5 childhood toys

1. Ninja turtles- I remember in kindergarten that whenever I got a new ninja turtle action figure, I would be the happiest kid there was. Ninja turtles were awesome, and just about the best action figure a kid could ask for. They had all the cool accessories and attachments- Nin-chucks, spears, and that really big stick thing. Although technically turtles, they are clearly male turtles. The people they save are always female, and the turtles show no sign of weakness. One might gather from this that girls are weak and need boys to save them, and the men should be strong, virile, and show no signs of weakness (or else be killed by shredder).

2. Power rangers- One of the best shows, I used to have the transformer action figures. Very cool toys, but not always so easy to figure out. Similar to the ninja turtles, the power rangers were strong, fearless, warriors. Although there were woman in the group, they were the “weak links”- always getting the group in trouble (usually the pink one- hot stuff) One might gather from this that, similar to the ninja turtles, guys (and girls) should be fearless warriors, fighting for what you believe in no matter the consequences.

3. Gameboy/nintendo- No specific games, most are harmless like tetris and the like, but some sports games and racing games are more intended for the male audience, having them believe they must be great at sports, and drive fast to be a “good” guy.

4. Baseball cards- mainly aimed at males, one might think that you have to play like these people, and that your ultimate goal should be to make it to the MLB or NBA. (and if your not that good, then just give up.)

5. Monopoly- Taught me competitiveness, and also money managing skills. Not really much of a difference between boys and girls here, but just that edge to win, and be good at things. Nobody cares about second place in that game, it’s all about being the best.