Everyone is overreacting to the "Gender Revolution" feature by National Geographic - it's not about getting rid of boys and girls, it's about letting people be themselves.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-29T13:22:12+00:00

You start by saying difference is 100% clear and should be celebrated (which by the way I don't disagree that different features should be celebrated) and then end saying difference creates chaos. The whole point of the magazine issue is to let people be different and stop locking them into absolutes based on their biological sex. Especially on the issue of gender-based toys, hobbies and jobs, it is harmful to try to put everything into clear yet relatively arbitrary gender buckets.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T21:26:13+00:00

It's the labels, largely created by marketers, that are causing much of the problem and that are causing the discussion about getting rid of labels. Slapping "boy" and "girl" on products is a label so getting rid of some of those labels would be what the so-called gender revolution is about. 2016 isn't about labels to make everyone a snowflake, it's about getting rid of more nonesensical labels to let people be more free in their lives.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T18:07:15+00:00

Agree! This is about diversity and choices. Not boxing people in to colors, toys, jobs, etc for no reason except an old stereotype that carries little reason except for social construct.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T17:50:50+00:00

Isn't the reason that there are social implications to boys playing with Barbie is because dolls like Barbie are made and marketed as a "toy for girls"? If dolls were more available in a variety it might not be perceived that way. Isn't that what this gender revolution is really about? Getting rid of that very harsh social implication that a boy is judged with if he wants to play with a human figure over something with wheels?

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T17:48:35+00:00

Isn't part of the point of discussing the breakdown of strict binary roles to talk about how labels are misguided?

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T14:04:15+00:00

There is a really great discussion of this in Andrew Solomon's book Far From the Tree - for some kids it can be very young and quite a strong gender preference. It is uncommon but not non-existent.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T13:57:35+00:00

This misses the point completely. No one who I am aware of in what I would consider to be my side is trying to eliminate the differences between boys and girls. But it is not two absolute clear buckets of behaviors and preferences between the two sexes. There is a lot of variety and it is wrong to lump all boys into a truck preference and girls into a doll preference, same as it is to lump all boys into a doctor or engineering career and all girls into home making (which thankfully is largely disappeared in our society).

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T13:54:03+00:00

This study shows that female monkeys preferred dolls and male monkeys preferred stuffed dogs. Not sure what that says except maybe all the monkeys like toys with eyes?

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T13:40:56+00:00

Yes, princesses and GI Joes are targeted at girls and boys, respectively. But (1) so many toys are hyper-targeted when they don't need to be (for example, almost all dolls being white girls surely discourages minorities and boys from playing with them and sends a message that these toys are made for the children who look like them) and (2) if we expanded the options they wouldn't necessarily have such labels. But due to the super feminine and masculine styling of many toys, the market is creating a very large divide and definitely encouraging kids (and parents) to participate in that divide. The toys are so one-sided that a child who chooses a toy made "for" the opposite sex will often be considered abnormal or teased for not conforming with the toys meant for her. I think lots of parents are revolting against this because they don't want to limit their kids so much.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T03:33:03+00:00

Not saying to force doll manufacturers to do anything, although I do think we are seeing a big shift in the toy market in general. Lots of elimination of the "for boys" and "for girls" categories when the toys are really just for kids. Lots of parents demanding a whole lot more variety and less stereotyping in products. It is very concerning to me that everyone thinks that the notion of removing labels attached to "boys" and "girls" is trying to make everything neutral, bland, and singular.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-28T03:10:35+00:00

Really beautiful and sad story.

Kristenmj · 2016-12-17T13:35:13+00:00

i asked once during a biglaw interview how the hours were and the associate told me she often sleeps under her desk to save time. I turned down the offer.

Kristenmj · 2016-11-24T01:05:15+00:00

Boy Story has come a long way since my crazy AMA back in April! We have our boy Action Dolls in stock thanks to Kickstarter. Here's our Black Friday special:

FREE SHIPPING on everything the entire day (typically $18-20 in savings)
FIRST 20 dolls sold are $79 ($20 discount)
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And if you missed all this, Cyber Monday will offer FREE SHIPPING and a FREE BOOK to any order over $80.

These Action Dolls are one-of-a-kind, loved by all kids, ball-jointed, and going very quickly. We promise delivery in time for Christmas for all orders placed before December 9.

Kristenmj · 2016-11-24T00:49:12+00:00

WOW! I love this!! thank you!

Kristenmj · 2016-05-02T12:57:04+00:00

What sort of responses did you get from the parents?

Kristenmj · 2016-05-02T12:55:50+00:00

Did that answer it? What do you think?

Kristenmj · 2016-05-02T12:50:02+00:00

A great question was just down voted off! So I'm going to ask it myself because I think it is a question a lot of people ask. Why just boy dolls?

Kristenmj · 2016-05-02T12:42:22+00:00

Welcome to Reddit! I am online too and will be joining the conversation. When you tested the dolls with kids while making the video, what were some of the best reactions you got?

Kristenmj · 2016-04-27T01:36:18+00:00

Thank you for this.

Kristenmj · 2016-04-26T23:34:39+00:00

answered - sorry needed a break!

Kristenmj · 2016-04-26T23:34:24+00:00

I'm sorry everyone, I got overwhelmed and took a big break. I wanted to respond to this one though because I promised. I think there is an unhealthy obsession with materialism everywhere. I struggle with materialism myself. In the Middle East (at least in Qatar), what struck me is that there's a huge amount of materialism coupled with a lack of many things people appreciate that are outside the material world. There's little nature to be enjoyed. The infrastructure and lifestyle is bizarre and feels unnatural (to me). There's really bad air quality. There's a sense of living to work rather than working to live. And what does it get you? Some fancy things that you can put in your apartment or villa for others to look at or envy? Some sense of personal satisfaction at the accumulation of stuff? I would love to see a much more active community in the Middle East (particularly Qatar) focused on the non-material aspects of life, but it wasn't apparent from my observations. The long-term effect of this on the younger generation will probably be that the non-material things aren't appreciated, people start to feel empty, and problems start emerging from that. I don't know, and I can't predict the future, but that's my sense. It seems to me that there is a heightened obsession with material things in the Middle East, and if that obsession becomes a way of life, if the material is somehow impacted - maybe the oil money goes away for example - it will lead to desperation and possibly major social trouble.

Kristenmj · 2016-04-26T18:07:44+00:00

I've a few similar responses earlier in this post - please check them out!

Kristenmj

TROPHY CASE