The following PSA/commercial appeared in my Facebook newsfeed around Halloween.
In this commercial, there are two kids who appear to be a boy and a girl. They dress up for Halloween as Batman and Wonder Woman. Until the end of the commercial, you don’t realize that the boy was Wonder Woman and the girl was Batman. This commercial demonstrates our world in which we have a preconceived notion of which child should be wearing which costume. Throughout the commercial the parents of the children appear nervous, but are met with acceptance from their neighbors. This acceptance shows a world in which children can look up to their own idols.
Children’s toys are harshly gendered and there is typically a large debate when a boy wants to play with girl toys and vice versa. It is important to recognize how gender is enforced from an early age. Toys for children result in the skills and preferences they develop. If they are only allowed to experience one skill set or type of toy, they are forced into a construct with which they might not identify. This also limits the experiences a child might feel entitled to have since many toys for boys include STEM activities and adventure whereas toys for girls are baby dolls and toy kitchens.
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