Barbie versus Dinosaurs
KIDS
When 'Boys' is Synonymous with 'Substance'.
By Melissa Gould, at SoWhat?
February 24, 2018
It's takeaway night in my household. Sushi for Miss 7 and McDonalds for Master 4. And its at the McDonald's drive thru where this exchange took place.
I didn't receive the standard "Do you want a boys toy or a girls toys?" Line at the drive thru so I was optimistic about what we would receive. I drove to the next window. I received the Happy Meal. Opened the box. A Barbie doll. .....
"Do you have any other toys?" I asked the worker.
"Umm do you want a boy's toy?" She replied.
I hummed and harred and then reluctantly said "Yes".
"But mum there's no such thing as boys toys" Miss 7 yelled from the back seat.
"AT MCDONALDS, LIKE LOTS OF PLACES, 'BOYS' IS SYNONYMOUS WITH 'SUBSTANCE' "
She's right and I was proud of her. But I knew that at Mcdonalds (like lots of places) "boys" is synonymous with "substance" so the "boys toy" was almost guaranteed to have more substance than a Barbie doll.
"Would you like a dinosaur book?" The worker asked.
Ummm of course I would, but do I have to give it to my son or can it go in my bookcase.
This Happy Meal toy made me Happy! Just sucks you have to be a boy to get it!
THIS ARTICLE IS AN ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTION
Author: Melissa Gould, Ph.D (AUT), MCS, BCS (Hons), BCS.
Dr Melissa Gould holds a Ph.D from the School of Communications at Auckland University of Technology in Auckland, New Zealand. Her primary research areas include media communication theory and cultural studies that examine religion, gender, childhood, and consumerism.
For more articles, check out:
http://www.sowhat.co.nz/
https://www.facebook.com/QuestionSoWhat/
SoWhat? MEDIA MOMENTS AS TEACHABLE MOMENTS