When rating the many media assignments I noticed one particular video that exhibited how products were excessively gendered. This is particularly seen in children products such as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Many kids don't care about the flavor of the toothpaste they just want to see what is on the packaging. If it is pink and has a princess on it girls will choose it and if it is blue with buzz light year on it boys will choose it. It actually even goes as far as diapers and cold medicine. Going beyond kids food products are also gendered. A recent product is Dr. Pepper 10, in their commercial it specifically says that this is NOT FOR WOMEN.
This amazes me since if women and men are now considered equal why should products specifically market to each sex differently? I believe it is all based on consumerism since if a family has a boy and a girl they cannot just buy one hat. They have to buy a pink and a blue one. Thus the company makes double the money. I also believe the media, more specifically advertisements and television, has lead to the creation of gender and race stereotypes that has lead to gender specific marketing. I believe this must change since young girls are taught to just be princesses and that's it while young boys are told to go out and explore the world. This sexist ideal needs to change for the better of society.
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