Photo found here
This toy is disturbing for many reasons, not because it deals with breast-feeding, but because it intentionally and quite obviously socializes girls to take the role of Mother to the next level. The toy doll is intended to "teach" little girls how to breast-feed, since of course, a girl's purpose in life is to get with a dude and have as many babies as possible. How often do you see toys such as this marketed to boys? This toy is not only gendered - it is biologically deterministic - it assumes girl-children should conform to their future "womanly-roles" set up by the dominant culture. These toys, like all toy dolls, further perpetuate gender roles and norms that are forced onto girl-children at an early age. However, this particular "milking" doll really establishes problematic assumptions about girlhood and womanhood. These assumptions could lead to more and more girl-children feeling pressured into being passive and socially compliant based on the idea that girls and women are "biologically" inclined towards child-rearing and "nurturing" behaviors. Toy dolls have always done this, but this toy takes biological essentialism to a whole new level.
photo found here
I want to add that I believe breast-feeding should be a socially-accepted act and it should not be looked down upon like it currently is in the West. Breast-feeding is seen as "gross" or "impolite" because women's bodies are constantly viewed as sex-objects rather than healthy bodies with real functions by the majority of society. Women's breasts are viewed as sexual objects and thus are hidden away to keep the men from finding them "repulsive" because they are feeding another human being. This bothers people in the West, men and women alike, because women's breasts are considered a strictly sexual body-part - not one that has a vital function. The Western view of breasts are similar to the views of women's genitalia. Women's genitalia is viewed predominately as a hole that receives a man's junk and delivers a man's child. That sounds harsh, but look at a lad's mag and tell me different. How many men even know the term "vulva?"
Women's genitalia are not viewed as organs with functions but rather as holes. This is why we never hear "vulva" but only "vagina" when discussing women's genitals. But, I digress. Despite my feelings on breast-feeding, I have to admit that there is something very, very disturbing about attempting to force girl-children into this activity before they even develop their own breasts or sense of bodily autonomy.
I would like to hear from readers about this toy, what do you think this toy says about society, marketing and gender roles?
Oh, and here's the advertisement for the doll
On the good side since many hetero female will grow up to want/have children it teaches girls to reclaim the breast from the sexualization men have made of it as well as teaches girls that they are the life force for the next generation, something no male can or will ever be.
ReplyDeletedirt
Very good point - although, I am afraid it will only reinforce strict compulsory heterosexuality and gender roles...but I get what you mean and it is a well-taken point. But, on the other hand, they will still be told their bodies are meant to be analysed and used by society at large from other forms of media and toys *like the princess crap sold to girls*
ReplyDeleteWhat will come next i wonder...
Although I am quite disturbed by the idea of a breastfeeding toy, it seems to me this is not anything new. For years dolls have been made that burp, cry, wet themselves, and the creepiest toy ever made was a baby that closed it's eyes. No doubt this is just another in a long line of children's toys marketed towards females that uses biological norms to target children as consumers and really doesn't surprise me. These toys keep selling because people keep buying them. Regardless of what anyone thinks of the capitalist economy, it works exactly the way it is set up. More than likely I see this toy failing, mostly because I have a hard time believing that any parent would want to encourage a prepubescent girl to breastfeed. This toy actually is far more linked with sexual activity than any other line of gender specific toys that I have ever seen and probably makes just as many people as uncomfortable as it makes you for the exact same reasons.
ReplyDeleteLets take gender roles out of breastfeeding. Why shouldn't it be as much the responsibility of a man to breastfeed a baby?
ReplyDeleteWhat stops boys from using this toy?
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important, that when we have dolls that really drink from a bottle and then pee, that we have also dolls that you can breastfeed with interaction. Kids are going to play with dolls, boys and girls. They are going to feed the dolls. When doll comes with a bottle, and all babies around the children are fed from bottle, what will the children do? But if there is a breastfeeding-doll, then children will try it, adults have way to talk about breastfeeding (even if they choose not to breastfeed or were unable) and maybe more children will breastfeed as they grow adult. Unless, of course, breastfeeding as an adult is the problem? I can not see that, so I explain my view to this toy from the point, that breastfeeding should be "marketed", as a positive/normal thing to do, well from early age. Men can calm babies down with letting them to suck their nipples; why not allow boys to try that, and why not allow boys to try breastfeeding-playing too? Playing is all about roles. Why not to let girls try the role of a mother? Almost all little children have mother around then, so they quite sure want to try how it is to be one in their play. And if the mother who breastfeeds siblings or the child herself (himself), they will breastfeed matchbox-cars with their nipples if you forbid dolls.
So: I think the toy is very important in the era of toys. When the kid has anyway ten dolls, is is great if one of them is breastfeeding-doll. If the kid has only ten toys, and all the toys are trying to raise the child to be a child-carer, I still think the breastfeeding-doll is great, but there is trouble in the toys of the child over all. And I do find it bad, that all the pictures that are used to marked the doll seem to picture a girl, pink etc etc. But the doll itself is great. If you want to have interactive toys. Which I don´t, since I go for simple. But unfortunately there is huge amount of toys bought every year.
I find breastfeeding very feminist.