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♪ [music] ♪

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NARRATOR: This video essay will examine 
the effects of television toy commercials

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on our society's perception 
of gender-appropriate toys.

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At a young age, society tells us that we fit
into one of two categories: boy or girl.

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Playing with children's toys is one of the
ways in which we learn our gender roles.

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Media, specifically toy 
television commercials,

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help relay the message to society

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that there are specific toys
for each gender.

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Before we begin, let's take a look at 
how and why gender is constructed.

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By the age of 10, children 
have formed an understanding

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of the personality traits
that belong to each gender

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Many people believe 
that gender construction

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is a blend of nature and nurture.

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It takes effort to process
a lot of information.

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To reduce this effort,

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our minds stereotype and categorize 
information into smaller units.

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Therefore, categorizing things
as being male or female

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makes it easier for us
to process information.

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Once they understand 
the basic concepts of gender,

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children remain very rigid in their ideas of 
gendered behaviors, occupations, and toys.

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Studies have found that male characters
tend to dominate children's commercials.

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COMMERCIAL: Thunderbirds are go!

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We've located the distress call.
We must get there fast!

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NARRATOR: Many of them have also found 
that gender portrayals in advertising are often

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negatively stereotyped in ways 
that are restrictive and demeaning.

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COMMERCIAL: Baby Alive!

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My baby's first cold!

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Let's use the bear thermometer.

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Good girl!

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I can give you medicine
and change your wet diaper.

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You're better now, Baby!

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NARRATOR: Segregating toys in this way
can be detrimental to children

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who are still forming their identities.

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Other studies have found that female toys 
often encourage girls to focus on their looks,

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whereas male toys encourage
power and strength.

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COMMERCIAL: A glitter blow-dryer? 
That's so Barbie!

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♪ Look at that glitter. 
Change the color, Change the style ♪

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COMMERCIAL: The Transformers war is here!

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And both sides can change 
from vehicle to blaster in an instant.

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NARRATOR: Finally, 
commercials featuring females

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are usually for dolls and accessories,

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whereas commercials featuring males

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are often for building toys
and action figures.

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COMMERCIAL: It's a great big jet!

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♪ In the sky! Walk the runway! 
Yeah, we rock it! ♪

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COMMERCIAL: Want something your way?

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You build it!

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Introducing U-Build Battleship.

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NARRATOR: 
Boys are encouraged to play with cars,

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trucks, building toys, and science toys.

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Generally the toys promote 
strength and power.

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COMMERCIAL: One system, you can build
up and customize your heavy-duty truck

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with tons of parts and drop 
the motor into any Mod Machine.

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Tonka Mod Machines,
each sold separately.

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That's Tonka tough.

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NARRATOR: Girls are encouraged to play
with toys such as kitchen sets, and dolls

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that promote domestic
and nurturing behavior.

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COMMERCIAL: Only you can help 
shy little Furberries come out and play!

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COMMERCIAL: It's the cake bakery!
The easy way to make designer cakes!

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Bake your cake in the 
microwave in 30 seconds!

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NARRATOR: Let's take a look 
at some older toy commercials

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to see how this all began.

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Historically, toy commercials have been
much more rigid

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in depicting what type of toys 
boys and girls should play with.

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Here are some older 
commercials for boys' toys.

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Notice the absence of 
a female model or voiceover,

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the nature of the toys being advertised,

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and the qualities they are 
suggesting boys should have.

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COMMERCIAL: This opens up 
the wild action world of Port Apache,

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with Indians, cavalrymen, 
shell-shooting cannons.

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COMMERCIAL: The most action 
you can get, from Mattel.

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NARRATOR: Now let's take a look 
at some girl commercials from the past.

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Notice how they promote 
appearance and domesticity.

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COMMERCIAL: Yes, with Suzy Homemaker,
you can entertain, wash dishes, clean house,

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launder, iron, bake all this, 
and always look lovely.

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COMMERCIAL: She keeps herself 
pretty by using Sugar Plum.

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NARRATOR: Luckily, there have been 
many positive changes in toy commercials

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in the past 50 years or so.

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Recently, there have been more depictions 
of boys and girls playing with toys

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that are typically more geared 
toward the other gender.

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COMMERCIAL: ♪ So much fun, you'll want
to squeal, Little Live Pets, little mice. ♪

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NARRATOR: There are also more depictions 
of boys and girls playing with toys together

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to indicate that the toy is gender-neutral.

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COMMERCIAL: Expressive and unexpected.
Stuart is up, down, tumbling all around. Minions.

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NARRATOR: Some commercials have 
even resorted to not using a model at all

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and instead using hands to indicate 
that a toy is gender-neutral.

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COMMERCIAL: Build the shuttle,

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place the new satellite,
and prepare for liftoff.

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NARRATOR: Still not convinced 
that toy commercials have an impact

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on society's perception of 
gender-appropriate toys?

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Studies have indicated 
that children may view

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more than 40,000 
advertisements a year.

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That means that they are 
potentially watching

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tens of thousands of
gendered advertisements.

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There's research that indicates 
that advertisements do indeed

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affect children's attitudes 
toward the brand.

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According to the American 
Psychological Association,

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50% of children remember a toy
advertisement a week after seeing it.

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Furthermore, it is thought that children
may focus more on the advertisements

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than on the television show itself.

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So why should we be concerned?

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Aside from the fact that it is dangerous
to restrict children to one rigid identity,

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research has also speculated 
that toy-gendering

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could affect men and women's aptitudes
and skills for different professions as adults.

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The toys that boys play with 
encourage a freedom of imagination

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and teach spatial skills that are 
often necessary for scientific careers.

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On the other hand, girl toys
focus more on nurturing skills,

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domestic skills, and appearance.

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Many theorize that this is one reason

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why there are more men in 
scientific fields than women.

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While there has been some progress with
de-gendering television toy commercials,

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we still have a long way to go.

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Commercials continue 
to be gender-restrictive;

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the gendering is simply done 
in a more modern way,

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giving the illusion that things have 
changed when they really haven't.

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Take a look at these two Barbie 
commercials, for example.

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The first is from 1959,
and the second is from 2015.

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♪ Purse and hats and gloves and more 
and all the gadgets gals adore ♪

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COMMERCIAL: It's for you Moschino Barbie!

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Moschino Barbie doll, 
fabulosity totally included.

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NARRATOR: Some may think that having
a boy in a Barbie commercial is progress.

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However, his mannerisms are still very
feminine by our society's standards,

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indicating that Barbies 
are indeed feminine toys.

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In this way, it's not much better than 
the Barbie commercial from the '50s.

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We must keep in mind that the 
advertisements are not entirely at fault

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because gender is constructed 
by our society.

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Advertisements simply perpetuate 
gender stereotypes by attempting to appeal

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to consumers' socially influenced desires.

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In other words, society 
creates gender stereotypes,

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and advertisements perpetuate them.

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In order to make a change, we must figure
out why we haven't made more progress.

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Is it society that is resisting?
Or are the toy companies?

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Or is it both?

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Whatever the cause, 
we must not be discouraged.

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Things are improving slowly, 
but there's still much work to be done.

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♪ [slow jazzy music plays during credits] ♪