http://www.womenyoushouldknow.net/little-girl-1981-lego-ad-grown-shes-got-something-say/
Love it. So true. I have so much to say about this, but I'll keep it brief(ish). As you know, I LOVE LEGOS. However, in addition to the gender-specific marketing of their toys which is problematic (I understand they have to make a profit), the bigger issue for me is the nature of the "prescriptive" kits they now sell. Meaning, when you buy LEGOS now, you buy a kit with propriety Star Wars (or Ninjago, etc.) pieces and a set of instructions, which forces a child (or adult) to bury their face in a manual and follow the rules (specifically what the theme of the LEGO movie is against, BTW). While the outcome may be gratifying, the process is not tapping into what is truly valuable about LEGOS - creative problem solving (after all, isn't that what all of life is, really?). I wish LEGO would raise the profile of gender-neutral brick sets with random, mixed parts (not just Duplo) so that imaginations can run wild again. Lastly, speaking as an educator of high school students, my female students ROCK during our LEGO robotics unit. There is no gender ability gap at all in my opinion, so we just need to reverse the damage that decades of careless marketing has done.
After you read the article, let me know what you think! I would love to hear from any of you out there that share the same passion for technology, art, design and education!
