Gender-Neutral Target Toys

[ItachiZaku]

I love the way the world is heading. Equilibrium will be upon us before too long. All hail the Grammaton.

[Kaganfindel]

Target is pulling some signs down. This is huge fucking news. We should be outraged, because those signs told us how to live our lives. Now that they're gone, we'll decline into depravity and chaos. After all, what's to stop our sons from stuffing Barbies up their asses and moving in with The Gays now that the signs at Target don't tell them who was expected to buy those toys? Our children will stop squirting out babies now, and it's all Target's fault. Thanks for ensuring the extinction of the human race, Target.

Seriously, folks, most of the outraged parties were probably already doing most of their general shopping at Walmart.

[Tikaru]

People just complain about anything these days.

Also, I thought many toys were gender-neutral.

Barbie and GI Joe aside, what isn't gender-neutral?

[artemishunter1]

What is the big fucking deal about this? They are kids for crying out loud. It's about freedom of choice and expression. If a little boy wants to play with dolls or a little girl wants to play with trucks, there's NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. Just because the society "you" grew up in deemed it "wrong" doesn't mean it's a fact. Jesus titty fucking Christ, these kids are KIDS, they should be able to grow up how ever they want. This is why bullies are as prominent as they are today because these idiots behind a TV screen tell these kids it's wrong to be yourself.

Just because the society YOU grew up with believes there is nothing wrong, does not make it a fact either. Kids are kids, kids who grow up to be adults. Adults with values, values that affect EVERY one of other adults AND kids. It is parents JOB to guide them and mold them into good productive, well functioning member of the society.

what if the kid is psychopathic animal killer, should YOU allow the kid to be himself? Liberal logic right there.

[Adam Jensen]

People just complain about anything these days.

Also, I thought many toys were gender-neutral.

Barbie and GI Joe aside, what isn't gender-neutral?

Did you know that if you give your daughter Matchbox cars, she'll turn into a butch lesbian tumblerist?

[Elegiac]

Just because the society YOU grew up with believes there is nothing wrong, does not make it a fact either. Kids are kids, kids who grow up to be adults. Adults with values, values that affect EVERY one of other adults AND kids. It is parents JOB to guide them and mold them into good productive, well functioning member of the society.

Except his 'belief' is substantiated by the greater bulk of anthropology and developmental psychology, yours is not.

[Zecora]

You know, it's interesting how a certain crowd on this forum (you know who you are) are so very quick to decry any attempt to "censor" sexism, violence towards women, and so on and so forth in art and the like by using pressure, yet when a crowd does the same thing towards a store introducing a gender-neutral section of toys, aforementioned crowd seems to be eerily quiet...

[nextormento]

You know, it's interesting how a certain crowd on this forum (you know who you are) are so very quick to decry any attempt to "censor" sexism, violence towards women, and so on and so forth in art and the like by using pressure, yet when a crowd does the same thing towards a store introducing a gender-neutral section of toys, aforementioned crowd seems to be eerily quiet...

I may be missing something, as to the story or who are these tribes you speak about.
What I gather:
-target receives feedback/complains/harassment from social media to make the toys area gender agnostic.
-they pander to this demographic.
-end

Who did you expect to take issue with this? over what?
Over the public campaign to get target to change their policy?
Decry Target for catering to pressure?

Perhaps art consumers don't give a damn about Target?
I mean... I'm overly confused here.

Most people have expressed the sentiment of not caring at all. So not sure who would feel betrayed/jaded over this. It surely looks like a non issue and an empty victory.. though not sure who won.

[artemishunter1]

Except his 'belief' is substantiated by the greater bulk of anthropology and developmental psychology, yours is not.

you mean those sciences that does not use any substantial math to reach their conclusion. You know those sciences that have open interpretation of data, rather than cause and effect. Or the fact that "right" and "wrong" being decided by a "science" that barely counts as that.

[Elegiac]

you mean those sciences that does not use any substantial math to reach their conclusion. You know those sciences that have open interpretation of data, rather than cause and effect. Or the fact that "right" and "wrong" being decided by a "science" that barely counts as that.

'Right' and 'wrong' are irrelevant concepts. What matters is 'better' or 'worse' outcomes.

And no, 'mathematical' science is not nearly as consistent as you think it is.

[Deleted]

Perhaps it's a regional thing because as a child I don't remember gender sections in shops like Woolworths. The toys were arranged by category. Barbie had its own section, Action Figures had their own section, Lego had their own section, Dolls had their own section, Boardgames had another. It was just logical I don't remember BOY/GIRL sections

- - - Updated - - -

As far as LEGOs & other building sets (hell throw in any educational toys for that matter) are targeted to boys and generally found in the "boys" section of most department stores. Hell even Toys R Us has them under the boys section. They're gender neutral toys but targeted to little boys.

Wasn't like that here

[Toosdey]

Just gonna say it the most Gender Neutral Toy that exists is the Dildo. It works for Lesbians,gays,Straights(f/m) Its like the slinky... Who wouldn't play with one be it for sexual fun or regular fun?

I actually lol'd

[Deleted]

Adults with values, values that affect EVERY one of other adults AND kids. It is parents JOB to guide them and mold them into good productive, well functioning member of the society.

Oh yeah? Which important "values" would that be? "You are a boy and thus are not allowed to play with something else than soldiers and trucks, and must be suuuper masculine and fit every possible gender stereotype!"?
Yes, super important and necessary to be a functioning member of the society indeed.

[Deleted]

Just because the society YOU grew up with believes there is nothing wrong, does not make it a fact either. Kids are kids, kids who grow up to be adults. Adults with values, values that affect EVERY one of other adults AND kids. It is parents JOB to guide them and mold them into good productive, well functioning member of the society.

what if the kid is psychopathic animal killer, should YOU allow the kid to be himself? Liberal logic right there.

What's that got to do with little Jimmy playing with Lego or a Teddy?

[nextormento]

Thought I'd share this piece about trolling the concerned consumers:
Man sends angry Facebook conservatives into a full-blown rage by posing as Target.
Man Poses as Target on Facebook, Trolls Haters of Its Gender-Neutral Move With Epic Replies

[IIamaKing]

I feel like this will be avoided by going to wal-mart. I go to buy a toy for a girl I go to the barbie isle, boy, action figure isle. I feel like jaming them all into one isle will make finding what Im looking for harder than necessary. (not, like, REALLY hard, but more effort then "walk to easily recognized isle".)

[Garnier Fructis]

Thought I'd share this piece about trolling the concerned consumers:
Man sends angry Facebook conservatives into a full-blown rage by posing as Target.
Man Poses as Target on Facebook, Trolls Haters of Its Gender-Neutral Move With Epic Replies

Jesus, those comments. These people are why you get shit you're never going to use as Christmas presents. Because instead of buying for you, they buy for who they think you are, or worse, who they want you to be.

[Rennadrel]

As far as LEGOs & other building sets (hell throw in any educational toys for that matter) are targeted to boys and generally found in the "boys" section of most department stores. Hell even Toys R Us has them under the boys section. They're gender neutral toys but targeted to little boys.

Most of those toys are created with a target audience in mind usually. Transformers and Lego were not exactly appealing toys to girls when I was a kid some 20 years ago and that is just the way it was. And there was nothing wrong with that either. Toy companies made things that interested girls, including Barbie dolls and they did make some Lego kits that catered towards females for their designs. The whole notion of gender neutrality is some half ass attempt to get away from stereotyping males and females more than anything, and it isn't a goal that makes any sense. So what if boys like toys with guns and robots and pirates and girls enjoy the Easy Bake Oven and Barbies? I'd like to know at what point did that sort of thing start hurting little kids?

- - - Updated - - -

Thought I'd share this piece about trolling the concerned consumers:
Man sends angry Facebook conservatives into a full-blown rage by posing as Target.
Man Poses as Target on Facebook, Trolls Haters of Its Gender-Neutral Move With Epic Replies

Not that I have anything against trolling people who overreact to a situation (especially American's who seem to be the best at it), but it's pretty dickish to portray a company just for some shits and giggles when there is obviously a bigger issue that Target refuses to address themselves. Either way, both sides are wrong in the end and Target needs to pull their heads out from their rear ends and realize that they are making a terrible business and marketing decision.

[Powerogue]

The toys are still sorted as they were, as far as I know, they just cut back on making the girl isle blindingly pink and the boy isle blue. Whoopdy-do.

I played with dolls as a kid. They were the helpless civilians my Rescue Rangers were saving.

edit: Maybe that's not what they were called, all I'm getting is pictures of cartoon chipmunks. They were toys themed after firefighters, policemen and other such everyday hero types.

[Underverse]

Most of those toys are created with a target audience in mind usually. Transformers and Lego were not exactly appealing toys to girls when I was a kid some 20 years ago and that is just the way it was. And there was nothing wrong with that either. Toy companies made things that interested girls, including Barbie dolls and they did make some Lego kits that catered towards females for their designs. The whole notion of gender neutrality is some half ass attempt to get away from stereotyping males and females more than anything, and it isn't a goal that makes any sense. So what if boys like toys with guns and robots and pirates and girls enjoy the Easy Bake Oven and Barbies? I'd like to know at what point did that sort of thing start hurting little kids?

When it became cultural dogma. When choosing something different started to label them as someone else - someone not in the norm.