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♪ [music] ♪

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

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

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

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

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Media, specifically toy [br]television commercials,

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help relay the message to society

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that there are specific toys[br]for each gender.

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

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By the age of 10, children [br]have formed an understanding

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of the personality traits[br]that belong to each gender

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Many people believe [br]that gender construction

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is a blend of nature and nurture.

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It takes effort to process[br]a lot of information.

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To reduce this effort,

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our minds stereotype and categorize [br]information into smaller units.

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Therefore, categorizing things[br]as being male or female

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makes it easier for us[br]to process information.

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Once they understand [br]the basic concepts of gender,

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

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

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COMMERCIAL: Thunderbirds are go!

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

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

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negatively stereotyped in ways [br]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[br]and change your wet diaper.

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You're better now, Baby!

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NARRATOR: Segregating toys in this way[br]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 [br]often encourage girls to focus on their looks,

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whereas male toys encourage[br]power and strength.

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

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♪ Look at that glitter. [br]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 [br]from vehicle to blaster in an instant.

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NARRATOR: Finally, [br]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[br]and action figures.

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COMMERCIAL: It's a great big jet!

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♪ In the sky! Walk the runway! [br]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: [br]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 [br]strength and power.

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

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

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Tonka Mod Machines,[br]each sold separately.

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That's Tonka tough.

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

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that promote domestic[br]and nurturing behavior.

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

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

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Bake your cake in the [br]microwave in 30 seconds!

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

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to see how this all began.

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Historically, toy commercials have been[br]much more rigid

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

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Here are some older [br]commercials for boys' toys.

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Notice the absence of [br]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 [br]suggesting boys should have.

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

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with Indians, cavalrymen, [br]shell-shooting cannons.

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

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

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Notice how they promote [br]appearance and domesticity.

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

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launder, iron, bake all this, [br]and always look lovely.

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COMMERCIAL: She keeps herself [br]pretty by using Sugar Plum.

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NARRATOR: Luckily, there have been [br]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 [br]of boys and girls playing with toys

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that are typically more geared [br]toward the other gender.

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

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NARRATOR: There are also more depictions [br]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.[br]Stuart is up, down, tumbling all around.

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Minions!

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

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

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COMMERCIAL: Build the shuttle,

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place the new satellite,[br]and prepare for liftoff.

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NARRATOR: Still not convinced [br]that toy commercials have an impact

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on society's perception of [br]gender-appropriate toys?

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Studies have indicated [br]that children may view

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more than 40,000 [br]advertisements a year.

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That means that they are [br]potentially watching

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tens of thousands of[br]gendered advertisements.

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There's research that indicates [br]that advertisements do indeed

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affect children's attitudes [br]toward the brand.

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According to the American [br]Psychological Association,

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

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Furthermore, it is thought that children[br]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[br]to restrict children to one rigid identity,

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research has also speculated [br]that toy-gendering

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

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The toys that boys play with [br]encourage a freedom of imagination

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

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On the other hand, girl toys[br]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 [br]scientific fields than women.

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

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we still have a long way to go.

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Commercials continue [br]to be gender-restrictive;

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the gendering is simply done [br]in a more modern way,

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

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

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The first is from 1959,[br]and the second is from 2015.

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♪ Purse and hats and gloves and more [br]and all the gadgets gals adore ♪

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COMMERCIAL: It's for you Moschino Barbie!

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Moschino Barbie doll, [br]fabulosity totally included.

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

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

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indicating that Barbies [br]are indeed feminine toys.

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

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

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because gender is constructed [br]by our society.

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Advertisements simply perpetuate [br]gender stereotypes by attempting to appeal

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to consumers' socially influenced desires.

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In other words, society [br]creates gender stereotypes,

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and advertisements perpetuate them.

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

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

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Or is it both?

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Whatever the cause, [br]we must not be discouraged.

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

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♪ [slow jazzy music plays during credits] ♪