A recent article in the Globe and Mail, Pink is the new crack, focused on a British campaign called Pinkstinks. Pinkstinks encourages Brits to boycott the purchase of over-the-top girly toys of the pink, princess, and fairy overload variety that currently inhabit the “pink alley” of toy stores. This was the first time I heard about this nationally organized pink-backlash and it caught my attention. Because, seriously: we all know how we’re supposed to think about pink.
Here’s the thing: two weeks ago, if I had read about Pinkstinks I would have been all “YES, I totally get it. I’ll be a hardcore pinkstinker” (no puns intended. I think.) But due to recent events — mostly my daughter Gemma’s obsession with a gift of a fairly innocuous Barbie — Barbie, who I consider the very definition of “pink” — I’ve realized that some wildly imaginative independent and group play is prompted by that bitch Barbie. There has been way more independent play in our house since she moved in and the story lines are incredible. (Barbie becomes Queen of the World! Barbie fights the dinosaurs! Barbie builds a racecar and whips Lightning McQueen’s ass!) It’s like having my own personal telenovela in the living room, I get more breaks, and – most of all – the kid is inspired and happy. WIN. So, I figure why fight pink?
Up until that particular Barbie ended up in our lives, I fought the pink and fought it hard. And it really wasn’t much a battle before this past summer. Gemma used to insist she was a boy, which simultaneously pleased and perplexed me. Had I pushed too hard and convinced her girls suck in some way? Then something changed about six months ago – it’s hard to pinpoint what the event was – and all of the sudden she was all about being a girl. I’d like to think it was the girl bonding over the roadtrip (sorry, Jasper) but it might just be that girl stuff – of the pink frilly sparkly Barbietastic awesome variety – is kind of compelling. I was relieved, but the Barbie-begging cranked up to about eleven on the Gimme-Toy-O-Meter, and there was, of course, something mildy discomfiting about that.
But when I lost the battle of Barbie and I saw the results, I decided that I’m not worried about pink. Gemma thinks she can do anything with her life — right now she wants to be a firefighter slash princess — because it’s never dawned on her that boys could even be perceived as superior — especially since she knows girls are the bearer of super cool babies. [We haven't gotten to the boys contribution yet though she knows they play some role.] Anyhow, boys stink and make lots of funny noises, so how could they even be thought to be better to girls? [Stink and funny noises are her words, not mine, but I pretty much agree that save for a few years during the pursuit of a suitable mate, boys pretty much still stink and make lots of funny noises forever.]
Hell, I figure as as long as the dreaded pink is supervised and supplemented with a heavy hand of hard core prejudice and pirates, it’s not going to turn her into my worst frilly pink boob-heaving nightmare or fodder for an After School Special.
Pink is like candy: all is fine in moderation. Sure there can be binges that require intervention every once and a while but overall: can’t we just aim at moderation?
Fuck, this thinking shit that comes with parenting is hard.
About katie
My thoughts exactly. Everything in moderation, including moderation. My 5-year-old loves princesses *and* pirates.
We aren’t in the realm of Barbies yet, but my younger daughter loves baby dolls (and puzzles) and both my girls will play with the Littlest Pet Shops for HOURS. I think there comes a time to fight the marketing that is targeted to girls (esp. as it wants to turn? them into hotties when they are, I don’t know, 7 or 8), but as long as toys are inspiring to the imagination, it doesn’t matter if they are Barbies or GI Joes.
ciao,
rpm
My complaint about the pink aisles is that there is no moderation there – certainly at home it is employed, but I walk into some aisles of Toys R Us and need insulin…
Some odd post-feminism backlash had us collectively claiming ‘girl-’ that is, we aren’t all gender neutral after all, and that’s not just fine, it’s great – and next thing you know everything was pinkified. What happened to Lego ads with KIDS playing with Legos? Why Boy Legos and Girl Legos?
My biggest shock was 5 years ago, trying to get a ‘big girl bike’ for my daughter and every single option for the 5-and-under girl set was pink with white wheels. White wheels? Even princesses have to drive on dirt. I just thought it was weird.
But yes, tutus and sparkles and Barbies only last a little while. And now that my daughter is onto other things, I delight in reminding her that sparkles and girly bits are fine and fun and even sometimes necessary- when judiciously applied.
@catrinkas – Funny you should mention that LEGO deal because that is part of my next rant (due very soon). And agreed, it’s pretty sad and weird when the only option is pink and impractical (like with the bike). BTW, your insulin comment on pink alley is so true, so very very true. Moderation is key.
I noticed recently that Fisher Price has a bunch of new baby toys that are available in pink now as well. A pink Noah’s Ark? Come on. It just looked silly. Even though we have two girls at our house, it’s unlikely that I’ll buy the all-pink version of something if a gender-neutral option is available. On the other hand, I don’t avoid pink – especially in clothes!
I guess I just try to ignore the obvious boy/girl directed marketing of toys and buy whatever I think still has the best features. I figure if I ignore the skewed color scheme, maybe she will too (at least for a little while)!
I’m thankful my daughter loves EVERYTHING – boy toys and girl toys. She never got into Barbies – not sure why. But she does like pink, and girly stuff. Then on the other hand – she likes to play with my three year old’s cars/trucks/tractors. I want both of my kids to feel free to play with/like/enjoy whatever it is that makes them happy and get their creativity going, no matter what color or how frilly it is/isn’t :)
Mia’s Barbie is purple, so that doesn’t count, right?
If there’s a toy out there that keeps my kids happy and QUIET, I’m all for it – even if it is a few Princess Barbies clad in ballgowns and boas and sporting big hair. Neither of my kids like playing with Barbies, though – we have several, and the Barbie House to go with it. My kids like to play with the Barbie House, whose inhabitants are usually Spider-Man and The Incredible Hulk, and their collection of tiny little Littlest Petshop critters.