We're still on a break and I don't want you to think this is a backslide situation... I'm still semi out of order for another week...
But people piss me off and sometimes it's better to get timely stuff out in a timely matter...
If you read the news, and I don't mean Yahoo News which I do read but lately only seems to cover star's hairdos and funny basketball shots, then you may have heard of Lego's new product called LEGO Friends
and people are pissed and pissed and pissed and most likely freaking bored...
And this is where I start hating people (in general not specific folks).
The folks coming against Lego friends are missing a few huge points.
One article I linked to above says "The Ladyfigs are compatible with regular Lego sets, but the regular sets won’t be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy both kinds." That to me is ridiculous logic... The Lego Friends sets will not be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy them. No toy will be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy them. Food will not be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy it.
The fact is the new colors rock... I think some of the sets are really cool... MF will get the treehouse if it's still around once he's old enough to play with the small parts... On a side note he's moved to regular Legos because he likes them more than Duplo... But we only let him use the larger pieces... We're sizist.
So what's wrong with making more doll-shaped mini figs? LEGO did a ton of research and that's what girls wanted... They wanted back story... And yes they wanted to build.
The sets aren't dumbed down... They're as intricate as any Lego set... It's still about building, it's still about creativity... It's just some different colors and some different figures...
I would hands down buy these sets for a girl if we had one (as I said I'd buy them for MF)... And I'd buy any set she wanted plus she'd get my big 'ol box of Legos...
You can do the same, or not... You see if you think they're sexist the best way to get that across is not buy them... If no one buys them then they go bye-bye.
Oh... And a friend of mine's five year old girl saw the Friends sets and wanted one... As her first Lego set... So there... She got it and now can enjoy Legos and building and do whatever the hell she wants with them on whatever set she wants now that she knows about them... She is having fun.
Also... If you want to read what I think is an Businessweek article about Lego, the new Friends line and how a shoe made Lego rethink their products check this article out... It's kind of fascinating.
And this is of course not some hidden ad post... But if Lego finds me and wants to send me a shitload of products they can... I love the company and when I was a kid I wanted to work from them when I grew up... I grew up but I'm not working for them so I guess I failed... I suck.
P.S. I should say that I'm disturbed that Lego is making boys gay... The spaceman in the scene above is totally drinking a foo-foo drink and we know all guys (except me of course) that drink foo-foo drinks are gay... That cup and pink piece came from the Lego Friends set I got...
Also I'm a bit disturbed by the expression of the guy in green's face... I think the Lego bounce should kick him out but Lego doesn't make a bouncer... If they had he/she would have never let an archer bring his arrows into the club...
Update:
Since people are idiots I sent an email to LEGO asking them "Are you going to be asking people who buy Lego Friends products to sign a waiver, take an oath or anything similar to prove that the Lego Friends product will be given to and used only by girls?
Are you going to be asking people who buy regular Lego products to sign a waiver, take an oath or anything similar to prove that the regular Lego product will be given to and used only by boys?"
But people piss me off and sometimes it's better to get timely stuff out in a timely matter...
If you read the news, and I don't mean Yahoo News which I do read but lately only seems to cover star's hairdos and funny basketball shots, then you may have heard of Lego's new product called LEGO Friends
and people are pissed and pissed and pissed and most likely freaking bored... |
| This is sexist... Funny, but sexist... It's also not a Lego Friends set. |
The folks coming against Lego friends are missing a few huge points.
- While geared towards girls anybody can play with them... I learned this when I purchased a set and wasn't asked sign a waiver saying it was for a girl.
- People can still buy regular sets for girls. I actually can't say I'm 100% correct there (I have an email in to Lego) but I haven't seen signs saying they are for boys only.
- Girls are different from boys and, at times, like different things than boys do.
- The new sets are 100% compatible with regular Lego which makes them also compatible with Duplo and Quatro (which was discontinued but we have a set.. Thanks Kate, Matt and Jacks)
- Lego does not force people to buy any of their sets... This was news to me. If your kid likes Legos but doesn't like castles they don't force you to buy castle sets... Same with space, Star Wars and of course Lego Friends
One article I linked to above says "The Ladyfigs are compatible with regular Lego sets, but the regular sets won’t be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy both kinds." That to me is ridiculous logic... The Lego Friends sets will not be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy them. No toy will be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy them. Food will not be available to kids unless parents are willing to buy it.
The fact is the new colors rock... I think some of the sets are really cool... MF will get the treehouse
if it's still around once he's old enough to play with the small parts... On a side note he's moved to regular Legos because he likes them more than Duplo... But we only let him use the larger pieces... We're sizist.So what's wrong with making more doll-shaped mini figs? LEGO did a ton of research and that's what girls wanted... They wanted back story... And yes they wanted to build.
The sets aren't dumbed down... They're as intricate as any Lego set... It's still about building, it's still about creativity... It's just some different colors and some different figures...
I would hands down buy these sets for a girl if we had one (as I said I'd buy them for MF)... And I'd buy any set she wanted plus she'd get my big 'ol box of Legos...
You can do the same, or not... You see if you think they're sexist the best way to get that across is not buy them... If no one buys them then they go bye-bye.
Oh... And a friend of mine's five year old girl saw the Friends sets and wanted one... As her first Lego set... So there... She got it and now can enjoy Legos and building and do whatever the hell she wants with them on whatever set she wants now that she knows about them... She is having fun.
Also... If you want to read what I think is an Businessweek article about Lego, the new Friends line and how a shoe made Lego rethink their products check this article out... It's kind of fascinating.
And this is of course not some hidden ad post... But if Lego finds me and wants to send me a shitload of products they can... I love the company and when I was a kid I wanted to work from them when I grew up... I grew up but I'm not working for them so I guess I failed... I suck.
P.S. I should say that I'm disturbed that Lego is making boys gay... The spaceman in the scene above is totally drinking a foo-foo drink and we know all guys (except me of course) that drink foo-foo drinks are gay... That cup and pink piece came from the Lego Friends set I got...
Also I'm a bit disturbed by the expression of the guy in green's face... I think the Lego bounce should kick him out but Lego doesn't make a bouncer... If they had he/she would have never let an archer bring his arrows into the club...
Update:
Since people are idiots I sent an email to LEGO asking them "Are you going to be asking people who buy Lego Friends products to sign a waiver, take an oath or anything similar to prove that the Lego Friends product will be given to and used only by girls?
Are you going to be asking people who buy regular Lego products to sign a waiver, take an oath or anything similar to prove that the regular Lego product will be given to and used only by boys?"
I got a reply:
Dear Kenny,
Thanks for getting in touch with us.
We would never make anyone sign a contract to play with any of our products. LEGO® would never want single someone out by any of our product lines. That would never be out intentions or hopes for our new or current product lines. Hopefully this clears things up.
A big thanks to the LEGO folk for the official reply. And there you go... you can let boys play with LEGO friends and girls play with regular LEGOs... And for those who bitched about the product please find something worthy to bitch about... There's so much more going on in the world.
Its rediculous. People complain there is nothing geared toward their daughters. I grew up owning SO many Legos and built houses, cars and some strange-looking towers from them. they rode horsews. They went on dates. Nothing said my little person had to be in a pink skirt for me to play in it.
ReplyDeleteNothing also says that because I am a girl I have to play with the one with the pink skirt.
Don't like it? DON'T BUY IT.
@Mrs wonder That's what I mean... People will buy them if the set speaks to them... And inevitably whatever they buy will be torn down, mixed in with every other Lego they have and will become something totally different... Unless the Legos "for girls" get pregnant when they mingle with the Legos "for boys"...
ReplyDeleteI hear you. As a mum of a two year old I wont be buying her any of the shit I dont agree with. I think though, but to be honest havent bothered reading loads of posts about this, is about the stereotyping... hairdressers, beauty etc. Yes i know some kids are in to that shit, that's fine but not for me.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can not deny that this ad is a million times better than the latest stuff they're pushing out: http://genderfork.com/2009/recommendation-an-old-lego-ad/ (thats not a link to my own blog :P)
Anyway. am loving your pole dancer! :)
I'm outraged by the exclusion as portrayed in the picture: why is the pole dancer/stripper blonde-haired blue-eyed? Why can't the women of color be represented?!
ReplyDeleteIn all seriousness, the Business Week article did a great job. However, I am still sitting on the fence as to how I feel about this. Personally I would not have asked for this when I was little. There's a reason why I wanted Legos: because they are NOT dolls.
LEGO tried this once, with baby figures and a little house, cribs, toys, etc. I got it as a gift when I was a kid, and was a bit horrified. It didn't feel like LEGOs to me, and I didn't really play with it. I liked regular LEGOs better, though I didn't play with them for as long as my brothers did.
ReplyDeleteJennifer