Posted on 10/11/2021 6:37:31 AM PDT by Bon of Babble
Hey - stop hatin’ on my Bronies! The Meetup group I’m in just had their annual “CabinCon” event where we rented a lakeside cabin in Maine and nerded out for a few days. Among the group was a tax accountant, an MIT student, a cranberry farmer and a self employed businessman who would neither confirm nor deny that he built a nuclear reactor in his basement. And he is the kind of guy who could do it!
Looking through the new set releases through the end of the year, they don’t seem to be slowing down on the news “Dots” and “Friends” play sets. Still lots of pink pieces to be had.
Classis Lego figures, like those used in the rainbow themed set are very androgynous, with the hair and the torso decoration the only indicators of gender. He can say his figures are androgynous because he used classic figures but I, like you, think most people would look at the hair and assign a gender to them, and not necessarily the one he assigns from his skewed perspective. The figures in the newer girl oriented “Friends” sets are less blocky and much more feminine in shape.
To think a veterinary set has some equal appeal to boys and girls only gives away that you are a woman with little to no understanding of boys. My sweet little 5 year old loves animals and is happy to get up first thing and help his mom take care of our menagerie of goats, chickens, etc. and make that the last thing he does before he goes to bed too. However when he plays with his sister’s barnyard animal toys it is not the gentle way she does, but he has them fighting and competing much to her annoyance. When he plays with Legos he is building weapons and fighting figures like his older brothers.
Boys and girls have innate, deeply immutable differences in play no matter if they are in China, Russia or the US. It is insane to pretend they don’t but Lego is giving every indication they are pursuing a long term strategy of doing just that.
I worked with a guy who was a brony, a chemist. He was a bit of a misfit and didn’t get along well with the ladies at work; had some anger issues. Other than that, a bright enough guy.
Besides, I’m one to talk. I used to do ren fairs back in the olden days.
Well, as you point out, kids play the way they want to, and they adapt their toys to their own games. They might want to shape the kids, but I’m thinking the market might have other ideas. But this is coming from the perspective of someone whose Barbies ended up headless and tattooed thanks to my best friend’s brother ;)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.