History of Feminism
In reply to the discussion: The Little Girl from the 1981 LEGO Ad is All Grown Up, and She’s Got Something to Say [View all]BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)Not only does it separate, it also often belittles girls' activities. I just don't understand why parents still believe the superstitious nonsense that somehow if a child is interested in "girly" things they will turn out gay and that that is somehow bad. I guess as more people get to share their stories as they come out, people will understand that it's natural and you're born that way.
It's also so much about control. It's obviously getting you off to a horrible start if you think you can mould your baby's personality and make that person be who you want them to be. I see so many parents working so hard to do just that their child's whole life and it takes many years for the person to break free from that conditioning if they ever do. Kids show their personalities and proclivities instantly and yet here is mom & dad trying to make them in their own image or worse, an image of something they could never have, so they can live vicariously.
Fun is fun. Imagination, play, learning, it can come from anywhere. My friend's son loved flowers, plants and gardening. He always drew flowers at school. His father is a pretty conservative, football playing manly type. I know it disappointed him and stressed him out that his son might get teased and was not interested in the things he dreamed would happen on becoming a father. I'm really proud of how he handled it though, and rather surprised, he just let his son be who he was and helped find things the kid liked. He has grown up into the sweetest, most caring young man I've actually ever met (his express goal when going to college was finding a career "that helps people" and has chosen nursing). And believe it or not, he has girls throwing themselves at him because he is so damn nice and not like the jerk jocks at school.
So I guess this simple ad about Lego's has me thinking about lots of things. Our society is really going backward in so many ways and the rigidity of gender roles and the cartoonishness of what "men" and "women" are supposed to look like are indicators that we are not living in a period of enlightenment. I blame consumerism first and fundamentalism second, but I'm sure there's more in there. It's like we just lost our way somehow.