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RSS FeedOf Legos and Lincoln Logs, Or: Whatever Happened to 1972?
In the wake of my recent NY Times editorial on nature, nurture, gender and the new Lego Friends line, a reader sent me this photo of the gifts she and her husband gave their 5-year-old son this Christmas: her husband’s old Lincoln Log and Tinker Toy sets. He was born in 1972. He (the husband/father) was born in 1972.
The Tinkertoys package explicitly states, “For boys and girls.” And note the girl happily building a ranch on the cover of the Lincoln Logs!
Their son’s response: “I didn’t know these were for girls, too!” Point made (my point, that is).
FYI, you can still get gender-neutral Lincoln Logs (with pictures of cabins on the box, no kids shown). But there is also this set:
Again, necessary? Why? How does it affect the potential for boys and girls to interact? Play together? Is it relegating girls to pink and pretty or just meeting them half-way?
You can also get a girls’ version of “classic” Tinker Toys.
It allows them to construct, “a flower garden, a butterfly a microphone and more!”
Among other things I wonder: what’s the microphone got to do with it?
Ah, Peggy! You are a breath of fresh air!
Our two little girls (2 and 4) got lifejackets, swimming goggles, torches (“flashlight”s in American) and a handbag each from us for Christmas. Our 2yo also enjoys trains (an interest we’re trying to encourage) and I have carefully found female and male trains, choosing female ones that aren’t tiny (like Lady). But the Thomas train series unsettles me with it’s moralistic, preachy tone and only more recent introduction of more female characters who don’t seem to have nearly as much fun as the blokes. It’s an example where 1972 wasn’t so great.
And so we have found Chuggington. Female trains. Female controller. Even some female mechanics/workers. Women writers for some episodes. Still morals to the stories but not so preachy. And our girls love it.
We’ve both been wondering if you’ve seen it and, if so, what’s your reaction. We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Nope, never heard of it. Will check it out. Is it available in the U.S.? I’m also bugged by those aspects of the Thomas Train show and books. We never had them, though we had tons of the trains themselves….
And thanks so much for your very kind thoughts!
Chuggington is a Disney animated series and the toys can be found in the train sections of most toy stores.
Well, there you go. My daughter’s 8 now so it must’ve slipped by me. Amanda, how does it treat gender issues?
This is amazing. I was pushing Thomas on my four year old and two year old for its locomotive appeal, but was really less than impressed with the gender set-up. I am about to do some crazy Chuggington research. Thanks!
Let me know what you find out, okay?
Ok, so the cast of characters looks relatively ok so far – genderwise, at least. The only thing that’s making me groan is “M’tambo … the safari park ranger and garbage-handling engine, [who] works around the safari park, giving tours to visitors and handling the rubbish and recycling. He speaks with an African (possibly Kenyan) accent.” (from the Chuggington wikipedia site). This hurts my brain a bit. Ok, maybe a lot. But I’m going to continue the research. Will keep you posted
Peggy, thanks for posting – I’m glad you found the picture to be a helpful illustration in this topic. As I mentioned in my email, although we were quick to respond to our son’s expressed surprise that “of course” these toys are for “girls too,” I have to admit that we were pretty taken aback by his statement. As the parents of a boy, I suppose in a way we are on the beneficial end of “gender privilege” in this ridiculous princess-ification that had been happening, and it has only been recently, as he has been able to start articulating his perspective, that we’ve become really aware of its impact on his viewpoint. We view our main job, as do most parents, to be to prepare him for the real world. In our opinion, he cannot be prepared if he has a false understanding of the capabilities and interests of women. They are his friends, may be his partners, and will be his colleagues and competitors. “Cinderella eating our daughters” is hurting us all.
Thank you for posting, Christine. And that is exactly right–seeing that girl on that package encouraged your son to broaden his perspective on girls in a way that you might never have known to even suggest! What a wonderful extra gift to find under the tree….
I really like the last 2 sentences of your comment, Christine. Well articulated and soooooo true. Thank you! Peggy, many blessings to you for your ongoing dedication to a world of possibility, imagination and freedom for our children. As for the microphone, i’ve seen them in a variety of forms for girls and i think it fits in with the whole performance of femininity that girls are being encouraged to perfect.
Thank you so much, Sarah. As always, I value your support. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Dear Peggy,
At the end of the NYT article, you say “I’m trying to track down a poster of a 1981 ad for a Lego “universal” building set to give to my daughter. In it, a freckle-faced girl with copper-colored braids, baggy jeans, a T-shirt and sneakers proudly holds out a jumbly, multi-hued Lego creation. Beneath it, a tag line reads, “What it is is beautiful.”
I’m not sure if you’ve found it yet, but if not, Lisa Wade at Sociological Images has an article up with a copy – http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/01/01/beauty-and-the-new-lego-line-for-girls/
Cheers,
Dan
Thanks, Dan. I have the image, I was just looking for the HARD COPY, like one I could frame. But maybe I just need to print it out someplace professional and that would do it….
Hi Peggy,
Just finished reading your book. I’m a 34 year old Asian American eastbay mom (raised in NorCal as well) with a 2.5 year old Vietnamese/Irish daughter who plays with (original colored) Lincoln Logs and eats lunch out of a pink hello kitty lunch box. I was one of 4 girls that graduated with a BS in Computer Science in 1997 – and went on to complete an MBA in marketing later. I work in sales in High Tech today. Its great that you created awareness for the impending pink vortex of all little girls everywhere.
I try not to make her hate girly things as much as understand that she has WIDER options – hence lincoln logs, legos, soccer – while wearing a frothy pink tutu atop scraped up knees and black vans sneakers.
I send her to daycare at Bright Horizons (nationwide corporate ran system) that has made an effort to keep character driven playthings (Thomas, Barbie, Disney, etc) out – but still stimulate creative play (playdoh made from scratch, generic wooden train sets, farm toys, etc.) – for open ended mixed gender play. At the time, I hadn’t consider that one of the reasons to send her there – but in retrospect, am really happy they get kids to unplug and use their imagination. All their tricycles are red – and I’m pretty sure none of the dolls ever are clothed for some reason (LOL!) but are always swaddled in green blankets.
Are you sending your daughter to private school or public school? Are you now entering the stage of girlhood with your daughter that you covered in your previous books regarding the girl vs. girl issues?
Hi Annie,
If you email me (email is under contact on this site) I’ll tell you school stuff. i don’t like to post it publicly. And we have had some girl conflict, but her school is actually fabulous about conflict resolution and working with kids on all kinds of bullying issues so while it’s not absent I feel like it’s been minimized. Also, Berkeley has Girls Leadership Institute which runs programs starting with slightly older girls than yours–second grade–that are invaluable.
I am very much in agreement with you and rarely buy my 4 granddaughters anything girly. I was a complete tomboy, playing sports before girls were allowed to play sports. I did buy the girls these Lincoln logs since they LOVE Little House on the Prairie. They had a great time with it.
Carol, Daisy and I have been listening to the audio versions of the Little House books read by Cherry Jones. THey are SPECTACULAR. We are on Long Winter, which I think is the sixth one. I don’t remember this one myself, but it may be the best yet!
The microphone? I blame Snow White, and “Whistle While You Work”. The message has clearly become “Sing While You Build”.
Seriously, though. I expect it’s because the “impending pink vortex” (great choice of words in Annie Murphy’s comment) would have us believe that all girls must long to be either princesses or rock stars.