sexist advertisment from Gap y

Yes it is dreadful Nelliemoser. I remember one Christmas 28 years ago, my friend wanted to buy her 4 year old son a 'kitchen' because that was all he wanted. Her husband was horrified, said he wouldn't allow it because he'd grow up to be a p..f.

She ignored him and the gift was a resounding success; both our sons and both of hers got a lot of fun out of it and her eldest and ours are both terrific cooks.

And they wonder why women are under-represented in so many areas of business and public life.

Be realistic, this is an advert, boys want to be superheros and girls want to be fairies etc (in the main). So advertisers are going to go with the trend, not try to change it.

Dicky What a sweeping generalisation. My 4 year old grandson loves reading and dancing and was not that interested in the Saturday football sessions he went to. His sister, who will be 6 at the end of the year, is not that interested in stories but factual books engage her more. She prefers physical activities and was very engaged and energetic in the Saturday football session. However, she also very creative and enjoys improvising with household items and making things, whereas her brother prefers Lego. So, there are combinations of what some see as more "male" and more "female" interests in both the children. I suspect that, given a free hand, most children would be the same.

But if you keep portraying boys as superheroes and girls as fairies/princesses (and parents, as well as advertisers and the media in general often reinforce these stereotypes), children either identify with these notions, go along with them because they don't want to be different, or they rebel - and that requires a great deal of single-mindedness and determination as it can be socially isolating.

Let children decide for themselves what they enjoy doing and what they feel comfortable wearing. To imply that learning, science and discovery is something more characteristic of boys and that girls shouldn't be bothering their pretty little heads with anything more taxing than the latest fashions is, in my view, disgraceful.

Really? Do they? Not in my world.

My reply was to dicky, x posted with eloethan

I did say "in the main" which is certainly how it is in my world.

But my point was that this was an advertiser, they are not in the business of trying to change conceptions, they will use common conceptions to their advantage.

I make no comment as to whether girls should follow traditional "girly" things or boys "boyish" things. My own GD is keen on ballet and appears to love dressing in pretty dresses, except when she is kicking seven bells out of the other kids on the football pitch.

I do not and will never get the feminist (radical feminist) mindset,I'm afraid I can only assume they are emotionally affected.
A child today will be able to do whatever it wants,working and playing.If it really wants to be a say,a soldier,No amount of pink or blue adverts will change their minds.My two goddaughters (sisters) are treated exactly the same in every way,in fact treated like girls really because mums best friend has two girls as well.But one,the youngest is a proper(maybe what we used to call a tomboy) she's in the football team,goes to scouts.never wears a dress,a proper live wire.
For goodness sake leave kids alone,let them decide.
I've got one of each,will Definatly be treated the same,but already you can see a difference.But they change anyway as they get older.

It's the same child in each picture. I think it is a dig at sexism rather than being sexist.

It seems to me that around 2 years old children will play with anything they can get their hands on, after that a division can take place although dressing up is popular with both sexes for a long time. I have 2 granddaughters one plays in a football team and is seen as a tomboy the other plays tennis and I was asked the other day if she had a nice frilly dress to play in!!! What can you do?

I agree with the indignant comments about sexism and was and am very feminist in my outlook.

However, having had a girl and a boy I have to smile. I put my daughter in dungarees for the first two years of her life. However, when someone bought her a dress for her birthday I put it on her. She tootled up to the mirror, pointed her foot, did a whirl and positively pouted at her reflection. No one taught her to do that. Likewise the boy was into vehicles, weapons, running, shouting and being a loud pest.

I have to say I persevered with the 'non sexist' upbringing as far as I could. Still, nature shines through. I suppose the real point is that both boys and girls should have the same opportunities. Additionally, those vital professions and areas of work which are traditionally thought of as female should be rewarded as highly as male domains. Teachers should be rewarded as well as bankers.

Are you laughing at that? Shame on you!

My 6 year old GD has a bedroom full of star wars figures bedding etc. yes she also likes butterfly princesses , her boyfriend plays dress up and his favourite is Snow White . Let it be.

I think you are missing the power of suggestion dicky. It has been proven that people are heavily influenced by exposure to advertising so in my opinion Gap should be much more careful of supporting stereotypes. I can't actually remember the ads but I have a feeling that Gap have had problems with this issue in the past, I may be wrong.

I do get the feeling that often men are more rigid in their response to this issue whilst women can be a bit more relaxed. Having said that try dressing a 3yr old girl - wall to wall pink or Disney princesses are had to avoid!

Gosh - growing up in the 50s I always wanted a cowboy outfit - when Father Christmas brought me a cowgirl outfit and my brother a cowboy outfit I can remember feeling 'slightly' upset. As we grew up, I always 'fought off' the kids that were bullying my older brother. I didn't realise until I reached my teens that that was not how 'girls' were supposed to behave - and I've lived my life happily ignoring the stereotypical views of how men and women should act. My daughter has definitely inherited my genes - she's just completing her Phd in Sociology and is equally as vocal as me re stereotyping the sexes!

FGS Read what I said, I made a statement of fact. I did not miss the point. I repeat, try not to read more into it than I said. -

"But my point was that this was an advertiser, they are not in the business of trying to change conceptions, they will use common conceptions to their advantage."

If this is right or wrong was not my point, it is what advertisers do.

That was for Dicky, he was quite right in what he said.

Let the children decide (assuming that target audience old enough). As long as you instill good values in words and actions then the children will grow up as balanced individuals. A child sees a person, not colour,creed or gender. A child only knows there are differences when they are pointed out.

Quite so, nain . It's the values that the child are presented with that count. Not just at home, but within the community too.

Mothercare are the same. Meh. It's only advertising; it's the company's job to sell stuff.

Ignore!

gettingon ??

As long as girls get the same educational and professional opportunities, who cares if the like pink? You can be a lawyer or a surgeon and still like pretty clothes and perfume.

My DGD's love pink. They love blue too. They love fairies, make-up and most of all they love horses and ponies. They are both very bright.

My DGS (their little brother) loves blue. He hates pink as (in his words) Pink is for girls. He hates fairies, dollies or anything girly. He does however love baking and never shy's away from the odd sparkle or butterfly cake topping. His first love is football and his second is dinosaurs. He is also very bright.

I really can't see the problem.

Dickie, I really believe you need to rethink your responses or post on another forum. Your comments on the postings of others verge on belittling and insulting and none of the participants on gransnet.com deserve to be on the receiving end of such crassness.

My 6 year old DGD
loves pink, princesses and fairies. she plays football, does mud runs and rides ponies. Just let them do what they want. Boys and girls all relate to gender specific whatever - and have other interests. fuss about nothing. they all grow up for the most part to be lovely people.

Pink for girls, blue for boys is a fairly recent concept...http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/10/pink-used-common-color-boys-blue-girls/