Hasbro no gender marketing

[StitchandMLPlover 930]

If this topic has already been created you can merge it to another thread. So I was watching the news today and there was a story about Hasbro marketing MLP to little boys and marketing G.I Joe to little girls and essentially becoming "gender neutral". I have no problem with Hasbro marketing to both sexes since toys are a a bit over "gendered". However I wish they didn't make such a big deal about it and turn it into a "thing". MLP works because of its creativity not because it follows current politics and I worry the press release may start rumors Bronies are all LGBTQ when they are not, and the show may experience censoring because of the new marketing. 

 

Any thoughts??? 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 42,202]

I see the marketing as perfectly fine. They sorta have to make a big deal about it for now because it is crashing down against what has been seen as the norm for decades. It helps to reshape their image as a toy company. 

[SaburoDaimando 1,196]

It's not just Hasbro I would like to see push in this direction by making toys interesting for both girls and boys.

 

I also want to see Mattel, LEGO, and other toy companies go this route.  

[Prospekt 11,036]

In a world with increasing acceptance of "nontraditional" gender expression, I suppose this is a necessary step for Hasbro to take. And I wouldn't even really say it's political... it's more of a way to embrace the non-female fanbase (whether they be male, intersex, nonbinary, etc.) and help those fans feel included. Great idea if you ask me, especially from a business perspective.

31 minutes ago, StitchandMLPlover said:

I worry the press release may start rumors Bronies are all LGBTQ when they are not

Unfortunately, that's been a stereotype of bronies for a while. There are haters out there who seem to think that if a male likes My Little Pony, that's somehow a sign that they are gay.

[Blood Moon 109]

In order to go against what has been set as a standard, you need to make a splash. Gender roles have been set into our culture for a very long time, and going against that isn't exactly a small thing when it comes to something for a large company to do. I know there will be people who complain about it, but I for one applaud them. I wish more companies would take the pink and blue off their packages and simply let kids pick what they want to play with.

[Rawzy 1,302]

If bronies get stereotyped as LGBTQ people then does it really matter? If someone finds out you watch mlp and assumes that you're LGBTQ because of it then you can just deny it with facts.

[Dark Qiviut 22,603]

12 hours ago, Blood Moon said:

In order to go against what has been set as a standard, you need to make a splash. Gender roles have been set into our culture for a very long time, and going against that isn't exactly a small thing when it comes to something for a large company to do. I know there will be people who complain about it, but I for one applaud them. I wish more companies would take the pink and blue off their packages and simply let kids pick what they want to play with.

This, and then some.

I'm not shy about why gender-segregated marketing is so bad in the toy industry. People, especially kids, should be treated like a cohesive, respectable unit. Categorizing toys by gender may be more convenient for consumers to find and buy, but at the cost of reinforcing gender roles and sexist stereotypes. Contrary to a sexist and ageist belief many people (including on here) have, FIM has been and will always be a gender- and age-neutral product. Gender-segregated marketing contradicts the show's pro-feminist themes, philosophy, messages, and three-decade-old roots. (Zacherle founded MLP as a unisex toy franchise.) The dreaded Pink and Blue Aisles should go away forever.

Marketing toys to everyone regardless of gender is a progressive approach that treats people with respects and sends a message to all of us — parents in particular — that we must do the same. To echo the British nonprofit organization's name, Let Toys Be Toys.

Edited June 24, 2017 by Dark Qiviut