[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:00.42,0:00:06.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“LEGO is here, hey kids, look a whole new world to build.”
Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.26,0:00:09.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,LEGOs are one of the most fantastic and creative toys ever developed.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.85,0:00:15.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean check this out, it’s a LEGO stegosaurus, it even has light up eyes {\i1}rawr{\i0}
Dialogue: 0,0:00:15.92,0:00:20.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Research has consistently shown that playing with LEGOs accelerates childhood development,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:20.04,0:00:28.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and is upheld as a gateway to math, science and engineering fields, promoting spatial memory, spatial design and of course imagination.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.06,0:00:34.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sadly, as a consequence of LEGOs decision to design and market their products almost exclusively to boys over the past few decades,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.30,0:00:36.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,girls have been largely left out.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.33,0:00:43.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So when the LEGO Group announced that they were committed to expanding the LEGO experience for girls in 2012 in a significant way I was excited,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.58,0:00:47.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but a little skeptical. Here’s what LEGO had to say
Dialogue: 0,0:00:47.26,0:00:52.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“We actually see ourselves as duty bound to find a fantastic LEGO experience for Girls.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.22,0:00:57.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,we are passionate about what the LEGO experience does to children around the world,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:57.38,0:01:01.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, their development, great experience, ability to concentrate,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.04,0:01:08.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and it’s just not good enough that we cannot do something which is really appealing to girls and delivering that same great experience.”
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.29,0:01:17.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,LEGO claims to have spent millions of dollars and 4 years doing intensive research on this endeavor and they’ve even budgeted 40 million dollars to market to girls globally.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.49,0:01:22.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So with all that what has the company done to integrate girls back into the LEGO experience?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.29,0:01:24.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“LEGO Friends. New LEGO Friends.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:24.50,0:01:31.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to Beautiful Heartlake City. I’m Stephanie, I’m going to a party at the new café with my friend Olivia.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.84,0:01:37.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That’s me, I just finished decorating my house. Time to chill with the girls.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.36,0:01:42.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,At the Beauty Shop, Emma is styled and ready to go. This is gonna be so much fun!
Dialogue: 0,0:01:42.78,0:01:46.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to the world of LEGO Friends. New LEGO Friends.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.79,0:01:50.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,{\i1}Sigh{\i0} So where do we even begin?
Dialogue: 0,0:01:50.48,0:01:58.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This new LEGO collection features 23 sets that focus on the lives of 5 “Friends” Mia, Emma, Andrea, Olivia and Stephanie
Dialogue: 0,0:01:58.63,0:02:06.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who all hang out and have fun in someplace called Heartlake City, not to be confused with the regular “City” which is LEGO’s longest running theme.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.08,0:02:12.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No, Heartlake City is a pastel colored gender segregated stereotypically female suburban paradise.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.17,0:02:16.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And to make it absolutely clear that these sets are for girls,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.40,0:02:22.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they’ve covered everything in pink and purple, from the branding to the boxes to the bricks themselves.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.13,0:02:29.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Another way LEGO has segregated the Friends theme from the rest of the LEGO universe is by creating a brand new LEGO person.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.07,0:02:35.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The traditional LEGO characters or “minifigs” as they’re called has become a recognizable icon world wide.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:35.04,0:02:38.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The minifigs are the center piece of the entire LEGO universe
Dialogue: 0,0:02:38.29,0:02:44.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,featured in their videogame and movie franchises, extended merchandise, and even in their theme parks.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.16,0:02:49.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By contrast the new Bratz/Barbie style “Lady Fig” or “mini doll” featured in Heartlake City
Dialogue: 0,0:02:49.21,0:02:52.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,is taller, curvier and they wear little skirts.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.78,0:02:56.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,By essentially making the mini-doll an entirely separate species
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.13,0:03:01.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it just works to further segregate the Friends theme from the rest of the LEGO universe.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.37,0:03:04.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Friends theme sets focus on traditionally female identified tasks
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.53,0:03:06.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,including baking at the City Park Café,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:06.64,0:03:09.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,getting your hair done at the Butterfly Beauty Shop,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:09.45,0:03:11.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,taking care of pets at the Heartlake Vet,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:11.87,0:03:13.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,or homemaking at Olivia’s House.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.96,0:03:18.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Out of the initial 14 offerings the only set that breaks out of this mold might be Olivia’s Inventor’s Workshop,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.88,0:03:24.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which would be really awesome if it weren’t for the inexplicable decision to make all of her tools purple.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.08,0:03:29.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now there’s nothing inherently wrong with pink and purple, I’m sometimes fond of these colours, obviously,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.78,0:03:34.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pink and purple are just two options out of the rainbow of brick colors available in the LEGO universe.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.95,0:03:43.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is pink and purple hardly ever appear in the sets marketed to boys and Heartlake city is dominated entirely by soft pastel colours.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:43.12,0:03:46.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There is also nothing inherently wrong with LEGO sets that include
Dialogue: 0,0:03:46.19,0:03:51.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,places to live, places to eat, beauty salons, entertainment venues etc.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.27,0:03:54.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These are all establishments that you’d expect to find in pretty much any city.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:54.87,0:03:58.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But here is where LEGO starts to go horribly wrong
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.01,0:04:04.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,First, the activities featured in the Friends theme such as baking, cooking, caregiving, homemaking, decorating, hair styling
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.74,0:04:12.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,are rooted in deeply stereotypical and limiting roles for women in children’s toys and sadly, in society in general.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.00,0:04:16.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Second, these types of establishments only exist in the girls’ world of Heartlake city.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:16.34,0:04:23.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The real LEGO city, on the other hand, you know, the ones that come in the blue boxes, that’s marketed almost exclusively to boys
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.01,0:04:30.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has dozens of CITY subthemes including Search and Rescue, Police, Firefighters, Construction, the Space Port
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.02,0:04:35.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which are all traditionally male identified occupations (though they shouldn’t be).
Dialogue: 0,0:04:35.40,0:04:39.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Noticeably absent are any places for the LEGO city minifigures to live or eat.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:39.82,0:04:46.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Isn’t it curious that there are almost no housing, entertainment or restaurant subthemes in LEGO city?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:46.14,0:04:48.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So what happens when something in Heartlake City catches on fire?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.87,0:04:54.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I guess you have to call the boys to put it out, similarly what happens when someone in LEGO city gets hungry?
Dialogue: 0,0:04:54.36,0:04:59.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I guess you’d have to call the girls to bake them something. This is just absurd.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.56,0:05:04.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now you may be thinking to yourself that kids don’t have to follow the instructions, they could build whatever they want out of the LEGO set,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:04.86,0:05:08.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,girls could build spaceships out of the beauty salon for example.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.62,0:05:13.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem is that the Friends theme was developed from the ground up based on a story of five friends
Dialogue: 0,0:05:13.86,0:05:18.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and everything that girls are meant to do with the sets revolves around that specific story.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.08,0:05:21.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This severely limits the possibilities of what most girls will do with the sets.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.99,0:05:28.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there’s nothing else in the rest of the LEGO universe that will encourage girls to think outside of the gendered walls of Heartlake City.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:28.50,0:05:33.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It seems as though LEGO is convinced that boys and girls just naturally have different interests,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:33.28,0:05:41.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the LEGO Group CEO said “We focused on creating a play experience centered on the joy of creation, while heeding the way girls naturally build and play.”
Dialogue: 0,0:05:41.45,0:05:45.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Using the language of “natural” or “nature” in reference to gender infers
Dialogue: 0,0:05:45.44,0:05:49.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that girls are biologically predisposed to like dolls and pink things.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.82,0:05:53.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As noted by Peggy Orenstein in her book Cinderella Ate My Daughter,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.20,0:05:57.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,if we look to the turn of the century this gendered color dynamic was actually reversed,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:57.28,0:06:03.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the early 1900s blue was associated with baby girls and pink with baby boys, really,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:03.74,0:06:06.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it might be hard to believe but you can look it up.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.53,0:06:10.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This demonstrates that colour association with gender is a social construct,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.37,0:06:15.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it’s not biological, it’s not genetic, it’s not natural. It’s made up.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.77,0:06:23.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Contrary to LEGO’s press release that states that “LEGO Friends is the first 100 percent LEGO building experience fully optimized to girls’ tastes and interests.”
Dialogue: 0,0:06:23.97,0:06:27.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,LEGO has tried this type of gender stereotyping before.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:27.19,0:06:30.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here’s a quick history of LEGO’s ridiculous attempts to market to girls.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.86,0:06:37.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1979 LEGO released SCALA, a jewelry making kit that featured little plastic pieces with birds and flowers painted on them.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:38.55,0:06:42.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1992 LEGO released the PARADISA collection, which to their credit,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.82,0:06:47.21,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was meant to fit together with the larger TOWN LEGO theme (which is now renamed CITY).
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.21,0:06:50.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“Paradisa, Paradisa, sun is shining all day.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:50.99,0:06:57.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Let us ride down to the beach, go surfing, camping and play.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:57.01,0:07:01.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We can do anything we like at the house with the sun.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:01.93,0:07:06.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Paradisa, Paradisa, this is where we have fun.”
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.34,0:07:10.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It included female minifigs so that’s good but all the boxes were bright pink,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:10.61,0:07:16.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and all the activities were leisure activities like the poolside paradise, the fun fair, and the country club.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:16.39,0:07:20.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In 1994 LEGO reduced the building experience to almost nothing with the Belville theme.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:20.82,0:07:23.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And similar to the ladyfigs of the Friends theme,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.61,0:07:28.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the characters of Belville looked a lot more like Barbie then Lego’s traditional minifigs.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:28.36,0:07:34.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The play focused on fairy tales where girls could play house with prince charming or have magical tea parties.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:34.70,0:07:38.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A few years later LEGO brought back the Scala theme, in name only,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:38.76,0:07:45.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,this time there was virtually nothing to build and the core of the theme was to play with and dress up the Barbie knock off dolls.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:45.44,0:07:48.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And finally, in 2003 this happened.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.60,0:07:50.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“You’re a very stylish girl,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:50.96,0:07:53.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,just click to change your style,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:53.52,0:07:55.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you’re a very stylish girl,
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.94,0:07:58.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your way, your style.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:58.45,0:08:04.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Clickits, click it your way. Clickits.”
Dialogue: 0,0:08:04.37,0:08:07.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So they brought back customized jewelry making with Clikits.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:07.70,0:08:13.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I have no idea how this product is associated with LEGO since it has none of the iconic LEGO elements.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:13.35,0:08:16.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This brings us back to 2012 and the new Friends theme.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.30,0:08:18.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“LEGO Friends. New LEGO Friends.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:18.73,0:08:21.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to beautiful Heartlake City.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:21.11,0:08:28.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We’re here! Let’s all help out, make burgers, shakes, bake the cupcakes. It’s perfect.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:28.77,0:08:31.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Welcome to the world of LEGO Friends.”
Dialogue: 0,0:08:31.28,0:08:33.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Yeaaaa….
Dialogue: 0,0:08:33.70,0:08:36.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But moving on, LEGO’s press release on the Friends theme states that,
Dialogue: 0,0:08:36.93,0:08:42.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,“LEGO Friends delivers on a girl’s desire for realistic role-play, creativity, and a highly-detailed, character-based world”
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.73,0:08:47.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and apparently girl’s also desire “more beauty… accessories… and interior building.”
Dialogue: 0,0:08:47.36,0:08:54.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’m slightly confused because all of those things are also true about the other existing LEGO sets. Let’s take a look at a few of examples.\N
Dialogue: 0,0:08:54.69,0:09:00.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The Medieval Market Village is extremely detailed as is the Death Star which has 13 separate interiors.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:00.77,0:09:02.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Or what about Hogwart’s Castle?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:02.30,0:09:08.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It comes with Dumbledore’s office, the Slytherin and Gryffindor common rooms, the Astronomy Tower, the Great Hall.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:08.11,0:09:15.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It has 11 different minifigs and for accessories you get the Sorting Hat, Tom Riddle’s book, a Basilisk fang, various wands.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:15.77,0:09:18.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You even get a little Mrs. Norris!
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.18,0:09:24.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If this isn’t a highly detailed, creative, role playing, interior building world then I don’t know what is.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:24.27,0:09:28.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Setting aside the “desire for beauty” which I guess just means pink.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.40,0:09:36.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It appears LEGO already makes toys that offer creative, role playing, character based, accessorized, interior building, construction experiences
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.58,0:09:40.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so there must be something else keeping girls from embracing the LEGO experience.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:40.54,0:09:45.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The real reason girls aren’t interested in LEGOs as a whole is because for the last quarter of a century
Dialogue: 0,0:09:45.56,0:09:49.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the LEGO Group has been telling girls repeatedly that bricks are for boys.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:49.88,0:09:58.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,How did LEGO’s products shift from its initial relatively, gender neutral, universal building experience to a more male dominated, male identified one?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:58.47,0:10:00.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Well, it didn’t happen by accident.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.43,0:10:04.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Join me for Part 2 of my LEGO and Gender video series where I’ll dig into exactly how this happened,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.98,0:10:10.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,starting with a brief history of LEGO’s TV commercials including Zack the LEGO Maniac.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:10.44,0:10:14.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’ll also offer LEGO a couple of suggestion to fix their gender segregation problem.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:14.75,0:10:23.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I hope you enjoyed that video, it was probably my most ambitious project to date and took an enormous amount of time to put together,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.43,0:10:29.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,please help keep Feminist Frequency going by donating today. You can visit feministfrequency.com/donate