There's a interesting article in the paper today by writer Mary Hoffman. It's about the rise of the "princess" as icon for young girls and about the avalanche of pink tatt that is being sold to them.This is a problem I've recently come up against as after 4 nephews I have started to by more grown up non baby gifts for my young niece. I have effectively moved across the aisle to girls side and it a horrid pinky/purple shade.
Is the pole extra?
My niece likes dressing up and thought I might get her a costume, John Lewis could only offer her a princess or nurse (the doctors scrubs were with the boys gear and were too big). I then thought about a witch so she go about screeching and cursing people. The witch's kit they sold was witch as lap dancer, a sort hot Cinderella low cut slashed skirt affair with bits of black affair not your classic hags rags.
It's just as bad elsewhere girls Lego is flower shops, and cloths racks not vikings, fire engines or Star wars.
Pink pounding
I know stereotyping is prevalent but what can you do, I don't want to buy worthy toys , I want stuff she'll enjoy but I want her to have things that are inspiring, involving and fun. Any suggestions, as it'll soon be you know what and the Pink avalanche will turn into blizzard.
ps. my Yahoo search for an image for this post proves the point type "princess" in and you get loads of horrid pink pictures, I just chose the first but they were all the same.
4 comments:
Great post. I loathe the 'new feminism' thats telling little girls that they can be whatever they want, as long as it's a pneumatic, pink princess. 62% of teenage girls apparently want to be glamour models, ; this will, of course, before they marry a footballer and never work again, preferring to spend all his money on handbags.
Buy your niece a Crystal Tipps and Alaistair DVD (still available, I think), a set of not-pink Lego, a really BIG artists' materials set, a good cookery book, a copy of Princess Smartypants or The Princess Knight; adopt an animal for her, and those make-it-youself science kits are good (voice changer, rocket etc). There's some good ideas at www.brightminds.co.uk
Thanks for tips, I do worry about over compensating and going the other way into ultra toyboy. The DVd has bad memories for me let's just say the lead characters names are to close to mine and my older brother's.
They already have Ivor the engine so have started their lessons in the empty despair and commuinal singing that is life in Britain Poop Poop!
I don't know chris.....I'm not so traumatised with hind sight. I found noggin the nog video the other day...come to think of it that might just be more grey and depressing than Ivor
It's alright for you , you got to be the dog!
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