Comments on: Gender Stereotypes on Vintage Battleship Box Cover

By: Dpjohnson

Dpjohnson — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:11:00 +0000

Of course, when this original version of the game came out, it was 1967 (hence the stereotypical cover; it was changed in 1971), and it only cost maybe $4 or even less at Sears or Spartan-Atlantic or KMart in those days. My brother and I tried playing it on paper and it did work, but the plastic game (which he got in 1969) is better because you don’t have to waste time marking down the letters and numbers or even the lines if you don’t have graph paper. Plus, you have the built-in barriers in the box game. Now, Hangman–there’s a game that works better on paper instead of the box version…maybe.

By: CakeMaker

CakeMaker — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:31:54 +0000

I don’t see what the problem is here? The two guys are playing Battleships and the women of the house are in the kitchen, cleaning plates. What if I told you that this is still the way it is, in another country? Things actually get done this way, without a bunch of women going around not shaving their armpits and burning their bras. What has that done for women? Nothing. I think you all need to stop complaining about the cover of this box from the good old 50’s, because when you look at it, the quality of things were much higher back then than they are now. What do you get these days when you buy something? You get something that isn’t made to a good standard and you get people with an attitude when it comes to interact with people who work somewhere. You all need to check yourselves and stop being such whiny, little, moaners just because something is not “politically correct” Political correctness is what’s going to destroy a country.

By: Liz

Liz — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:18:35 +0000

Does any one have a little more information about this? I’d like to use it in an essay regarding traditional gender roles in the US. Please and Thanks!

By: Kirsten

Kirsten — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:19:02 +0000

Goodness, that little girl has my hairstyle from 1994…

Ahem. I think the commodification is odd, too. I’ve never seen a commercially-made Battleships game, though.

By: Dr. Robert Runte

Dr. Robert Runte — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:53:13 +0000

Okay, certainly a nice example of gender stereotyping — I love how happy the females are to be doing the dishes while the menfolk get down to the great fun game of war.

But the far more astounding thing about this photo is the existence of Battleship in the first place. I use Battleship in my soc class to illustrate commodification. When I was a kid, you used two sheets of graph paper (or drew your own grid) and a couple of pencils to play this game. But along comes a capitalist to turn this popular folk game into a commodity. Suddenly it’s a $20 game you have to buy (cost to manufacturer $2 I’m guessing) rather than something anyone can play anywhere anytime. What happened to kids teaching younger kids these sorts of do-it-yourself games? Now the tradition has become, let’s go to Toy’s R Us and see what we can buy — or look for an online version.

By: thoughtcounts Z

thoughtcounts Z — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:32:02 +0000

Wow. Not only are the mother’s and daughter’s grins sort of unsettling, I can’t really figure out why it’s necessary to put them on the game box in the first place. Perhaps the knowledge that Mom and Sis are hard at work in the kitchen is an integral part of the father’s and son’s happiness while playing the game…?

By: Images of Masculinity from Soc Images Blog « Family and Society

Images of Masculinity from Soc Images Blog « Family and Society — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:40:02 +0000

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