It is a common belief that gender is a given. I do not believe this is the case at all. I just received the latest "American Girl" which is owned by the Mattel Co. since 1998. Mattel must somehow know that I have 4 granddaughters in the right consumer age for their product. I smell facebook here. Mattel which is behind the policies of American Girl have great interest in promoting a streamlined gender type who will buy their products and in doing so they are supporting an outdated gender model which runs contrary to the understanding of gender fluidity. In the new catalogue all the dolls have long shiny hair and the color pink is all over each page:
The all American Girl is not supposed to do anything meaningful other than house chores or tending to the babies:
And when they go camping it is not to hike Mount Baker but to stand by the portable kitchen camper
and cook for guess who!
After the all American Girl comes back from camping she has house chores to do so obviously she has to get back into the kitchen:
and do the laundry!
Not so for the NEW doll in the all American Girl line up. The boy doll Logan does not have to do any chores or anything actually, but he is pictured playing the drums!!!!!!
That is how Mattel creates gender and how gender is sold to the public and it sells like crazy. No wonder equality is only to be found somewhere in a future world.
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