“Just another example of how children are placed into gender roles,” writes Belinda, who sent in this page from an Australian Kmart catalog:
The girls are, of course, dressed in “pretty” costumes, such as a fairy, a ballerina, or a ladybug. Or they placed in a “domestic” role, such as the cook. The boys however get to be a pirate, a police officer, a doctor or a firefighter. Unsurprisingly, the boys are mainly dressed in costumes that are actually plausible career options, the girls however are placed in the domestic sphere or the realm of fantasy.
Comments 31
gasstationwithoutpumps — October 30, 2011
Pirates, wizards, and Batman are career options? Tell me where!
Jem — October 30, 2011
There's a supergirl down there
Anonymous — October 30, 2011
This pattern says disturbing things about the cultural messages we give our children. We encourage boys to fantasize about taking on roles that require the cultivation and exercise of skills and that prepare them for public life as adults. We encourage girls to fantasize about being looked at and admired passively. I feel so very sad for girls growing up today -- things have gotten so much worse for girls and women over the last couple of decades, to the extent that, as female persons, we are now denied the chance to learn to relate to ourselves as non-objectified, agental subjects in almost every sphere of life -- even in our own imaginaries, even on Hallowe'en.
Michael Petithory — October 30, 2011
True enough,that the marketing of Halloween costumes tend to be gender specific but is also true that if a girl wants to be a fireman or police officer for Halloween they can be with no or little backlash.The same is not true for boys who would want,let say be a fairy.So the market would say"Market and sale according to what the general public would expect and let those who would want to be different create there own or buy what they think suitable for themselves and their children."
WG — October 30, 2011
How can you tell who are boys and who are girls?
Saturngreene — October 30, 2011
Note: I appreciate what you're doing here, but--well, maybe I'm being too picky--I'm bothered by the "girls are placed in ____" vs. "boys get to be ____". Definitely privileging traditional male roles over female ones (some women like being pretty pretty princesses, don't hate) and potentially taking away little girls' agency. The point being, both boys and girls are unfairly forced into these roles, firefighter vs. fairy or whatever. It's not like little boys are told, "hey, you can be whatever you want" and they chose firefighter and the little girls were left with the dregs. They're both being pushed into these gendered roles, and it's probably much harder for a boy to chose to be a princess than for a girl to chose to be a firefighter. The phrasing "boys get to be" implies the opposite, though, and, I think, obscures larger issues.
Man am I a nitpick or what/diatribe
Chel — October 30, 2011
This is true but also i think most little girls don't want to dress up as a pirate batman doctor or firefighter
Erik Bernhardt — October 30, 2011
They missed the little girl dressed as Superman. I still agree with the overall point, but kind of conspicuous in it's absence from the commentary.
Tina — November 2, 2011
Pirate is a career option?
Tina — November 2, 2011
The weirdest gendered costume I've seen is peacock costumes for both little girls and grown women. Wait... you're going as a male bird?!? Guess a peahen would be too hard to explain.
Lulu — November 3, 2011
The one thing I do like about this, despite some of the gender stereotyping, is that the girls are placed in active poses. They are facing the camera or "doing stuff". I'm especially glad that they advertise a SuperGirl costume!
Whateverchick24 — April 18, 2024
*Commenting 13 years later*
No one is forcing kids to dress like that, they want to dress like that, you morons. Also, girls CAN dress like doctors or superheroes if they want, it's just that most of them prefer to dress like fairies or princesses (and boys would wrather chew broken glass than dress as some traditionally girly). Quit being so thin skinned and ranting about something that has no effect on the people it's aimed at (kids)!
So what if it's "stereotyping"? They like it, it's normal, deal with it. There's nothing wrong with it.
Oh, an to the person who said that it was hard for harder for a boy to choose to be a princess than for a girl to chose to be a firefighter:
1. No boy WANTS to dress up like a princess.
2. Princess are female by definition (Duh).