Toys “R’nt” Us
Most children have very personal relationships with their dolls. They take them everywhere and often idolize them. The population of American children are ethnically diverse, yet the toy industry lacks proper representation of the different ethnicities and races that make up their consumers. After visiting the Toys “R” Us in Culver City, I saw first hand how the majority of the dolls did not properly represent the consumers of that particular store. American retail stores like Toys “R” Us are making minor efforts in representing racial minorities with proper equality by focusing their merchandise and advertisements to Caucasians. Therefore, children of minority groups aspire to dolls that do not represent them ethnically.
Just …show more content…
They are often portrayed in very stereotypical scenarios. They cannot exist in the toy aisles without having some sort of catch, it’s as if they need to have something going on for them in order to seem appealing. It kind of fixate on the fact that different races have different cultural practices all while making a profit off of it. It is kind of like cultural appropriation - sellers put out all of these accessories on dolls without having any cultural insight to what they are. While this can be viewed as a way of representing the culture, “appreciating an individual item from a culture doesn’t translate into accepting the whole people.” (Kareem) The Genie Dance dolls are a prime example (Photo 1, see appendix) of using race and culture as a marketing device. These toys are shown in elaborate, belly-dancing outfits and can even move their bodies to dance. They have tan skin and colored hair while wearing elaborate headpieces. The decorations in the background of the box seem eerily similar to Indian architecture. Yet, this is the only place I really noticed any Indian dolls being featured. This leads to a misrepresentation of their culture and race as a whole. The outfits, architecture, and the magic behind genies are bundled with Indian culture, making them more of a novelty. They were not portrayed as just regular characters, they were presented with stereotypical practices of their …show more content…
They have such a wide variety to choose from, not just in the different kind of dolls but also their occupations as well. The Barbie aisle says, “You can be anything and go anywhere!” yet it is subliminally sending a message that only white people can do so. The products displayed while I was entering the aisle are all white, except for two seemingly ethnic dolls that came in a set; they were not sold in their own individual packets (Photo 2, see appendix). This can bring their power as a race into play. This is also displayed in the way the dolls are distributed among the store. They are easily accessible from the main walkways of the store. Most of the ethnic dolls are in the actual aisles, sometimes even hidden among the white dolls, products that are not even remotely related to each other. There is no aisle with just ethnic dolls because it can either come off the wrong way as a discrimination against them. But it can be simply be because these particular races just do not have enough power in the world in general to have a large consumer population.
In conclusion, the effort American retail stores are putting into ethnic equality is not enough. While there were a lot of representation in their advertisements, their products tell another story. They often reinforce racial stereotypes instead of fighting them. There should be more racial understanding
Most children have very personal relationships with their dolls. They take them everywhere and often idolize them. The population of American children are ethnically diverse, yet the toy industry lacks proper representation of the different ethnicities and races that make up their consumers. After visiting the Toys “R” Us in Culver City, I saw first hand how the majority of the dolls did not properly represent the consumers of that particular store. American retail stores like Toys “R” Us are making minor efforts in representing racial minorities with proper equality by focusing their merchandise and advertisements to Caucasians. Therefore, children of minority groups aspire to dolls that do not represent them ethnically.
Just …show more content…
They are often portrayed in very stereotypical scenarios. They cannot exist in the toy aisles without having some sort of catch, it’s as if they need to have something going on for them in order to seem appealing. It kind of fixate on the fact that different races have different cultural practices all while making a profit off of it. It is kind of like cultural appropriation - sellers put out all of these accessories on dolls without having any cultural insight to what they are. While this can be viewed as a way of representing the culture, “appreciating an individual item from a culture doesn’t translate into accepting the whole people.” (Kareem) The Genie Dance dolls are a prime example (Photo 1, see appendix) of using race and culture as a marketing device. These toys are shown in elaborate, belly-dancing outfits and can even move their bodies to dance. They have tan skin and colored hair while wearing elaborate headpieces. The decorations in the background of the box seem eerily similar to Indian architecture. Yet, this is the only place I really noticed any Indian dolls being featured. This leads to a misrepresentation of their culture and race as a whole. The outfits, architecture, and the magic behind genies are bundled with Indian culture, making them more of a novelty. They were not portrayed as just regular characters, they were presented with stereotypical practices of their …show more content…
They have such a wide variety to choose from, not just in the different kind of dolls but also their occupations as well. The Barbie aisle says, “You can be anything and go anywhere!” yet it is subliminally sending a message that only white people can do so. The products displayed while I was entering the aisle are all white, except for two seemingly ethnic dolls that came in a set; they were not sold in their own individual packets (Photo 2, see appendix). This can bring their power as a race into play. This is also displayed in the way the dolls are distributed among the store. They are easily accessible from the main walkways of the store. Most of the ethnic dolls are in the actual aisles, sometimes even hidden among the white dolls, products that are not even remotely related to each other. There is no aisle with just ethnic dolls because it can either come off the wrong way as a discrimination against them. But it can be simply be because these particular races just do not have enough power in the world in general to have a large consumer population.
In conclusion, the effort American retail stores are putting into ethnic equality is not enough. While there were a lot of representation in their advertisements, their products tell another story. They often reinforce racial stereotypes instead of fighting them. There should be more racial understanding