Gender Typing in Toy Commercials

Orenstein, P. (2006, December 24). What’s Wrong with Cinderella? New York Times,

156, p. 34-39.

Little Tikes Play Vacuum and Mower. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPJ4wCb2L1U

Playskool Tonka Trucks Commercial. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deH1OG2AevU&feature=related

Hasbro Rose Petal Cottage Commercial. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dXlAjCU8G4&feature=related

Hasbro Big Wheels Commercial. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iovcA1utMJ8

Easy Bake Oven and Snack Center. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/690/

Creepy Crawlers. Retrieved October 22, 2007, from

http://www.retrojunk.com/details_commercial/1669/

Myers, D. (2005). Exploring psychology (6th ed). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

October 22, 2007
After reading “What’s Wrong With Cinderella” which introduced the idea that children embrace whatever stereotypes their culture presents, I paid closer attention to toy commercials. After analyzing the bark bark vacuum, moo moo mower, 3 in 1 scoot and scoop, speed and go funway, rose petal cottage, easy bake oven, and creepy crawlers, I found toy commercials promote traditional gender roles.
The bark bark vacuum and moo moo mower have the same exact structural design, but have different functions that are gender specific. The vacuum is associated with females and the mower with males. While the children demonstrate how the products work the commercial narrator says that female can help her mom in the house and male can help his dad outside.
The 3 in 1 scoot and scoop and speed and go funway actually say boys are built different and have a need for speed and control. The rose petal cottage is all pink and portrays stereotypically female jobs including caring for children, decorating, cooking, and doing laundry. The funniest segment is when the narrator describes how the female’s imagination can grow. This statement is followed up by the female doing laundry. Early on these commercials are reinforcing the notion that males are in control and need freedom and females are passive and happy being domesticated.
After analyzing current commercials, I thought back to my brother’s and my childhood. We had two toys that were structurally the same, yet performed different functions. The easy bake oven and creepy crawlers were both boxes, but one made snacks and the other made giant bugs. Orenstein (2006) introduces the theory of gender constancy that states “until children are about 6 or 7 they don’t realize that the sex they were born with is immutable they believe they have a choice” (p. 37). These commercials suggest children really don’t have a choice and that gender typing or acquisition of a traditional masculine or feminine role can be explained by gender schema theory. Gender schema theory suggests children learn from their culture a concept of what it means to be male and female and that they adjust their behavior accordingly (Myers, 2005, p. 92). Since there are limited choices, traditional gender roles are reinforced.