Target to combine boys and girls toys because stereotypes

[makattak]

Further, I wish this were simply no big deal.

Some kooky retailer decided there's no such thing as girl and boy toys. How silly! We could all have a nice laugh.

It's not that. It's part of a larger push to deny human nature (of which, the differences between male and female is a part) and to create the leftist's Utopian society. (which won't turn out too well for most of the leftists, but they won't find that out until the guillotine starts dropping.)

[White Horseradish]

I was under the impression that Target could organize their wares as they pleased. I also don't place much sociological importance on their organizing techniques. There's plenty of other venues.

There's literally several hundred more important things one could address in "cultural wars". Off the top of my head, I mean. Reality is probably several million more important parts. Open any regulation or law (of which millions exist), randomly stab a finger, and you'll likely find something with more real world negative cultural war implications.

Teh gheyz have you. They control the vertical. They control the horizontal. They can roll the image, make it flutter. They can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. They will control all that you see and hear.

 

[Perd Hapley]

Teh gheyz have you. They control the vertical. They control the horizontal. They can roll the image, make it flutter. They can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. They will control all that you see and hear.

 

That is certainly the impression the left wants to create.

[makattak]

Teh gheyz have you. They control the vertical. They control the horizontal. They can roll the image, make it flutter. They can change the focus to a soft blur or sharpen it to crystal clarity. They will control all that you see and hear.

 

And 15 years ago, you'd have laughed at anyone that said gay marriage would be forced on the nation by the Supreme Court.

Do you actually need evidence that this is a battle?

[BlueStarLizzard]

The outraged are barking up the wrong tree if they think I would ever see there side of the issue on this subject.

Too my mind, toys should be arranged by age and type. "Gender the toy is supposed to appeal too" doesn't count as a type. In other words, all figures of adult humans dressed in different outfits go on aisle 9.
Futhermore, when it comes to shopping for children (especially for those of us who have limited exposer to such creatures) finding the AGE APPROPRIATE toy is the much larger challenge than figuring out if the toy is for a boy or a girl.
I can figure out that the little boy probably wouldn't appreciate the Barbie packaged in the blindingly pink box on the one side of the aisle, and would likely prefer the GI Joe with the camo outfit that's shelves opposite. The challenge is "is this toy appropriate for a kid that's still so young it tends to put small objects in it's mouth?".

My point is simple. Identifying gender norms is simple and if you can't distinguish a boy toy from a girl toy, than they probably can't (or don't) either. Having it all in the same place isn't going to change anything. It doesn't hurt you.
It could actually help you.

[White Horseradish]

And 15 years ago, you'd have laughed at anyone that said gay marriage would be forced on the nation by the Supreme Court.

I laugh at people upset at gay marriage, and likely will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

[Perd Hapley]

I think we're answering the question in the OP. To wit: how does a tiny minority of social justice warriors effect the sort of change that they repeatedly do? The answer is by treating every tiny thing they disagree with as an outrage against the dignity of mankind.

So maybe makattak is on to something...

[Perd Hapley]

I laugh at people upset at gay marriage, and likely will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

The point - you miss it. Whatever you may think of marriage, the pace of change on that issue is really striking.

[White Horseradish]

The point - you miss it. Whatever you may think of marriage, the pace of change on that issue is really striking.

The pace of the world in general is accelerating. Change of all types happens faster and faster.

[Tallpine]

The pace of the world in general is accelerating. Change of all types happens faster and faster.

Yeah - I'm still waiting for Hope, though 

[Perd Hapley]

The pace of the world in general is accelerating. Change of all types happens faster and faster.

So you agree with makattak.

[White Horseradish]

So you agree with makattak.

No.

He says that the pace of change on this one thing increased because of some nefarious conspiracy.
I say that the pace of change on all sorts if things increased because that's how the world works.

[cordex]

That Target is choosing to deidentify the intended gender of toys is irrelevant to me.  Heck, I bet my oldest will prefer it.  Their apparent reason for doing so is ridiculous.

BSL,
As a father of two and uncle to ... crap, I can't keep up with that number, age appropriateness is every bit as individualized as toy preference. And anyway, wouldn't that be just as offensive in some made up way to kids that are particularly slow or advanced?

[BlueStarLizzard]

That Target is choosing to deidentify the intended gender of toys is irrelevant to me.  Heck, I bet my oldest will prefer it.  Their apparent reason for doing so is ridiculous.

BSL,
As a father of two and uncle to ... crap, I can't keep up with that number, age appropriateness is every bit as individualized as toy preference. And anyway, wouldn't that be just as offensive in some made up way to kids that are particularly slow or advanced?

Meh, you still have a bigger gap in terms of age appropriate and gender, in terms of differences between toys. I've been learning on the kid at work, but we've only made it to 3 1/2 so, I still have a ways to go to figure out a (extreamly) general idea of milestones, but I was that person who had no clue when they went from crawling and drooling to walking and talking. I'm actually still a little in shock at how fast they go from messy thing wrapped in blankets to messy actual little person.
Age appropriate can be a big deal. Especially with "educational" toys or toys that require motor skills. Emily went through a big puzzle phase, but there was a distinct lack of age appropriate puzzles available for toddlers her age. A family friend bought one that was a bit too old for the kid and, instead of being a good challenge, it frustrated Emily to the point she didn't want to have anything to do with it.
Yes, there is a huge variation between children in terms of what would be age appropriate, but, for someone who was (and still is) clueless about these things, age is a lot harder to shop for than gender.

As far as being worried about how advanced a child is and worry over stigma, it seems to me that most toys are pretty widely spread out in how they are aged, so it's mostly just "this is the stuff they might eat if they don't know better" type thing you really have to pay attention too. Stuff that is specifically educational is already grouped by age, so I am not sure how whiney parents could mess with that.

Personally, I see taking out the gender groupings to be an improvement on multiple grounds, although I don't think it would really alter to much, even at a place like Toys 'R' Us. Yes, toys are somewhat gender organized, but the overall impression seems to be type, manufacture and then gender anyway. Putting boy toys with girl toys just isn't going to change the fact that the aisle with Barbie is going to be overwhelmingly pink. *shrug* I've never really been in Targets toy section, but if the Walmart toy section is comprible, I wouldn't see this as some huge change in how it's organized.
The thing that would really alter all this would be the toy manufacturers. Until they start really producing toys that are more gender nutetral, you're just not going to have sections of a toy store (or toy section) that are really blended for boys and girls.

[Perd Hapley]

No.

He says that the pace of change on this one thing increased because of some nefarious conspiracy.
I say that the pace of change on all sorts if things increased because that's how the world works.

Where did he allege a conspiracy?

If instant gay marridge is "how the world works," then why has it been treated as The Great Moral Issue Of Our Time? There's no need to fight for something that was (allegedly) destined. And why would "how the world works" have to be imposed from the top down?

[Tallpine]

I'm actually still a little in shock at how fast they go from messy thing wrapped in blankets to messy actual little person.

The next stage is messy actual big persons 

[freakazoid]

Having not read the article, are they simply mixing all the toys together somehow, removing some sort of aisle signs that say "this is for boys and those are for girls", are they removing labels from the toys packaging that specified gender somehow... what?
 

[BlueStarLizzard]

Having not read the article, are they simply mixing all the toys together somehow, removing some sort of aisle signs that say "this is for boys and those are for girls", are they removing labels from the toys packaging that specified gender somehow... what?
 

How I read it, they are just combining the aisle and getting rid of gender themed aisle. It doesn't mention anything about ceasing to carry gender specific toys and I doubt they can remove anything from the toy labels, that would be in the hands of the manufacturers.

[wmenorr67]

All of you are missing the big picture here anyway.  Target doesn't sell firearms why would any of us shop there for our "toys?"

[roo_ster]

This is barely a skirmish in World War T, but more a declaration by Target that it has declared sides for Unreason.

[makattak]

This is barely a skirmish in World War T, but more a declaration by Target that it has declared sides for Unreason.

Exactly. Target chose sides.

[freakazoid]

How I read it, they are just combining the aisle and getting rid of gender themed aisle. It doesn't mention anything about ceasing to carry gender specific toys and I doubt they can remove anything from the toy labels, that would be in the hands of the manufacturers.

Ok. Then I think this is pretty much sums up how I feel,

This is barely a skirmish in World War T, but more a declaration by Target that it has declared sides for Unreason.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Exactly. Target chose sides.

You mean Target is marketing their brand too the upper class, educated liberal progressive wannabe's?

OMG!!!! WHY DIDN'T WE ALREADY KNOW THIS!1!!!1




Seriously, can you all save the shock and outrage for when it's actually shocking and outrageous? Because this kerfluffling over "well, duh..." events is pretty silly.

[roo_ster]

You mean Target is marketing their brand too the upper class, educated liberal progressive wannabe's?

OMG!!!! WHY DIDN'T WE ALREADY KNOW THIS!1!!!1




Seriously, can you all save the shock and outrage for when it's actually shocking and outrageous? Because this kerfluffling over "well, duh..." events is pretty silly.

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

It has worked for the Left for decades.  The Right needs to adopt similar tactics to compete.  One of those tactics being:
Mustering outrage and numbers over even the slightest of objectionable actions.

Expect to see more and more tactics used by the Left adopted by the Right.

[BlueStarLizzard]

Squeaky wheel gets the grease.

It has worked for the Left for decades.  The Right needs to adopt similar tactics to compete.  One of those tactics being:
Mustering outrage and numbers over even the slightest of objectionable actions.

Expect to see more and more tactics used by the Left adopted by the Right.

I wish you much luck in all your future endeavors to continue wasting time and effort over non issues.

Meanwhile, back in grownup land, the people who actually care about stuff that matters have completely given up on the Right and Left are stuck suffering.