in brief: girl pens scathing letter to lego calling out gender inequality
Our new feminist bestie, 7 year old, Charlotte Brown, has penned a scathing letter to giant toy machine, Lego, calling them on their sexist bullshit.
Charlotte was understandably irate about the blatant gender binarism in the marketing of Lego toys, reflected in department store layouts that segregate the pink/girls from the blue/boys and the stereotypically static gender roles and activities in which men/boys and women/girls are represented.
Charlotte writes: ‘All the girls did was sit at home, go to the beach and shop, and they had no jobs. The boys went on adventures, worked, saved people and had jobs, even swam with sharks.’
The gendered discrepancy between ‘Girl’s Lego’ and ‘Boy’s Lego’ is stark and has been challenged in the past, but my cold feminist heart (LOL) flutters to read a little girl scrawl ‘I want you to make more Lego girl people and let them go on adventures and have fun, OK?!’ That’s sticking it to The Man.
Let’s just face it. Kids write the best open letters. I’m getting my partner’s 7 year old daughter to write my next resume cover letter. Who’s with me?
When I took my daughter to a Lego shop (she’s 9) she was utterly appalled at the pink boxes, would not go near them and felt that it was unfair because boys may like some of the ‘girl’ Lego but would not visit the area because it was pink. She decided all lego should come in the same colour boxes, and then we stood back and watched the children in the shop. Nobody went over to the pink boxes….!
I may ask her to write to Lego too.