There is a buzz about Super Bowl 2014 ads and a bit of controversy is brewing about Intuit’s ad a contest and choosing of GodieBlox as winner of a 4 million dollar Super Bowl spot . GodieBlox is the maker of builder toys aimed at girls; it mission as the owner says is to shake-up the pink isle. The media is gushing over the as a counterpart to media male dominated ads and girl power. I feel like the little boy in the Emperor’s New Clothes. Is Goldieblox doing girls a favor by creating a separate toys for them but I need to go father and ask is even beneficial to shove STEM at girls who may chose a different path. Is it beneficial to make girls pawns of an ill thought out and ridiculous war on gender? Is it beneficial to tell girls pink is uncool. I would say no to each part because imposing so called gender neutrality is causing more harm than good and furthermore, what if a boy want to play with GoldieBlox kits or a girl want a pink Hello Kitty are we going to say no?
The very idea that girls need their own toy to push them towards creativity reeks of feminist illogic and sexism. I find the whole thing as hypocritical as take your daughters to work. On one side they want gender neutrality but turn around the next and appeal to gender separation. GoldieBlox make no bone they want to appeal to girls and in way girls by the way of gender, understand via storytelling. Not to mention the kit and the commercial Super Bowl ads scream boys need not to apply.
Another problem Goldieblox and the quest for so called gender neutrality is the possibility of stigmatizing young girls, by making choices of being girly or feminine seem abnormal. The unintended consequences could be stigmatizing and looking down girls who want to girly princesses and like pink. What if a girl decides not to pursue a STEM degree and want to be a mother? The problem is Goldiebox and Gender neutrality activist impose a one size solution on all girl and in a way on all boys. I am a fan of Hello Kitty and I like to answer Hello related questions on Yahoo Questions. While I do not answer them, I notice a trend of young from 13 to 17 having anxieties over and wonder if it normal for them to like girlish things, and hello kitty. I wonder if the girl empowerment movement on side wants to give the freedom to be more than a girl but in contradiction prohibit the freedom of just being girls if they chose so.
There are far and undeniable truths how male and female minds are wired differently. Even when gender specific items are swapped: giving a boy a girl toy and a girl a boy toy, children will play with them differently. As a couple fond out the hard way when they gave their boy a doll and girl a few cars, the by used the doll as a play gun and the girl nurtured the cars. I see the same differences between the sexes as a guy who is a fan of Hell o Kitty and a brony. On a site dedicated to Hello Kitty dominated by females much of the interest is on acquisition of Hello Kitty / Sanrio. If there is any meeting of fans it often in small intimate groups. Contrast this to the Brony phenomenon of young and older men liking My Little Pony, a show made for girls. I do not think these men are in touch of feminine side but put a masculine touch to media design for girls by the creativity and desire to share their fan experiences in mass like a sporting event. Before Bronies came on the scene there were My Little Pony cons and fans but it was mostly small sales shows. Mass gathering of thousands fans like Broycon NY and Everfree Northwest never existed.
While I believe Godieblox has good intentions but the generalizations and unintended damages reminds us that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I can see where children can explore outside their gender but be comfortable with their given gender identity and adults must not impose their misguided ideas of gender indent less they case unnecessary confusion and anxiety and other emotional issues. A girl my chose to be a scientist or engineer or just a pink loving princess, it should be her choice. Let boy be boy and girls be girls.
