Toys

It has been quite a while since I stopped to take a look at toys. When I looked through the boys section I noticed that there are a lot of darker colors used to color the boys toys. Usually colors like blue, black, red, etc. These were mostly used on the Marvel action figures or superhero type toys. Most of the boys toys also included guys that had large muscular arms such as wrestlers. Most of these toys in the boys section seemed to give off a manly vibe. There seemed to be a common theme of huge arms with these toys.

The girls section seemed to also have certain colors used for their products. There is usually pink, purple, light blue, or yellow. Most of the stuff I saw in the girls section was more innocent and less violent. There weren't any sword wielding women or women with guns like you would see in the boys section. It was more focused on princesses, barbies, baking, etc. I feel like the marketers planned on using this softness and cuddliness to interest the little girls because a majority of young girls want to know what it's like to feel like a princess.

Some of the other things that I saw could be considered to be unisex. For example, the Despicable Me products can't be considered to be focused on a specific sex because the minions that are so popular are not even human. Other unisex toys include Legos and the learning games on the kids electronics.

I feel like most of these toys do reinforce masculinity and femininity. There is a manly feel to the boys section. The dark colors, big muscles, and guns give off the feeling that the tough guy is the way to go. Also, with the girls section there is a common theme of princesses, cooking, and barbies. A lot of pink, purple, and lighter colors are used to give off a softer feel to them. The boys are almost encouraged to be rough and tough while the girls are given the resources to act like princesses and housewives.