The first toy that was looked up was the Leapfrog LittleTouch LeapPad. The description accompanying the toy exclaimed “now in Pink!” seeing as the toy was originally only offered in b
lue. The way that the website presented the description was basically suggesting that it is now acceptable for girls to own this product because it now comes in their “favorite” normative color. Additionally, in the picture depicting the LeapPad the story shown being read involves a cow baking pies in a kitchen. Even as infants, girls are already being shown that it is normative for a woman to be a homemaker and cook. This contrasts to how boys’ toys illustrate how a man should work out of the home and demonstrates society’s normative patriarchal ideals. As Johnson explains, patriarchy is”about defining women and men as opposites, about the "naturalness" of male aggression, competition, and dominance and of female caring, cooperation, and subordination” (Johnson 94). Being exposed to toys that depict such patriarchal ideals will have an impact on their behavior when they become older.
The next toy analyzed was the Evenflo Exersaucer Mega – Tea for 1-2-3. Besides the toy being an array of pinks, greens, and yellows, all normative colors for girls, it is complete with an attached bonnet, purse, teapot, and flowers for the baby to play with. At an age where the baby
doesn’t even realize what these items are, besides neat thing to hit around and bite on, they are subconsciously being told that when they become older these are the types of toys to associate with. The Evenflo Exersaucer is insinuating stereotyped behavior that all little girls like to dress-up and play tea party. Toys that depict what is normative for girls or boys to play and associate with enforce gender socialization, which is defined by Newman as “…the way that people learn to act in accordance with the rules of a particular society” (Newman 108). On the “Toys ‘R’ Us” website, the boys’ toys are characterized by bugs, cars, and primary colors while the girls’ are butterflies, princesses, and pastels. These examples of gender socialization are what put boys in the direction of being “rough and tough” and girls in the mind frame of being “prim and proper”.
The third toy on the list was the Fisher-Price Dreamland Soother in, once again (surprise, surprise), pink. The toy is described as an “enchanting scene with a fairy princess, hopping frog and fluttering butte
rflies.” Again, we have another normative stereotype that all girls should grow up to want to be princess and dance upon clouds with butterflies until they marry their prince, who is disguised as a frog. Moreover, the princess shown is white and there is no option for this toy to come in any other race. Even at the infant stage, there are toys portraying hegemonic ideals. As Lull explains, “the mass media help[s] create an impression that even society’s roughest edges ultimately must conform to the conventional contours of dominant ideologies” (Lull 64). To a young black girl who sees this toy, it is suggesting that ideal beauty is white and that only white girls are worthy of being princesses. Another Soother offered by Fisher-Price is the Rainforest Waterfall Peek-a-Boo Soother. While the Dreamland Soother shows a princess in the clouds, the Rainforest Soother depicts an outdoors jungle scene. As mentioned previously, it suggests that normative girls are wrapped up in fairytales while normative boys prefer the adventures of the outdoors.
The next toy was Infantino’s Mallory the Monkey. At first glance,
besides the toy being named “Mallory”, it didn’t appear to be too gender specific. Then under related toys there was “Dylan the Duck”, also made by Infantino which then clearly divided the toys into being orientated for a specific gender. Additionally, in Mallory’s description she is described as having “jingling pals” while Dylan’s are described as “rattling pals”. Using different terminology to describe the two toys enforces the idea that they are
gender specific. When something is thought to “rattle” it comes across as sounding louder and rougher than something that jingles, which is associated with a faint and softer sound. Mallory is also described as having a “soft satin skirt” compared to Dylan’s “crinkled surfboard”. “From an early age, [children] are like "gender detectives/ searching for cues about gender, such as who should and shouldn't engage in certain activities, who can play with whom, and why girls and boys differ” (Newman 113). Such slight changes in their descriptions, like these, enforce normative gender roles and hint to children about how to behave like a girl or to behave like a boy.
The final toy on the list is the Fisher-Price Musical Fairyland Gym. It once again prompts normative gender roles with its flower shaped mat and pastel 
colors. The gym is also described by the website as “delightful” and features “dancing lights [and] sweet music.” Same as the previous paragraph, “soft words” are normative when describing girls or things associated with girls. Additionally, the gym is priced at $74.99, making it one of the more expensive playmats on the “Toys ‘R’ Us” website. Compared to one of the cheaper playmats on the website for $29.99, made by Baby Genius, the Fisher Price product is larger in size, has more activities for the infant to play with, and is geared towards girls. The Baby Genius model is smaller and can be used for either boys or girls, even though the primary colors and frog shaped mat suggest more normative masculine qualities. However, it still accomplishes the same purpose as the more expe
nsive Fisher-Price gym. The difference in price for the gyms presents the socioeconomic factor because those of a lower social class may not have $74.99 to splurge on a playmat when a similar product is being marketed for about $45 cheaper. At that price you could buy two of the Baby Genius playmats for less than the price of the Fisher-Price one. Therefore, the Fisher-Price product is not going to be accessible to everyone shopping for this particular kind of gift.
Overall, gender is a learned concept that is taught from birth. Children’s toys from early on are already enforcing what society considers normative gender roles. Children, as they grow up, will begin at act out the gender socializations they have picked up on subconsciously as a infant. As much as one can try to suppress the message of the normative gender roles portrayed in children's toys they will still and always will exist.
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Works Cited
Dines, Gail, and Jean M. Humez. Gender, Race, and Class in Medai. 2. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2003.
Johnson, Allan. Patriarchy, The System: An It, Not a He, a Them, or an Us.
Lull, James. "Hegemony." Gender, Race, and Class in Medai. 2003. Dines, Humez. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, 2003.
Newman, David. Identities and Inequalities: Exploring the Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality.
Images (in order of appearance)
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