Target Attacked For Promoting Gender Stereotypes With Their Toys!
Target Attacked For Promoting Gender Stereotypes With Their Toys!
Target stores are in hot water again following the sale of a range of children’s toys which customers have called “sexist crap.”
The toys at the centre of the controversy are a set of ‘carry on cases’ stocked by Target. The blue kit is a medical one while the pink is labelled as a beauty studio.
Outraged customers took to social media with photos of the offending toys calling out the superstore for reinforcing gender stereotypes yet again.
The $12 Young Ones My First Carry Along Medical Centre and Beauty Studio are advertised online as being everything a little doctor or beautician needs.
Social media commentators are concerned that the blue is targeted for boys while the pink is specifically aimed for young girls.
“Make sure those girls know their place in the world asap heh @Targetaus?” asked one commenter. “What an absolute crock!”
Make sure those girls know their place in the world asap heh @Targetaus ? What an absolute crock! (Photo credit: @LefaSN) pic.twitter.com/7UBjv0Q8jB
— Jen Clark Design (@JenClarkDesign) October 15, 2017
Target responded to individual tweeters by assuring them they had no intention of targeting the toys to specific genders.
“We want to assure our customers that we absolutely agree that children of any gender can enjoy whatever toy they like!,” a response from Target’s Twitter account read. “We want to encourage children to be whatever they aspire to be so are disappointed to hear this.”
While most of the comments called out Target for being sexist others said the problem was not coming from the superstore itself but rather from their close-minded preconceived ideas of gender roles.
“There is no reference to Girls/Boys on either of those items,” said one user. “I would suggest it’s actually your own biases that cause you to see ‘sexism’”.
“Is it really sexist? Kids love bright colours, they’re not marked as boys vs. girls, so is that just your interpretation?” said another.
Kids love bright colours yes, but there’s no denying pink is usually linked to little girls while blue has traditionally been a boy’s colour.
What do you think? Are these toys sexist or are customers reading too much into it?
Images: Twitter