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Toys 'R' Us has been reprimanded for discrimination by a consumer advocacy group that says its 2008 Christmas catalog featured "outdated gender roles."The claim came from Swedish-based consumer advocacy group Reklamombudsmannen, after a sixth-grade class in Stockholm appealed to them as part of a project. The class examined the toy catalog, which showed boys playing in "action-filled environments" as superheroes, while girls are shown "sitting or standing in passive poses" dressed up in princess costumes. The kids felt that the scenes reinforced a subjective idea of normal play, and filed a complaint against Toys 'R' Us for gender discrimination.
Sweden's International Chamber of Commerce has strict policies concerning foreign marketing, and the sixth-graders argued that Toys 'R' Us's strategies were potentially unhealthy. Student Moa Averin worried that it could make children feel self-conscious about wanting to play in a manner not typified as normal, pointing out that "guys want to be princesses sometimes."
Although Reklamombudsmannen has no authority to dish out punishments for companies it finds at fault, they did agree with the sixth-graders' complaint and issued a public reprimand.
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Wednesday 07 October
By Sanford
Good grief . Don't we have enough USA religious pests that we have to import them from other countries?
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Wednesday 07 October
By Jessica
AAAHAHAHAHA! Amen to that.
Wednesday 07 October
By J
I applaud that 6th grade class...TIMES ARE CHANGING!!! Today's adult male is much more responsible and in touch with reality than those of past generations that were force fed ridiculous gender roles. This is evident from the post below....i wonder if that poster considers himself a real man. I hope Toys R Us does reconsider the negative stereotypes they are reinforcing.
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Wednesday 07 October
By Jay C
So because we don't have to attribute characteristics and qualities to specific gender, we should swap it up?...... cause we can? ..... you are the similar reason as to why people feel awkward and insecure, taking depression meds and supporting cultural disfunction.........because you can....... makes my stomach churn. Technology and convenience is not a request for compromising human norms, but selfishness might be....... Do me a favor, find to lego pieces, a plug and a socket, or a lock and a key. Now put them to gether. There is a reason why it fits, because they were made that way. Now take whay I just taught you, and apply it to the human condition.
Thursday 08 October
By LESPAL
what negative stereotypes? are we now supposed to be ashamed when our boys act like boys and our girls act like girls? there are differences between the two sexes-as much as you would like that to not be true, it just is and maybe if people would learn to deal with that we wouldn't have all this "gender confusion". Here's a nice rule of thumb for all of you who are stuggling so hard to understand this, if you're born with a penis, you're a boy. If you're born with a vagina, you're a girl!
Wednesday 07 October
By sean
This is a cultural issue - not discrimination.
Let the male Swedes male dance around in Princess attire all they want.
I do not approve of using nudity in advertising, but the Swedes and much of Europe do.
I do not see Americans trying to reprimand the Swedes.
So what's the point?
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Wednesday 07 October
By stan stinson
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT SWEDEN, BUT IF YOUR LITTLE BOY WANT'S TO DRESS UP LIKE A PRINCESS IN TEXAS, YOU GOT PROBLEMS
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Wednesday 07 October
By samuel
AMEN!
Wednesday 07 October
By linda
Lol!!!
Good one!!!!
Wednesday 07 October
By Texan
Yup, then end up like our guvnor talkin bout secession and getting all them damyankee ideas into his head that Republicans are the good guys and Georgie is intelligent. Thinks Yale is a good school, only fit for pansies and drunks. Did you graduate from A&M or you just naturally ignorant?
Wednesday 07 October
By CLesh
Dave Jones, you are quite ridiculous. Sure its not less manly to wear a kilt...in SCOTLAND! Wearing a kilt (skirt) in America is most definitely less manly unless part of a Scottish ritual. The thing is, you must take things in their cultural context.
So to address the Swedes in the article, maybe they should just stop reading the Toys R Us catalog if they find boys being boys and vice versa offensive. The whole world has gone soft and this is what contributing to what everyone else is talking about - mainly sissy men and robotic women. We need a serious dose of some good old fashioned sexism to straighten us out!!!
PS - couldnt agree more DAllen!!!
Wednesday 07 October
By dxprn
Lets remind the Swedes of two things: Number 1) we have freedom of speech here, and 2) they don't have to buy from Toys-R-Us if they don't like the catalog.
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Wednesday 07 October
By wayne moore
wtf
Wednesday 07 October
By craig sullivan
Good for toys r us I an happy to see it in this PC wourld we live its a breafh of fresh air thank you toys r us I will be doing all mt shopping with you TTFN
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Wednesday 07 October
By Me
and you are the ones bringing up these boys teaching them its not ok to be sensitive or cry. Thanks for violence you idiots!
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Wednesday 07 October
By laura
I think all these people talking AGAINST little boys dressing up as princesses are CORRECT in what they say! I have a 5 year old boy and he knows that little boys dont play dress up in little girl cloths! I didnt have to teach him, thats the way God made him! and he knows its ok to cry, what the hell does that have to do with anything? gays should be moved to thier own island, lets see how long it takes for the AIDS to take over. gays are gross nasty people, but i do pray they change thier ways, couse if they dont they are going to HELL!
Wednesday 07 October
By kidzpta
When we were growing up, we played with toy guns, knieves, fire crackers and honest to goodness metal toys and such and there was much less violence! So, you are way off base. Now such things are banned and we have skyrocketing violence! Doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out the problem here folks......it is liberal minded nuts like you!
Wednesday 07 October
By ozzychikk
The article says "The kids feel..." I'm sorry, but thats BS. This is what some BullSh!t teacher thinks, not what the kids think.
Let boys be boys and girls be girls.
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Wednesday 07 October
By Shane
Booooo!! Go away, Sweden!
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Wednesday 07 October
By Mommasan
It's about time! Being a parent of two kids (one of each gender), I can't scream enough about the over abundance of gender specific marketing towards children. For example, Toys R' Us has recreated a line of "classic" toys (push popper, stacking rings, shape sorters) that ONLY come in pink for girls. I have to wonder how toddler girls who are subjected to a limited pink spectrum of belongings ever learn to differentiate and name other colors. Clearly full intellectual development is at stake here.
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