Subject:
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Re: Building equality one female minifig at a time.
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.dear-lego
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Date:
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Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:05:08 GMT
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Viewed:
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12244 times
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In lugnet.dear-lego, C. L. GunningCook wrote:
> Building equality one female minifig at a time. (My apologies in advance for
> those of you that have already heard this rant.)
>
> Dear Lego,
>
> I have always been impressed with TLC's ability to provide quality products as
> well as sustaining valuable input towards the educational process (Dacta,
> Mindstorms, etc). This is not something I expect from every toy company, in
> fact many fail miserably in this department.
>
> After bringing it up (once again at the most recent brick event) I do understand
> that the company is aware of the overwhelming unbalanced gender biassed when it
> comes to male figs vrs female figs and that you are working towards balancing
> that favouritism.
>
> While Im not suggesting I will buy less of your product, nor trying to even
> suggest that I know what is best for the company I do feel this is the perfect
> forum to say "I am not convinced you are doing enough."
>
> Frankly, bringing female figs into a few choice sets, such as some of the new
> (non-emergency type) "town sets" really isn't enough. Perhaps your market
> research has show that little boys toss the female fig back into the bin, but I
> would think that a few discarded figs, would be a acceptable action to for a
> company that has always prided themselves in excellence. Females being left out
> of so many themes promotes a very negative message to both genders.
>
> Just a bit of food for thought. A better alternative to respecting gender
> equality would be to draw more females into wanting to build, and stopping with
> the mentality that there are building sets that you "deem" for males only. Boys
> already desire your products, but many girls are on the borderline, instead of
> ignoring them and catering to an already existing audience, consider opening the
> market up. I am convinced that one female fig is not going to stop "Johnny"
> from asking his parental units for set "unnamed" for his birthday, but the lack
> of female figs does keep many young girls from asking for any Lego at all.
>
> I want to promote the idea of "Yes Virgina, girls can, do, and will build, and
> many of them do it very well" and I feel right now, Lego is promoting, "Yeah,
> ok. Girls can build a few sets too."
>
> At events we host, repetitively I am told by parents of girls that they are
> shocked and discouraged by the lack of female figs, and without a doubt that
> adversely influences the enjoyment of your product with a huge amount of
> potential customers.
>
> There is plenty of research (1) to prove that "manipulatives" such as building
> blocks builds skills needed for a successful future of math literacy, spatial
> understanding and science education in both males and females.
>
> I think its time that Lego continues their excellence in educational efforts and
> rises to the challenge of providing a progressive approach to both genders. It
> takes a good company to be socially aware of the subtle sexual discrimination
> that is going on in current product development, and a smart company to actually
> do something about it.
>
> Sincerely,
> Janey Red Brick
> Not only a fan, but one of many female adult builders, and a parent, teacher and
> educational advocate.
Well of course you'd say all of that; you're a girl!
Hardy har har.
IMO you're right on the money with pretty much everything you wrote. I can
think of no real justification for failing to include female minifigs in a much
broader range of sets. And if TLG is concerned that a one-figure set wouldn't
sell if it "only" had a female minifig, then why not just make it a two-figure
set? Realistically it should add more than, say, fifty cents to the price, and
it would more or less completely satisfy the concerns of gender-based
under-representation.
One other thing: if it makes you feel any better, female minifigs are grossly
under-represented in all brick-based construction toys available in the US...
Dave!
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: Building equality one female minifig at a time.
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| (...) This reminds me of one of LEGO's internal rules in the Model Shop (where many of the cool big displays are created) - Minfigs can never be alone. They're always in pairs or groups. They are *interacting* with each other. This was the rule when (...) (17 years ago, 28-Jun-07, to lugnet.dear-lego)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Building equality one female minifig at a time.
|
| Building equality one female minifig at a time. (My apologies in advance for those of you that have already heard this rant.) Dear Lego, I have always been impressed with TLC's ability to provide quality products as well as sustaining valuable input (...) (17 years ago, 27-Jun-07, to lugnet.dear-lego) !!
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