Lego recently introduced the Lego Friends line, in an attempt to make their toys more relevant to girls. However, there was a minor uproar against the product line, and 50,000-plus people signing a petition against it.
“Lego has the potential to be a toy that overcomes limiting gender stereotypes, and while we were disappointed to see them succumb to outdated ideas of gender in the Friends line, we hope to see them make positive strides forward,” said petition founder Bailey Shoemaker Richards in a release. “Over 55,000 people have added their voices to the conversation, and we want to make sure Lego hears those parents and kids.”
Let it not be said the Lego is not open-minded, as the Danish company met with Richards and Stephanie Cole. The two are part of the SPARK Movement, designed to empower women with positive images.
“They said we will see some changes in the next couple of years,” said Dana Edell, the Brooklyn-based executive director of SPARK after the meeting. “They absolutely listened to us. It turns out a lot of the things we have requested they have been thinking about and are in the works.”
SPARK requested more female figurines in mainstream construction sets, more girls in general marketing materials and less stereotyping in the Friends line. Edell said specific suggestions for the Lego Friends line includes a City Hall set with a female mayor, a hospital, or a school to go along with the spa, splash pool and cafe in the existing sets.
Source: New York Daily News
