Tag Archives: toys

LEGO Construction Worker Stickers That Build Sexism!

Sarah GrayApril 30, 2013 //
Little Girls & LEGOs
LEGOs are the perfect gender neutral toy. Why make them "girly"? Read More »
President Barbie
I Can Be President Barbie photo
Meet "I Can Be President" Barbie! Read More »
Wonder Woman LEGO
A Wonder Woman LEGO lady is coming! Read More »
catcalling construction worker LEGO Sticker
  • Last week the blog Talking To Strangers posted about a LEGO sticker showing a construction worker figurines catcalling, “Hey Babe!” LEGO issued a response, where they said, “To communicate the LEGO experience to children we typically use humor and we are sorry that you were unhappy with the way a minifigure was portrayed here.” I’m still scratching my head.  What is funny about the normalizing of street harassment? [Talking To Strangers]
  • A 15-year-old New Jersey teen named Saheela Ibraheem is headed to Harvard next year after being accepted to 13 other prestigious schools including, MIT, Cal Tech, Stanford, Brown and Williams College.  [Clutch Magazine]
  • More in outstanding women, Jennie Lamere, was not only the only female entered in the TVNext Hack Event, but she was also one of three to be titled “best in breed” and win prizes from sponsors.  Her creation, Twivo, would allow you to block tweets about certain shows to avoid spoilers!  She’s a clear reason why we need more girls in tech! [Evolver.fm] Keep reading »

Where Are The Black Barbie Birthday Themes?

Jessica WakemanApril 6, 2013 //
Barbie Vs. Reality
kate halchishick photo
Katie Halchishick depicts Barbie vs. reality in O Magazine. Read More »
Feminist Barbie
16 Barbies with the most feminist careers. 16 Photos »
Human Barbie Dolls
These women personify Barbie. 7 Photos »
black barbie

Karen Braithwaite is a mom any Barbie lover would be lucky to have: she is asking Mattel to make birthday party merchandise featuring black Barbie dolls.

Mattel already sells black Barbie dolls (Barbie’s black friend Christie appeared in 1968; these days Barbie herself is black) and certain black Barbie items, such as stickers. But their sets of party goodies — cups, plates, etc. — do not include a complete set with black Barbies. All the full sets portray Barbie as white.   Keep reading »

Pittsburgh Mom Creates Dolls For Children With Down Syndrome

Winona Dimeo-EdigerMarch 14, 2013 //
Down Syndrome Child Model
Ryan Down syndrome model photo
Meet Ryan, a 6-year-old model with Down syndrome. Read More »
Mommie Dearest...
The year in motherhood headlines. Read More »
Remixed Toy Ads
Remixed toy ads tell the truth about gendered marketing. Read More »
Celeb Barbie Dolls
These celebs deserve their own Barbie likeness. 11 Photos »
Meet Ellie

Connie Feda wanted to create an educational, engaging, and relatable doll for her 13-year-old daughter Hannah, who has Down syndrome. With the goal of capturing “the beauty, vivaciousness and spunk of kids with Down Syndrome,” Connie created Ellie, a doll with Hannah’s almond-shaped eyes and button nose. She soon realized that other kids could benefit from a doll that looked more like them, so she created Dolls For Downs, a new line of dolls for children with Down syndrome. Keep reading »

The Reviews On The New Military Drone Toys For Kids Are In — And They Are Hilarious

Julie GersteinFebruary 6, 2013 //
Weirdest Books Ever
These books will solve all your problems. Even that poop thing. Read More »
A 55-Gallon Bucket of Lube?
Okay, sure. Go for it. Amazon is selling it, after all. Read More »
Amazon Bans Book
Amazon banned this book about pedophilia. Read More »

I’ve never actually written a review of anything on Amazon before, though I do admit they make good reading (check out How To Avoid Huge Ships or The 2009-2014 Outlook for Wood Toilet Seats in Greater China for laffs). I recently came across a new hi-larious listing, this one for a toy Maisto Fresh Metal Tailwinds Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.

Yes, an aircraft drone for children.

If that strikes you as particularly prescient/weird/disturbing, you are not the only one. Check out a few of the amazing Amazon user reviews after the jump. Keep reading »

André Cassagnes, Creator Of The Etch-A-Sketch, Dies

Julie GersteinFebruary 1, 2013 //
'90s Reboots
Find out what's coming back around again. 10 Photos »
Pink Stinks For Toys
princess dress girl photo
Some parents are upset their little girls are given pink toys. Read More »
R-Rated Kids Toys
STD dolls photo
Nine highly inappropriate toys for kids, like STD dolls. 7 Photos »

André Cassagnes, the 86-year-old creator of the popular kid’s toy the Etch-A-Sketch, died in Paris on January 16, it was revealed Thursday. The toy that managed to fascinate and then totally bore kids everywhere, was first introduced at a toy fair in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1959. It fell out of the public consciousness until this past election season, when someone on Republican candidate Mitt Romney’s team was quoted as saying that the campaign was like an Etch-A-Sketch: “I think you hit a reset button for the fall campaign,” said Roney spokesperson Eric Fehrnstrom. “Everything changes. It’s almost like an Etch-A-Sketch. You can kind of shake it up and restart all of over again.”

We’re sad to hear of Cassagnes’ passing. If only death were as easy to shake as an Etch-A-Sketch… [Gifts and Decorative Accessories]

Is It Too Late To Ask For This Tanning Mom Action Figure?

Ami AngelowiczJanuary 2, 2013 //
Tanning Mom
Mother arrested for allegedly putting her 5-year-old in a tanning bed. Read More »
2012: Mommy Issues
Daughters Who Had Serious Mommy Issues In 2012
These daughters had it bad with their moms this year. 10 Photos »
Tanning Mom Drag Show
Tanning Mom got drunk at a drag show. Watch »
Getting Tanning Mom
We're starting to understand Tanning Mom. Read More »
Want!

This “Tanorexic” action figure, made by toy company Herobuilders.com, turned out to be their hottest selling item of 2012. No surprise there. Because of legal reasons, they couldn’t make the doll in the exact likeness of Tanning Mom Patricia Krentcil, but, we get it. All she needs is a bow. I have to get it off my chest: I’m really disappointed that my birthday AND Christmas passed and I DID NOT receive this as a gift. Come on, people! It was only $29.95. Does nobody love me?  Does nobody know me? It’s not too late. [NY Daily News]

Barbie Now Has Her Own Construction Site

Daley QuinnDecember 6, 2012 //
Little Girls & LEGOs
Why LEGOs "for girls" are extremely popular. Read More »
Remixed Toy Ads
Remixed toy ads tell the truth about gendered marketing. Read More »
Sexist Toy Catalogs
Why is stuff to play with divided into "boys" and "girls" toys? Read More »
barbie construction site

When I was a little girl, playing LEGOs with my little brother was far from appealing. Not only did I have no interest in hanging out with him anyway, but I much preferred settling myself in my bedroom loft, cutting my Barbie’s hair off and allowing her to scandalously peck my Swan Princess Prince Derek Barbie doll on the cheek. Barbie got lucky with him. He was a hunk.

Next week, though, Mattel will be combining a LEGO-like atmosphere with Barbie in their new construction set, Mega Bloks Barbie Build ‘n Style. This new toy, featuring a mini-Barbie that can attach to each construction site, comes in various scenes like “a fashion boutique, a mansion and an ice cream cart,” where the children can rearrange and build the play set themselves. Keep reading »

Claw Crane Cat Don’t Care

Julie GersteinDecember 5, 2012 //
Talk About Kitten
We really need to talk about Kitten. Watch »
Martha Bites Kittens
Martha Stewart bites each kitten on the face to show them who is boss. Read More »
Be My BF: Kitten Strip Club
Um, this guy tried to take a kitten to a strip club. Read More »
"Excuse me, I'm napping here."

Would that we could all have the nonchalant attitude of Claw Crane Cat, nonplussed by the large grabby crane that seems to be continually invading his personal space. This Russian kitty just keeps on idly grooming himself amidst the arcade hubbub. What a zen pro. [The Daily What]

Teen Activist Asks Hasbro To Market Easy-Bake Oven To Both Genders

Winona Dimeo-EdigerDecember 4, 2012 //
Mommie Dearest
Why toy catalogs make me roll my eyes. Read More »
Pink Stinks For Girls' Toys
princess dress girl photo
Some parents are upset their little girls are given pink toys. Read More »
Teen Activist Against Photshop
Julia Bluhm wants to see real photos in teen mags. Read More »
No boys allowed?

When 13-year-old Mckenna Pope asked her 4-year-old brother Gavin what he wanted for Christmas, he answered “a dinosaur and an Easy-Bake Oven.” Best Christmas list ever, right? But Mckenna soon found out that getting him a living, breathing dinosaur would be much less complicated than getting him an Easy-Bake Oven, thanks to the gender-specific way Hasbro markets the popular cooking toy. Boys, it seems, aren’t supposed to want Easy-Bake Ovens.

As Mckenna did more research, she “found it quite appalling that boys are not featured in packaging or promotional materials for Easy Bake Ovens,” and she found the implications even more disturbing: “I feel that this sends a clear message: women cook, men work.” So she decided to do something about it… Keep reading »

Mommie Dearest: Why Toy Catalogs Make Me Roll My Eyes

Avital Norman NathmanNovember 29, 2012 //
Little Girls & LEGOs
Why LEGOs "for girls" are extremely popular. Read More »
Remixed Toy Ads
Remixed toy ads tell the truth about gendered marketing. Read More »
Sweet Or Creepy?
Disney princess doll
Put your daughter's face on a Disney princess doll. Read More »

Mommie Dearest is The Frisky’s new biweekly column about being a mama.

I have a love/hate relationship with catalogs. There are some that I love to flip through and pretend that I have the money to burn. Who wouldn’t want her own cotton candy machine, night vision goggles, or handcrafted teak patio furniture? (I don’t even have a patio.) The holiday season provides me with an ample supply of these catalogs, depositing no less than three catalogs a day into my mailbox. However, they’re not all fantasy furnishings and expensive gadgets. The majority of the catalogs I receive actually cause me to roll my eyes, gnash my teeth and fill my already stuffed recycling bin to the brim: toy catalogs promoting tired traditional gender stereotypes. Keep reading »

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