Tuesday, April 15, 2014

What colors are boy colors and girl colors?

Okay, I'm a little confused I guess.  When I was a little girl, I loved to play with cars.  I loved to build a city out of dirt and drive my bulldozer to make roads.  True story...ask my mom.  Here's the thing....all the commercials for cars had little boys playing with the cars, yet I knew to ask for the hot wheels cars and the bulldozer.  I never once cried about the color of the toy. I proudly carried my blue carrying case.




When my son wanted an Easy Bake Oven.  I went and I bought a purple oven for him for Christmas.  He never commented on the color.  He never once cried because it was a "girl" color.  He never made a sound about the commercial having a little girl on it. 


I guess I am having a hard time with WHO ARE THE SEXISTS REALLY? I read an article today about a dad who is making a beauty line that is unisex.  I applaud his efforts.  I mean I am right there with him.  I don't want my little girl wearing, "I'm sexy" perfume.  I also don't want my son wearing, "I'm hot" cologne.  I am all for taking sensuality out of anything about ads.
What disturbs me is that the article refers to this poor sister who went to get her poor brother an easy bake oven and well here's the quote. 
"In 2012, then-13-year-old McKenna Pope convinced toy company Hasbro to create an Easy-Bake Oven that appealed to both girls and boys by launching a petition on Change.org that garnered 40,000 signatures and backing from celebrity chef Bobby Flay. McKenna hatched the idea after shopping for an oven for her 4-year-old brother, finding that her only choices were pink or purple. As a result of the petition, Hasbro created a prototype of a new Easy-Bake Oven in silver, blue, and black and agreed to hire male actors for the oven’s ads."


So let me see if I get this right.  It is sexist for Hasbro to only have a pink and purple oven, but it is not sexist for McKenna Pope and 40,000 others to decide that pink and purple are only girl colors.  HELLO!  Who is sexist?  Okay...one example you say.  Well how about this...
When I was a little girl and all my cars were in my blue carrying case was I playing with boy toys or blue toys?  I'm serious.  Should I say to my children its okay to use an easy bake oven if it is a boy or girl color.  6 children have now played with our purple Easy Oven, 4 boys and 2 girls, and it did not matter the color.  And even worse, who told little McKenna boys couldn't play with the purple and pink oven.


I guess I'm saying....Stop being so Sexist by saying companies are sexist based on color.  Your sexist on color.  You said boys need blue easy bake ovens not the company.  You said girls need pink Legos...all my kids play with old primary colored Legos...(SHOCKER) even the girls....myself included.  In fact I refuse to replace my blue Lego house for that stupid pink house, not that anyone has asked from here.  It has never crossed their minds to ask. 

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