• Welcome
  • Community
  • Blogs
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Join
  • Log in
Follow MNN    
MNN - Mother Nature Network - Envrionmental News
improve your world

 

Saturday, May 26, 2012
  • Earth Matters

    Browse All » Animals Weather Energy Politics Space Translating Uncle Sam Wilderness & Resources

  • Health

    Browse All » Allergies Fitness & Well-Being Healthy Spaces

  • Lifestyle

    Browse All » Arts & Culture Travel Natural Beauty & Fashion Recycling Responsible Living

  • GREEN TECH

    Browse All » Computers Gadgets & Electronics Research & Innovations Transportation

  • Eco-Biz & Money

    Browse All » Green Workplace Personal Finance Sustainable Business Practices

  • Food & Drink

    Browse All » Beverages Healthy Eating Recipes

  • Your Home

    Browse All » At Home Organic Farming & Gardening Remodeling & Design

  • family

    Browse All » Babies & Pregnancy Family Activities Pets Protection & Safety

Tweet
Pin It
Email Bookmark and ShareShare
WorldShares lets you earn donations for your favorite nonprofit. Earn up to 20 points now.
Learn More

Earn Points
What's this?
MNN.COM›

MNN BLOGGERS

Jenn Savedge

Are new Lego toys an insult to girls?

Lego's new 'Friends' sets spark online petitions asking the company to stop dumbing down toys for girls.

Thu, Jan 26 2012 at 9:00 AM EST
 3

Lego Friends toy sets Screenshot: Lego Friends
Lego toys are a big deal in our house. My husband still has boxes and boxes of the Lego blocks that he played with as a kid, and over the years, our girls have enjoyed spilling them out on the floor so that they could build, build, build to their hearts' content.  
 
 
When Lego came out with its Creationary board game a little over a year ago, we were first in line to get it. And even though I was not nearly as good at building as either my husband or my daughters, I happily played along and thought of ways to build everything from a spider to a bicycle from LEGO blocks.  
 
So you can imagine my anticipation — and then disappointment — when a toy brand I had come to love announced a new line of "girl toys," only to find out that the toys were essentially dumbed down models of Lego toys that embodied nothing about what I truly love about Lego.
 
I was not alone in my disappointment. The new Lego Friends line is drawing criticism from both parents and kids. I recently showed my 9-year-old daughter the new Friends lineup — toys that Lego is specifically marketing to young girls.  I promise you that I said nothing, NOTHING, about the toys to her before she spoke as I wanted to get her honest-to-goodness, 9-year-old opinion. Here is what she said:
 
"I would have loved these toys if they came with something to build. This is just a dollhouse. That's not Lego. That doesn't make sense. Don't they know that girls like to build, too?"
 
Out of the mouths of babes, right?
 
Turns out, my 9-year-old and I have plenty of company in our dislike of the new Lego Friends line. Online petitions have been started to protest the toys, which includes a Butterfly Beauty Shop (comes complete with lipstick accessory!) and a Your Fashion Designer Workshop.
 
The Denmark-based Lego Company has responded by saying that the company is just making what moms and girls have been asking for:  

 

"We heard very clear requests from moms and girls for more details and interior building, a brighter color palette, a more realistic figure, role-play opportunities and a story line that they would find interesting," Mads Nipper, executive vice president of the privately held firm, said in a statement. "We want to correct any misinterpretation that Lego Friends is our only offering for girls. This is by no means the case. We know that many girls love to build and play with the wide variety of Lego products already available."
 
I see what they're getting at, but I think they missed the mark on what they think moms and girls asked for. Just because they asked for a brighter palette and more interesting role-play opportunities, does not automatically mean that they wanted a beauty shop dollhouse that doesn't involve building.  
 
Ann Garth, 14, put it very nicely in her recent post on the matter for the blog, Reel Girl:
 
"... I was so disappointed when I recently heard of Lego’s horrible, totally misguided decision to make and market a line of (very pink) Legos for girls, complete with a girl brushing her hair in the mirror, a bottle of perfume, and more. This is problematic for only two or three MILLION reasons, but let me pick the first, broadest, and most obvious: the idea that if you want to market a line to girls, it cannot involve any movement, adventure, or activity."
 
She continued:
 
"Please bring back real Legos. If you want to appeal to girls, create more sets. Expand your horizons. But instead of expanding into stereotypical girl territory, try hooking a bunch of boys as well by creating a library set, a computer room set, or a boat set. What about one with a soccer field, or a pool? Or — and I know that this may be shocking — what about simply giving kids the same old blocks in the same old colors and letting us make beautiful?"
 
Couldn't have said it better myself.  
 
What do you think about the new lineup of Lego Friends toys?
 
MNN homepage photo: Bill Ward's Brickpile/Flickr
Previous Post
Meet the mom behind NatureMoms: Tiffany Washko
   Next Post
School lunches will be healthier: But will kids eat them?
You might also like:
Related Topics: Family, Green Kids

Comments

Follow this conversation
Add your comment
View:
  • All (3)

anonymous
Heather 02/06/2012 19:44 PM

I like the Lego Friends sets. I have twins boy/girl who just turned 5 a few weeks ago. My kids played with Legos when they were much younger, but at some point our daughter completely lost interest. Our son loved building and we could see his abilities expand, doing so much better at spatial relationships. We could see this impact other areas of their development - jigsaw puzzles, sand castles, etc. Lego Friends finally got my daughter interested in Legos again. And in just the few short.... More

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

anonymous
Enter your name Today 17:01 PM

Being a nanny for the past 3 years I have quickly grown to absolutely hating toys and even TV shows geared towards girls. It is plain as day to see that when it comes to these toys companies their mentality is this.
BOYS: police, fire fighter, military, building blocks, trackers, construction toys, guns guns guns, super hero "action figures" that talk or move, robots that talk or move, trains, sports, dinosaurs, cars cars cars, remote controlled cars, trains, and helicopters, etc...More

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

anonymous
Ted Henderson Today 12:10 PM

I should start off by saying I work at the LEGO Brand Retail Store in Minneapolis.

LEGO Friends is selling like hotcakes. We literally cannot keep it on the shelves.

My opinion on it - there is absolutely nothing to stop you from walking into my store and buying something from Creator, Star Wars, City, Board Games, Alien Conquest, Harry Potter, or any of our myriad themes. I see a girl every once in a while getting a Star Wars set for herself and I think it's the best thing.... More

  • |
  • Reply
  • report this post 

Add your comment

Sign in with one of these accounts or just add your comment below.
    Log in or
    create an account
     
    •  
Used only for emailed comments and will not be displayed with your post
Notify me with an email when other people comment on this article.
The posting of advertisement, profanity or personal attacks is prohibited.
Click here to review our Terms of Use

EDITORS' PICKS

tease to asteroids

tease to pet facials

tease to emotional eating

ADVERTISEMENT

NEWSLETTER

Mother Nature. Delivered

CONNECT WITH MNN

Follow @twitterapi
 Tumblr
 Google +

About Jenn Savedge

Green parenting author on raising eco-friendly kids.

RSS feedMore about Jenn

Recent Posts

  • Watch: Tavi Gevinson is a teen just trying to figure it all out
  • Teen invents more accurate test for pancreatic cancer
  • New clue to epilepsy 'miracle diet' may help doctors improve treatment
+ Add this to my site
From our sponsor

Help save a rider: Spread the message of motorcycle safety

Allstate's ONE campaign aims to reduce motorcycle accident rates with the... more >

Allstate Life Tracks: Financial advice for all life stages

Try this new interactive app from Allstate which offers help understanding... more >

Act Out Loud contest drives teens to promote safe driving

The program developed by Allstate and NOYS to raise awareness about stronger teen... more >

Easy tips to drive car thieves away

A car is stolen in the U.S. every 33 seconds. Learn how to make sure your car is... more >

Help protect teen lives and create safer roads for all

Ask Congress to pass national Graduated Driver Licensing provisions from the... more >
Good Hands® Working Together can change the world

Jenn's BLOGROLL

Big Green PurseOrganic Mania
Crunchy ChickenGreen & Clean Mom
Not Quite Crunchy ParentThe Smart Mama
My Plastic Free LifeGreen Phone Booth
Foodie TotsFoodie Tots

ADVERTISEMENT



Quick Links

  • About Us
  • Advisory Board
  • Editors' Blog
  • Press
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service
  • WorldShares

MNN Tools

  • Advice
  • Blogs
  • Day in History
  • Eco-glossary
  • Infographics
  • Lists
  • Photos
  • Videos

Connect

  • Community
  • Contact Us
  • Contests
  • Idea Lab
  • Mixed Greens
  • Newsletters
  • Polls
  • RSS

Channels

  • Earth Matters
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Green Tech
  • Eco-Biz & Money
  • Your Home
  • Family
  • State Reports

Follow MNN

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Google+
  • StumbleUpon
 

Copyright © 2012 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE
 
SPONSORS