Advertisements and Gender

The ads I chose, and media in general, contain messages that lean heavily toward the traditional belief systems of popular cultural majority, that place arbitrary meanings on bodies based on biological differences. The world we live in is still highly gendered and the norms we have constructed are considerably rigid, pervasive and persistent in their adherence among citizens. The hegemonic ideals of sex and gender have left an indelible mark on America’s society and is still seen today in media marketing strategies geared toward boy and girl children. What is being witnessed is a highly gendered message, arguably a splitting image of Suzy Homemaker and GI Joe classifications of male and female play in the 1950s, despite our advances in civil rights and increased awareness of disparities among differing groups of people based on primary person characteristics (gender, age, race). What piques the interest of the sociologically imaginative is the difference in advertising for the same brand of toy. In this case I examine the marketing strategies of Hasbro Interactive with their Nerf brand for boys and Nerf Rebelle for girls, Lego with their smorgasbord of male-oriented Lego worlds and Lego Friends which is aimed toward little girls. Similarly, the Power Wheels brand by Fisher Price is advertised differently for males and females. We are seeing the same type of toys, but there are tiny differences that stick out that are exaggerated and embellished with girly pop music and pink hues.
Let’s start with the Nerf branding strategy difference for boys and girls. We know that social construction of gender has double binds and also that what is considered normal and deviant is in constant flux. While girls won’t be considered boys for playing with Nerf guns, they still aren’t considered a girl toy. Nerf guns in their early stages did not resemble guns, but with the new line of N-Strike Blasters, many are worried that play is becoming too militarized and that toy guns