Tesco removes gender-specific toy sections after little girl complains - Polidicks

[QUOTE=murple;46574315]she looks like a little shit[/QUOTE] Can people stop making sweeping statements about people based off of just a picture

[QUOTE=Zukriuchen;46574450]calling it "some objects" is downplaying their influence when there's tons of stuff like kids shows based entirely around toy lines[/QUOTE] wouldn't it be the show that is influencing the child and not the toys then?

[QUOTE=Gwoodman;46574269]personally I think human interaction will have way more influence on a child's development rather than some objects Don't think I don't understand your view, I agree with the fact that there are some people out there that force things into children out there but I wouldn't go as far to say that it's a toys fault or how a supermarket organizes their things[/QUOTE] still, it's easier to legislate something like a single-gender toy aisle than it is to legislate that parents not harass their kids and send them to "gay camp" for playing with the wrong doll.

[QUOTE=murple;46574315]she looks like a little shit[/QUOTE] Probably how the journalists that may have taken the picture asked her to pose.

[QUOTE=Simski;46574112]What the hell is up with her eyes, it looks like she hasn't slept for several days. Was this sign really THAT traumatizing?[/QUOTE] Kids' faces are very expressive, often better than adults'. Also the angle of the camera is helping quite a bit here.

[QUOTE=Snickerdoodle;46574213]What kids use to develop their interests from a young age don't have an effect on what they aspire to do for their lives? My parents bought me K'nex as a kid and I built to my heart's content. I later decided to get into the engineering track in college. My sister was given barbie dolls and plastic horses because that's the roles the girl/boy sections set up. She's now looking into a life as a daycare worker. There are 21 guys and 2 girls in my engineering LLC as of right now. The influence of gender roles might be why. When was the last time you've seen engineering related toys in the "girls toys" section? I know it may seem ridiculous to question, but the implications may have a pretty damn big impact. At least, more than people often think.[/QUOTE] Maybe it's the other way? Engineering toys don't get put into girls section because girls don't buy engineering toys as often. Capitalism is smart and if engineering toys were popular among girls then engineering toys would be all over girls sections.

[QUOTE=Gwoodman;46574493]wouldn't it be the show that is influencing the child and not the toys then?[/QUOTE] i'm not exactly sure what you're getting at the show is used to promote the toy. both the show and the toy are geared towards a certain gender. which one comes first really isn't the point, the important thing is that both of them contribute to creating gender roles

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574523]Maybe it's the other way? Engineering toys don't get put into girls section because girls don't buy engineering toys as often. Capitalism is smart and if engineering toys were popular among girls then engineering toys would be all over girls sections.[/QUOTE] Or maybe sexism and gender roles have decreed that engineering is only for boys, and surprisingly, girls can be just as good as any man at engineering science? "Because capitalism!" is a terrible argument to sustain needless, harmful gender roles.

Taking a broader topic I really want to know why people think that gender roles are a bad thing. Ever since we were hairy half-monkeys from caves we had gender roles and we had them for a reason. Males and females are different, that's why males handle killing mamonths with spears better and women handle social situations better and keep the fire in the cave burning. Gender roles exist because different genders are more fit for different tasks by nature. If somebody wants to deviate he is free to do it. Nowdays we don't beat anyone up with rocks for being different, so I see no problem. What this girl did - made shopping harder for all kids. [editline]26th November 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Starlight 456;46574550]Or maybe sexism and gender roles have decreed that engineering is only for boys, and surprisingly, girls can be just as good as any man at engineering science? "Because capitalism!" is a terrible argument to sustain needless, harmful gender roles.[/QUOTE] Some girls can be good at engineering. Some can't. I don't get why you say "any men". Do I hear a stereotype "all men are good at math"? Oh I am so offended, all the gender prejudice... [quote]"Because capitalism!" is a terrible argument to sustain needless, harmful gender roles.[/quote] Who was ever harmed by gender roles since 2000?

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574557]Taking a broader topic I really want to know why people think that gender roles are a bad thing. Ever since we were hairy half-monkeys from caves we had gender roles and we had them for a reason. Males and females are different, that's why males handle killing mamonths with spears better and women handle social situations better and keep the fire in the cave burning. Gender roles exist because different genders are more fit for different tasks by nature. If somebody wants to deviate he is free to do it. Nowdays we don't beat anyone up with rocks for being different, so I see no problem. What this girl did - make shopping harder for all kids.[/QUOTE] I don't even know where to start on how wrong and blatantly sexist this post is. Gender roles have zero place in a modern society. Whatever we did when we were hairy half-monkeys is completely meaningless, as that was millenia ago. Males and females are different, but forcing women to be nurturers and men to be strong fighters completely ignores the fact that there are men and women who are the exact opposite of the defined gender role of men and women, and people of both genders who are inbetween. Strong, nuturing military veteran mothers, quiet, socially strong men who cook great, there's an infinite combination of these personalities.

[QUOTE=Budapi;46573828]On one hand I really don't like that fact that people can't follow their passion because they're being fitted into predetermined gender roles but on the other hand I'm completely okay in my own predetermined gender role and I don't want to see the genders getting mixed up. like seeing boys playing with dolls and wearing dresses really disgusts me for some reason. I guess I've been brainwashed by the patriarchal media and blinded myself to progress.[/QUOTE] congrats on being a selfish asshole

[QUOTE=Deng;46574080]To be honest does this happen? Actually curious because I assume this is the sort of thing good parents don't do. I mean by this point in time if a girl wants a lego set or a toy spaceship her parents are hardly going to deny that wish and demand she get a doll instead.[/QUOTE] my family certainly did it to me, i was going through an action man phase one christmas and asked to get a different character from each of my reletives, they got me to write a a list of the characters i liked so they wouldn't end up getting me the same present twice. along with action man, max steel, Dr X and some blue ice character, i asked if i could get a barbie doll with an action man accessory set for her, because i thought it was dumb that there weren't any girl characters in my toybox. my family passed it around the table laughing at me, and my mum kept calling me by random girl names for the rest of the evening. Nobody is saying this will scar children beyond all hope forever, but telling a kid they cant play with a toy because of their gender Is a pretty shitty thing to do, let them do what they like why do you even care?.

[QUOTE=Starlight 456;46574583]I don't even know where to start on how wrong and blatantly sexist this post is. Gender roles have zero place in a modern society. Whatever we did when we were hairy half-monkeys is completely meaningless, as that was millenia ago. Males and females are different, but forcing women to be nurturers and men to be strong fighters completely ignores the fact that there are men and women who are the exact opposite of the defined gender role of men and women, and people of both genders who are inbetween. Strong, nuturing military veteran mothers, quiet, socially strong men who cook great, there's an infinite combination of these personalities.[/QUOTE] Forced? What was the last time anyone forced you into anything? I don't see a problem with socially strong men who cook great, neither does anyone I know. I know a ton of programmer girls, nobody has got a problem. Mind it, it's in Russia, the house of all evil. So what's the problem? Oh yea... While we are at it: let's remove toilets for men and women. Make it toilets for humans, just so we put the harmful gender roles out of the way. Also sell panties for men and women in the same place. Because what if a boy wants to wear girly panties? We should make it fair.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574557]Who was ever harmed by gender roles since 2000?[/QUOTE] Thousands and thousands of women across the world who are even beaten and killed for not sustaining societies idea of what women should do? Do you even know what happens in India and Saudi Arabia? Even in America, we have women who are looked down on for trying to get into an intellectual field. Are you just completely socially blind to all of this somehow?

[QUOTE=Starlight 456;46574583]Whatever we did when we were hairy half-monkeys is completely meaningless, as that was millenia ago. .[/QUOTE] We are still half monkeys, we just learned to shave. [editline]26th November 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Starlight 456;46574633]Thousands and thousands of women across the world who are even beaten and killed for not sustaining societies idea of what women should do? Do you even know what happens in India and Saudi Arabia? Even in America, we have women who are looked down on for trying to get into an intellectual field. Are you just completely socially blind to all of this somehow?[/QUOTE] "Looked down" and "killed" are not even close. It's good to promote human rights in countries where people get actually murdered for being different. But in America it's simply about made up issues and the goal is earning money.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574642]We are still half monkeys, we just learned to shave.[/QUOTE] So insightful and deep. How can you know the truth about humanity so perfectly? /s

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574642]We are still half monkeys, we just learned to shave.[/QUOTE] some people can't grow beards or excessive body hair though

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574642]"Looked down" and "killed" are not even close. It's good to promote human rights in countries where people get actually murdered for being different. But in America it's just bitching.[/QUOTE] How can a human being be so completely socially blind? Don't think I didn't catch your edit, by the way. You're completely blind to the injustices that gender roles force upon people. "Women aren't as smart as men because BIOTRUTHS! Men are stronger then women because BIOTRUTHS!" Biotruths are an excuse to justify sexism, pure and simple.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574523]Capitalism is smart[/QUOTE] It really isn't. Capitalism (in this sense) is smart in the same way that putting big breasted women in beer commercials is "smart." Consumer culture has a habit of pandering to the basest instincts of the lowest common denominator, capitalism could be described as "effective" in a brute-force sort of way, but it's anything but intelligent, and gender roles are an almost unequivocally bad thing, as such enforcing and exploiting them in order to make money is also bad.

GOOD GUY LEGO: note to parents from the 1970's [img]http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--wX4D6SMP--/c_fit,fl_progressive,q_80,w_636/1001640610696652359.png[/img]

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574642]We are still half monkeys, we just learned to shave. [editline]26th November 2014[/editline] "Looked down" and "killed" are not even close. It's good to promote human rights in countries where people get actually murdered for being different. But in America it's simply about made up issues and the goal is earning money.[/QUOTE] Jesus how can you be so massively ignorant? In the US it's true that women are physically hurt less for doing things outside of gender norms but to say that there's literally no problem and people bring it up to make money is so dumb it's like a child plugging their ears and going "NO PROBLEM LALALALA"

You can only get rid of gender roles if you get rid of genders. As long as males and females are physiologically different from eachother they will gravitate towards different things. I am not talking about genitals only. Women and men have different brains, different hormones, different eyes even. We are made for different roles and tasks, hence the gender roles. You can mix dolls and cars together, boys will still pick cars and girls will still pick dolls. Forcing the child into something is indeed wrong, but you should blame bad parenting, not supermarket signs that barely mean anything.

[QUOTE=FunnyStarRunner;46573421]Whoop-de-fucking-doo. Just ignore the sign and buy the damn clock.[/QUOTE] It's obviously more a matter of principle. This shit shouldn't be happening in 2014, especially when it comes to superheros. I remember the news about t-shirts only featuring male superheros, which was just as bad as what's happening here. If people don't speak up about what's incorrect then change won't happen.

[QUOTE=hypno-toad;46574679]It really isn't. Capitalism (in this sense) is smart in the same way that putting big breasted women in beer commercials is "smart." Consumer culture has a habit of pandering to the basest instincts of the lowest common denominator, capitalism could be described as "effective" in a brute-force sort of way, but it's anything but intelligent, and gender roles are an almost unequivocally bad thing, as such enforcing and exploiting them in order to make money is also bad.[/QUOTE] What you basically said is that in general capitalism finds what applies to the majority and uses it. That means the majority of girls don't need engineering toys. The minority can always go to the boys section and pick their toys.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574706]You can only get rid of gender roles if you get rid of genders. As long as males and females are physiologically different from eachother they will gravitate towards different things. I am not talking about genitals only. Women and men have different brains, different hormones, different eyes even. We are made for different roles and tasks, hence the gender roles. You can mix dolls and cars together, [b]boys will still pick cars and girls will still pick dolls.[/b] Forcing the child into something is indeed wrong, but you should blame bad parenting, not supermarket signs that barely mean anything.[/QUOTE] Except you're 100% objectively wrong? The majority might still go that way even if there was no social to pressure to do so but even [i]with[/i] the social pressure some boys like dolls and some girls like cars.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574716]What you basically said is that in general capitalism finds what applies to the majority and uses it. That means the majority of girls don't need engineering toys. The minority can always go to the boys section and pick their toys.[/QUOTE] The majority of girls don't want engineering toys because they're [B][I]fucking taunted for being boyish if they want them.[/I][/B] How difficult is this to understand? The only reason that men and women supposedly naturally gravitate towards this stuff is because for centuries, women have been forced into the role of quiet nurturers, and men have been forced into the role of powerful fighters. What is it with you and capitalism, anyways? Capitalism isn't the one true end-all of reasoning. If anything, capitalism is partially at fault for gender roles by advertising everything as strictly for boys or girls. You never see boys playing with doll sets, or girls playing with toy cars in commercials.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574706]You can only get rid of gender roles if you get rid of genders. As long as males and females are physiologically different from eachother they will gravitate towards different things. I am not talking about genitals only. Women and men have different brains, different hormones, different eyes even. We are made for different roles and tasks, hence the gender roles. You can mix dolls and cars together, boys will still pick cars and girls will still pick dolls.[/QUOTE] It's fine that the genders tend to like and do different things. It's not fine that we judge individuals based on how well they fit those gender roles. You don't even need to force someone into following those roles for them to be heavily effected by how society relies on them. [QUOTE]Forcing the child into something is indeed wrong, but you should blame bad parenting, not supermarket signs that barely mean anything.[/QUOTE] We're not blaming a sign. It's just one particular thing that can be easily and simply changed that leads to a slightly better world. Nothing as huge as weakening gender roles will happen all at once.

[QUOTE=MuffinZerg;46574557]Taking a broader topic I really want to know why people think that gender roles are a bad thing. Ever since we were hairy half-monkeys from caves we had gender roles and we had them for a reason. Males and females are different, that's why males handle killing mamonths with spears better and women handle social situations better and keep the fire in the cave burning. Gender roles exist because different genders are more fit for different tasks by nature. If somebody wants to deviate he is free to do it. Nowdays we don't beat anyone up with rocks for being different, so I see no problem. [/QUOTE] I completely agree. Gender roles haven't fallen from the sky, it's basically a part of human evolution. Was it misused, sure, do we need it today, that's debatable, but we can't ignore our differences and what we are. You can't expect a man to give birth, nor a woman to run 100 meters under 9.6s.

[QUOTE=Elspin;46574737]Except you're 100% objectively wrong? The majority might still go that way even if there was no social to pressure to do so but even [i]with[/i] the social pressure some boys like dolls and some girls like cars.[/QUOTE] Some do. I am talking about the majority. People are different, no surprise.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;46574752]I completely agree. Gender roles haven't fallen from the sky, it's basically a part of human evolution. Was it misused, sure, do we need it today, that's debatable, but we can't ignore our differences and what we are. You can't expect a man to give birth, [B]nor a woman to run 100 meters under 9.6s[/B].[/QUOTE] What? Why can't I expect a woman to also want to be an athlete? And a man giving birth isn't what gender roles is about. An appropriate example of a gender role for that area would be the dad being the one to take care of the baby and clean the house (a role that long throughout history was thought to be a mother's job). And even [I]if[/I] they are a part of evolution, that doesn't make it any more fair for either sex. "It's evolutionary" sounds like a type of Appeal to Nature.