LEGO Friends - SPARK Change

LEGO has recently released a new line of toys aimed at girls. SPARK and PBG have created a Change petition to ask LEGO to stop selling girls short and start marketing to kids equally. Limiting girls' choices early in life leads to limited aspirations down the road, so coming from a company that prides itself on being innovative and encouraging innovation, the Friends line really falls flat.

http://www.change.org/petitions/tell-lego-to-stop-selling-out-girls-liberatel...
http://www.facebook.com/SPARKsummit
http://www.facebook.com/poweredbygirl

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Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• LEGO
• LEGO Friends
• toys
• kids
• girls
• boys
• sexism
• feminism
• SPARK
• PBG
• advertising
• AFOL

[krisfitz77]

I totally agree! I wanted to buy my niece some Legos for Christmas, but stopped the moment I saw that the "girls line" was extremely pink and extremely dumbed-down. As someone who learned about design, creativity and strategy through playing with Legos, I was deeply disappointed. Step up Lego or you'll have consumers stepping out.

[tolmandl]

This is about MARKETING folks, and the research has demonstrated negative impacts on girls (and boys) of constrained, gender-specific, "pinkified" representations. YOU have the imagination (you probably didn't see this kind of ad), but this kind of pigeonholing steals imagination. Been in a toy store lately? Check out the sexualized toys in the girls' pink section. There is no "all kids" section anymore...

[sriontube]

Pink - Girl

Blue - Boy

(Rainbow)All colors - Gay??

Whats wrong with America!!!

[babymariemerchant]

I was just annoyed that Lego had to delve in with the 'Super Duper Best Friends Forever!!!!' trope for girls. Nothing original here folks.

[ActaNonVerba71]

I have questions for white feminists. How come I've never seen large groups of white feminists openly campaigning for race-netural toys and media for children? It's a rhetorical question. I know the answer. Don't worry, it's the same on the other side with the men's rights people. Alot of them say they are for men's advocacy but their words and actions (or lack of) show what they really mean is that they are for white men's advocacy.

[MizuTakishima3]

Now if you'll excuse me, Lego, my inner child and I are going outside to play Nerf-Shooting Pop Sensations vs Sword-wielding Pirate Princesses.

[MizuTakishima3]

Lego, can we please stop with this gendered nonsense? Just because I didn't like legos that much when I was a little girl, doesn't mean that plenty of other girls don't! Besides, why do we have to instill such gender binaries in the minds of VERY SMALL CHILDREN just for the sake of marketing? I'd really rather not let the freaking toy isle teach my future offspring that "the pink isle is where all the girl stuff goes, and all the other colors are the boy stuff!"

[devingray2000]

thank you!!

I saw these at target and made a facebook page.

Parents-against-Lego-Friends

[loveohhlove]

Hey, my girl loves playing with legoes. The only missing part is girl-mini-figures and some more sets that is non-violent - you don't need a conflict to get together.

Maybe some historical sets like the Medieval Market Village.

Lego - We know you can do it!

[bugisami]

Yes Lego, include more girls in your advertising (with some of the usual insults to boys) and lose 90% of your market. Boys absolutely detest anything they perceive as "girly."

[inked76]

@fortinuex Actually, they weren't BOY Legos. They were Legos. Period.