The Pink Revolution: Why 2015 Has Been Great for Girls
Over the past few years, the toy industry has faced a great deal of criticism over gender representation. While not all that criticism has been fair, a great deal has been. More than that, I think the industry has been prioritizing boys over girls for at least the last couple of decades when it comes to developing and marketing toys. The incremental upgrades in doll quality have lagged behind the huge improvements in action figures, and licensed products have overwhelmingly been directed towards boys and men.
That's why 2015 has been so refreshing. It's far too soon to say whether it's an anomaly or a change in attitudes, but - in my opinion - this year has seen more progress than any I can remember.
Because of this, I wanted to take a moment and highlight a few toys and toy lines that I'd like to see getting more attention. This shouldn't be interpreted as a complete list. In fact, I hope I'm missing numerous examples. But these are several that appeared on my radar that I wanted to share.
That's why 2015 has been so refreshing. It's far too soon to say whether it's an anomaly or a change in attitudes, but - in my opinion - this year has seen more progress than any I can remember.
Because of this, I wanted to take a moment and highlight a few toys and toy lines that I'd like to see getting more attention. This shouldn't be interpreted as a complete list. In fact, I hope I'm missing numerous examples. But these are several that appeared on my radar that I wanted to share.
LEGO Elves
When LEGO introduced Friends, a line of building sets aimed squarely at girls, they were heavily criticized. I still think most of what was said was a little unfair, though there was at least one point that had merit: the majority of the sets were grounded in day-to-day life, instead of the fantasy play the company is famous for.
LEGO Elves should help correct that. While they're not branded "Friends," Elves uses the same "mini-doll" concept. The building sets, however, have been upgraded to a magical land, complete with bizarre devices and environments. The one above is a basic set - you can get magical castles and ships, if you're willing to spend some cash.
I also want to draw attention to the packaging, which pares back the pink in favor of black and teal backgrounds. There's still a lot of pastel, but I don't see anything wrong with that: pastels are cool.
Things aren't perfect, of course. The story line seems to eschew any real conflict, which could be said to buy into traditional gender roles. But, overall, this is a great addition and a huge step in the right direction. Also, the building sets are awesome.
LEGO Elves should help correct that. While they're not branded "Friends," Elves uses the same "mini-doll" concept. The building sets, however, have been upgraded to a magical land, complete with bizarre devices and environments. The one above is a basic set - you can get magical castles and ships, if you're willing to spend some cash.
I also want to draw attention to the packaging, which pares back the pink in favor of black and teal backgrounds. There's still a lot of pastel, but I don't see anything wrong with that: pastels are cool.
Things aren't perfect, of course. The story line seems to eschew any real conflict, which could be said to buy into traditional gender roles. But, overall, this is a great addition and a huge step in the right direction. Also, the building sets are awesome.
Barbie Spy Squad
These took me by surprise. Barbie apparently has a direct-to-video Spy movie coming out, and the toy tie-ins are already available. I have no idea whether the movie will be any good (honestly, I'm not holding out much hope), but the toys are a refreshing change for one of pop-culture's most significant icons.
Barbie, of course, was the first American fashion doll, and she transformed the world of toys. When they created a version for boys, they realized the name "fashion doll" might not sell, so they created the term action figure instead. Soon, they started giving these "action figures" action features, like the ability to kick or the famous "kung fu grip."
It took Barbie half a century, but she's finally started to reclaim some of that power. They're not marketing these as action figures, but the concept is embedded in the designs and packaging. Renee, pictured above on the left, has "Rappelling Action!", referring to her backpack containing a zip line that pulls her up at the press of a button - I'm assuming she becomes an infiltration expert. Barbie's action figure is a little sillier (a handle plugs into her back, and rolling it along makes her do cartwheels), but her overall appearance is cool. Another figure, which I didn't buy, has "Spin Kick Action". No sign of "kung fu grip" yet, but I'm not giving up hope.
Between their action features, improved articulation, and quick-change costumes, these are cool toys. Without losing Barbie's signature color scheme, they've managed to make her look bad-ass .
Barbie, of course, was the first American fashion doll, and she transformed the world of toys. When they created a version for boys, they realized the name "fashion doll" might not sell, so they created the term action figure instead. Soon, they started giving these "action figures" action features, like the ability to kick or the famous "kung fu grip."
It took Barbie half a century, but she's finally started to reclaim some of that power. They're not marketing these as action figures, but the concept is embedded in the designs and packaging. Renee, pictured above on the left, has "Rappelling Action!", referring to her backpack containing a zip line that pulls her up at the press of a button - I'm assuming she becomes an infiltration expert. Barbie's action figure is a little sillier (a handle plugs into her back, and rolling it along makes her do cartwheels), but her overall appearance is cool. Another figure, which I didn't buy, has "Spin Kick Action". No sign of "kung fu grip" yet, but I'm not giving up hope.
Between their action features, improved articulation, and quick-change costumes, these are cool toys. Without losing Barbie's signature color scheme, they've managed to make her look bad-ass .
Nerf Rebelle: Charmed
The Nerf Rebelle line has been controversial since it started for the same reason as LEGO Friends. On one hand, it falls into the pink vs. blue trap of producing separate toys for girls and boys; on the other, it takes an established brand which has been gradually co-opted for boys and tries to balance the scales.
I've had a soft spot for the line since the start, but it's really picked up recently. The first wave were admittedly a bit stereotypical in their approach, playing off the success of Brave and Hunger Games to market Nerf bows to girls. They went with a heart motif, which was also a little problematic. But - at least in my opinion - the "Charmed" wave has put them on the right track.
These have a steampunk aesthetic, which is both impressively nerdy and less constrained in terms of gender roles. The color schemes are still somewhat geared towards traditional gender marketing, but not excessively so. I suspect these will have crossover appeal to boys who have gained an appreciation for the genre from their parents.
I've had a soft spot for the line since the start, but it's really picked up recently. The first wave were admittedly a bit stereotypical in their approach, playing off the success of Brave and Hunger Games to market Nerf bows to girls. They went with a heart motif, which was also a little problematic. But - at least in my opinion - the "Charmed" wave has put them on the right track.
These have a steampunk aesthetic, which is both impressively nerdy and less constrained in terms of gender roles. The color schemes are still somewhat geared towards traditional gender marketing, but not excessively so. I suspect these will have crossover appeal to boys who have gained an appreciation for the genre from their parents.
Conclusion
Like I said at the top, this was never meant to be comprehensive. I didn't even talk about Monster High or My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, two properties which have spent years breaking new ground for girls... and boys. Both seem to have at least some appeal across gender lines.
Same goes for several traditionally "male" properties. Star Wars seems to finally be producing toys (and more importantly movies) with central female characters (Leia was awesome, but let's not kid ourselves - she wasn't given nearly as big a part as Han or Luke, and she was the only significant female character in the original trilogy). Likewise, despite some hiccups around mass-market toys, Marvel's been doing a fantastic job getting six-inch female figures on the shelves. They've made up about a third of the collector line, which represents a huge improvement.
Meanwhile, DC is producing a new line of dolls and action figures aimed at girls that should be hitting stores next year. The shorts they've made to tie into them are pretty great, too.
Like I said at the start, I'm not sure whether this is a sign of things to come or just a temporary improvement, but - as someone who's been collecting toys for quite a while - it certainly seems promising.
Same goes for several traditionally "male" properties. Star Wars seems to finally be producing toys (and more importantly movies) with central female characters (Leia was awesome, but let's not kid ourselves - she wasn't given nearly as big a part as Han or Luke, and she was the only significant female character in the original trilogy). Likewise, despite some hiccups around mass-market toys, Marvel's been doing a fantastic job getting six-inch female figures on the shelves. They've made up about a third of the collector line, which represents a huge improvement.
Meanwhile, DC is producing a new line of dolls and action figures aimed at girls that should be hitting stores next year. The shorts they've made to tie into them are pretty great, too.
Like I said at the start, I'm not sure whether this is a sign of things to come or just a temporary improvement, but - as someone who's been collecting toys for quite a while - it certainly seems promising.