Some good news for a change, Mattel releases new "Creatable World" line

[glenn1]

Well done Mattel. The increase in diversity and representation in both toys and kids books during my lifetime has been nothing short of amazing.

Mattel Launches New Gender-Neutral Dolls

The toy manufacturing giant behind Barbie aims to allow nonbinary youth to play with gender expression in its new line of dolls.

www.npr.org

 

[zinfamous]

wow, you managed to beat Ultra Concerned to this topic. Well done!

 

[glenn1]

wow, you managed to beat Ultra Concerned to this topic. Well done!

Mine doesn't have the implied [sarcasm] tag. The childrens' books and toys I grew up with, it was like non-white people didn't actually exist (except for perhaps the token black person background character) and dolls like this would have made heads explode.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Do they have kung-fu grip?

 

[zinfamous]

Mine doesn't have the implied [sarcasm] tag. The childrens' books and toys I grew up with, it was like non-white people didn't actually exist (except for perhaps the token black person background character) and dolls like this would have made heads explode.

I actually didn't take it for sarcasm--obviously UC would have posted this thread with a different, obvious intent.

 

[sandorski]

True Facts: Barbie and Ken never had a Sex. All they ever had were Genders.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Mine doesn't have the implied [sarcasm] tag. The childrens' books and toys I grew up with, it was like non-white people didn't actually exist (except for perhaps the token black person background character) and dolls like this would have made heads explode.

Not sure when you grew up, but my generation had Star Wars, He-Man, Transformers, GI Joe and fvcking Thundercats. Race and gender identity were secondary to wrapping my head around worlds of characters with human anatomies but the heads of elephants, cats and water pistols.

 

[Jaskalas]

True Facts: Barbie and Ken never had a Sex. All they ever had were Genders.

Those two things are typically one in the same. Especially in that historical context.

That might be what all the fuss is about. Many of us were taught that Gender was simply the PC word for Sex. As in they are literally the same by definition. There is no ambiguity, no choice, no social construct. You simply are what you are and you have no say in it.

However, other people appear to have generated a whole other meaning for the word Gender, as to apply a social construct separate and distinct from one's Sex. A definition where choice is not only possible, but expected to be supported and flourished.

These two views are in conflict, because the concept of the separate definition for Gender is completely foreign and seemingly unnatural if one imagines it is only ever referring to Sex. It is interesting how much we apes fight over the meaning of words. That we never stop and look at the big picture, to understand the "why" in the way things are. To grasp the origins of conflicts and to strive to bridge such gaps. Instead we rather seem to enjoy slinging mud at one another across the gap.

 

[brandonbull]

Not sure when you grew up, but my generation had Star Wars, He-Man, Transformers, GI Joe and fvcking Thundercats. Race and gender identity were secondary to wrapping my head around worlds of characters with human anatomies but the heads of elephants, cats and water pistols.

Times were simpler and kids could be kids. Now the crazed morons have been telling kids that they will never make it to adult hood and all this evil is waiting to pounce on them unless they accept the Progressheviks and a strong central government as their lords and saviors.

 

[Starbuck1975]

Times were simpler and kids could be kids. Now the crazed morons have been telling kids that they will never make it to adult hood and all this evil is waiting to pounce on them unless they accept the Progressheviks and a strong central government as their lords and saviors.

I wouldn’t go that far. It does seem that fighting the gender binary has entered into marketing circles as the next pumpkin spice.

 

[zinfamous]

Ah, the concern is piling up I see.

 

[dank69]

Ah, the concern is piling up I see.

Was there ever any doubt that the concern would fail to materialize?

 

[nakedfrog]

Times were simpler and kids could be kids. Now the crazed morons have been telling kids that they will never make it to adult hood and all this evil is waiting to pounce on them unless they accept the Progressheviks and a strong central government as their lords and saviors.

You're funny. Also stupid, but funny.

Mostly stupid though.

 

[Homerboy]

Times were simpler and kids could be kids. Now the crazed morons have been telling kids that they will never make it to adult hood and all this evil is waiting to pounce on them unless they accept the Progressheviks and a strong central government as their lords and saviors.

Maybe people and feelings were suppressed and closeted because of the times? Making them "simpler" for straight, white heterosexuals males (aka "normal") but at the same time actually harder for those that didn't fall into a "default" category? Things are often relative to your perspective...

 

[Fanatical Meat]

@glenn1 I am surprised by your heartfelt words. Completely didn’t expect them from you.


I am very concerned about this diversity word #sarcasm

I wonder if the diversity word was left off would there be less concern.

 

[glenn1]

@glenn1 I am surprised by your heartfelt words. Completely didn’t expect them from you.


I am very concerned about this diversity word #sarcasm

I wonder if the diversity word was left off would there be less concern.

The world is never worse off with more love in it, more colors in it, more good stories in it, or anything else which increased diversity has brought us. That includes the sexual orientation of those who live in it and are doing the loving, the color of the people who live in it, the stories of different cultures or gender identities, you name it. My kids can see themselves in the art of nowadays which is a good thing. And I and others can consume better artistic content also, I remember seeing "Go Fish" in the 90s and thinking "wow LGBT film has gotta get better than this" and thankfully now lots of new voices are telling stories. Sure there's still amazing white male storytellers like Neil Gaiman or Charlie Kaufman but they're not the only game in town anymore.

 

[interchange]

Kids do this all the time anyway. Normal part of development. I do think our attitudes toward that exploration means something, and although I'm probably not going to go out and buy these toys for my tots, I'd be happy for them to have them. But they've got enough boy/girl/various color/animal stuff that they make all the franken-toys they care to anyway. Maybe having both a son and daughter only 2 years apart facilitates this.

The difficulty I have is these toys seem a response to people who wish to direct their kids' explorations, teaching an anxiously attached moralism about it. I think that's just as bad as those teaching an anxiously attached moralism prohibiting gender/race exploration.

But hey, that's up to the parental figure.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

The world is never worse off with more love in it, more colors in it, more good stories in it, or anything else which increased diversity has brought us. That includes the sexual orientation of those who live in it and are doing the loving, the color of the people who live in it, the stories of different cultures or gender identities, you name it. My kids can see themselves in the art of nowadays which is a good thing. And I and others can consume better artistic content also, I remember seeing "Go Fish" in the 90s and thinking "wow LGBT film has gotta get better than this" and thankfully now lots of new voices are telling stories. Sure there's still amazing white male storytellers like Neil Gaiman or Charlie Kaufman but they're not the only game in town anymore.

Totally unexpected and I am sorry for judging you.

 

[glenn1]

Kids do this all the time anyway. Normal part of development. I do think our attitudes toward that exploration means something, and although I'm probably not going to go out and buy these toys for my tots, I'd be happy for them to have them. But they've got enough boy/girl/various color/animal stuff that they make all the franken-toys they care to anyway. Maybe having both a son and daughter only 2 years apart facilitates this.

The difficulty I have is these toys seem a response to people who wish to direct their kids' explorations, teaching an anxiously attached moralism about it. I think that's just as bad as those teaching an anxiously attached moralism prohibiting gender/race exploration.

But hey, that's up to the parental figure.

My experience has been that I neither need to direct my kids' explorations nor could I. Not once in my life did I or my wife mention ballet to my daughter yet she did it for 3 years. Never once did we suggest Pokemon cards to her yet now she'd spend our mortgage money on them if she could. We didn't direct her love of science. We didn't do anything to prompt my son's love of playing with cooking/kitchen toys, or him thinking dancing to disco is the greatest thing in the world. Hopefully these new dolls likewise resonate with some kids out there, perhaps even mine.

 

[nickqt]

Times were simpler and kids could be kids. Now the crazed morons have been telling kids that they will never make it to adult hood and all this evil is waiting to pounce on them unless they accept the Progressheviks and a strong central government as their lords and saviors.

There you go again, yelling at a mirror.

 

[Muse]

Mine doesn't have the implied [sarcasm] tag. The childrens' books and toys I grew up with, it was like non-white people didn't actually exist (except for perhaps the token black person background character) and dolls like this would have made heads explode.

Myself, I grew up with Ken. You know, Barbie's boyfriend? I mean Ken Handler, who was in real life Barbie Handler's brother. Their mom invented the Barbie Doll.

Ken and I went to grammar school together, I knew him all through grade school. He was a tall gangly kid who was kinda uncoordinated, not good in those playground sports at recess. Not at all stupid, though. Seemed like an OK guy, definitely had a good sense of humor. I didn't really know him personally. We weren't friends or anything like that. I don't remember seeing his sister Barbie, although I probably did, just didn't know it. The Handlers lived in our neighborhood in West L.A., although I didn't know where their house was.

At the time, I don't remember any black kids going to our schools, even our high school, Hamilton High. A few years later there were black kids going to "Hammy High."

I was unaware of their connection to the Barbie Doll phenomenon, IIRC, until later.

Ken died of a brain tumor, I think in the 1990's. I remember the last time I saw him, we ran into each other in the parking lot of a diner in Westwood, near UCLA.

 

[Victorian Gray]

Ah, the concern is piling up I see.

Doesn't it always? (unfortunately)

 

[Victorian Gray]

The world is never worse off with more love in it, more colors in it, more good stories in it, or anything else which increased diversity has brought us. That includes the sexual orientation of those who live in it and are doing the loving, the color of the people who live in it, the stories of different cultures or gender identities, you name it. My kids can see themselves in the art of nowadays which is a good thing. And I and others can consume better artistic content also, I remember seeing "Go Fish" in the 90s and thinking "wow LGBT film has gotta get better than this" and thankfully now lots of new voices are telling stories. Sure there's still amazing white male storytellers like Neil Gaiman or Charlie Kaufman but they're not the only game in town anymore.

Thank you for writing this.

 

[Starbuck1975]

The world is never worse off with more love in it, more colors in it, more good stories in it, or anything else which increased diversity has brought us. That includes the sexual orientation of those who live in it and are doing the loving, the color of the people who live in it, the stories of different cultures or gender identities, you name it. My kids can see themselves in the art of nowadays which is a good thing. And I and others can consume better artistic content also, I remember seeing "Go Fish" in the 90s and thinking "wow LGBT film has gotta get better than this" and thankfully now lots of new voices are telling stories. Sure there's still amazing white male storytellers like Neil Gaiman or Charlie Kaufman but they're not the only game in town anymore.

Diversity and inclusiveness is a good thing, but I approach these things with skepticism when it comes to selling products. Marketing departments are now using virtue signaling and using social justice as branding opportunities. Pride month ends, and all the rainbow flags disappear.

Kids are also incredibly impressionable. My niece has a Han Solo play costume and prefers Star Wars legos to Disney princess ones. There is nothing wrong with that. I would however question the motives of an educator, counselor or any adult that would take that as an invitation to engage her or convince her that she falls into some gender category.

Then again, the adults of my youth didn’t understand or approve of the whole heavy metal sub-culture, which certainly had its own form of expression.

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Diversity and inclusiveness is a good thing, but I approach these things with skepticism when it comes to selling products. Marketing departments are now using virtue signaling and using social justice as branding opportunities. Pride month ends, and all the rainbow flags disappear.

Kids are also incredibly impressionable. My niece has a Han Solo play costume and prefers Star Wars legos to Disney princess ones. There is nothing wrong with that. I would however question the motives of an educator, counselor or any adult that would take that as an invitation to engage her or convince her that she falls into some gender category.

Then again, the adults of my youth didn’t understand or approve of the whole heavy metal sub-culture, which certainly had its own form of expression.

Calm down, you sound like the nervous Nancies on the PMRC from our time.
This isn’t an insult just meant to be a reminder for you.
Who cares if gay flags disappear after gay pride day. Who cares if they make different race/mixed race dolls with an occasion fat doll too. Who cares if there is a same sex couple doll.
Relax a bit on these thing man.