VIDEO: Girl, 4, Blasts Companies for Pushing Girls to Buy ‘Pink Stuff’
EmailJust days after thousands of little boys and girls opened up their Christmas presents, a video of one little girl blasting companies for marketing princesses to girls and super heroes to boys has gone viral, articulating the arguments for a debate that adults have had for years.
Riley Maida, a 4-year-old from Newburgh, N.Y., paced up and down the aisle of a toy store surrounded by baby dolls when she seemingly had an epiphany: it’s unfair that girls have to buy princesses and boys have to buy superheroes. When her father Dennis Barry asks why she thinks it’s not fair, she responds that “girls want superheroes and boys want superheroes, and girls want pink stuff and the boys.”
Watch Riley and her Family Tonight on World News with Diane Sawyer 6:30 p.m. ET
Riley then surprisingly turns to very adult logic. She tears into companies for targeting certain toys toward a specific gender.
“‘Because the companies, make these, try to trick the girls into buying the pink stuff instead of stuff that boys want to buy, right?”
When her dad assures her that boys can buy both, Riley — who loves playing with superheroes, including Bat Girl and Spiderman — wonders what’s going on.
“Why do all the girls have to buy princesses? Some girls like superheroes, some girls like princesses. Some boys like superheroes, some boys like princesses. So why does all the girls have to buy pink stuff and all the boys have to buy different color stuff?”
Her father — along with millions — seems to wonder the same thing.
“That’s a good question, Riley.”
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Such a smart girl, and smart dad for helping her talk through her feelings on a complicated issue. I’m really proud that this father has clearly taught his daughter to think for herself regardless of gender stereotyping and cultural constructions of gender. I wish my father had been so progressive.
Posted by: Evelyn | December 27, 2011, 3:04 pm 3:04 pm
This little girl sounds as if she is regurgitating comments she has heard from the adults around her. My grandkids (both boys and girls) play with whatever appeals to them: the girls plays with cars, the boys play with dolls. The adults around them have no gender-slanted comments about their toys or their choices. It reminds me of those video setups from America’s Favorite Videos. Just more pablum from the media.
Posted by: Kathleen Richardson | December 27, 2011, 7:05 pm 7:05 pm
Fabulous! As a mama of twin girls, I encourage what ever their passions du jour are be it pink pink princess stuff or beating daddy mercilessly in Battleship! Power Ranger or Snow white, what ever they want to do. I love when parents doing the right thing are showcased.
Posted by: T | December 27, 2011, 7:05 pm 7:05 pm
I can’t agree more with this little girl. Toy manufacturers have gone WAY overboard in making girl-inclusive toys. In the 1970s we girls had princesses — but we also had other role models such as adventurer/pioneer Laura Ingalls Wilder, and superheroes such as Batgirl, Isis, and on TELEVSION: The Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman. I didn’t own a pink thing. As the mom of two boys, I’m wondering why I must buy my sons a pink-and-purple Easy Bake oven? Why can’t it be a gender-neutral color? Why must girls be subjected to Princesses or nothing?
Posted by: Beth Pedone | December 27, 2011, 7:06 pm 7:06 pm
Hooray for this amazing, smart girl! I’m 70 now, but when I was her age I just wanted to be a cowbgirl, which also was not exactly encouraged. But neither did my family discourage that, but of course later I was decidedly “uncool.” So I reverted, hoping to finally be among the popular girls, but it never really “took.” And in later years I reverted, continuing in the rebel mindset that I always craved, and now I am happy, productive, and accomplished in all I wish to be. So let us all encourage this young girl and the many like her to continue the tirade against marketing that prevails in the attempt to make us all “pink.”
Posted by: Judith | December 27, 2011, 7:06 pm 7:06 pm
Yay Riley!! I’ve disliked pink my whole life (I’m 58) and would not buy anything marketed that way. My parents, like Riley’s always taught me I could to and be anything. What a bright girl!!
Posted by: Suusan Hennessy | December 27, 2011, 7:07 pm 7:07 pm
This little girl is right!!!! Please encourage her to keep asking questions and to think for herself. She will be a real leader of her generation.
Toy manufactures are stuck in a marketing rut that they seem not to wanting to get out of.
Posted by: Marion | December 27, 2011, 7:08 pm 7:08 pm
When I was her age I also loved superheroes and played with action figures while my sisters played with dolls. I also did not like the color pink! (But I did not think about gender stereotypes at that age, not until I was much older.) Toy companies did not have many (if any) girls/women represented in their action figures while I was growing up. I was hoping that would have changed by now because it’s a fact that some girls DO love superheroes, and some boys DO love the color pink!
Posted by: Mary | December 27, 2011, 7:11 pm 7:11 pm
My little girl named Hannah wanted nothing but “boy” toys for Christmas. And that’s all I got her. She asked Santa for a Transforming Batmobile. My sister bought her a Barbie and she refused to open the gift and she cried. I thought there was something wrong with my Hannah until I saw this video. I do realize now “boy” toys are more fun. And there is No need to put gender to a toy.
Posted by: Jennie Harris | December 27, 2011, 7:12 pm 7:12 pm
This story is a perfect example of ABC promoting the progressive liberal agenda. They are using this little girl who has been ‘brain washed’ by her wacked out parents to promote the idea that there are no differences between males and females. There are definite biological and real differences between the sexes. Boys are biological masculine and girls are feminine. The toy companies simply make and market toys that reflect this innate difference between boys and girls. To say the society imposes artificial gender identities is completely ridiculous. As far as I am concerned, the credibility of ABC News is tainted with bias.
Posted by: Dale Dlouhy | December 27, 2011, 7:18 pm 7:18 pm
I am a 58 year old mother of 3 grown kids (2 boys, one girl). I also have taught in an elementary school for 30 years. Gender-based stereo types have changed somewhat, but not nearly enough. When my daughter got her first bike at 5, she wanted a red “racing bike”–not a pink princess bike. It didn’t take long for girlfriends to tell her she had a “boy’s bike”. I sometimes hear my second grade girls state that they want some super hero toy and others in the class, both boys and girls, will let her know that it is a boy’s toy. I gently try to let them all know that there are really no “boys” or “girls” toys–anybody can play with anything they want… but it is very obvious that the advertising media and narrow-minded, backward-thinking parents have already let these children know that they have specific roles to fill, and specific ways to act.
Posted by: DEBRA H. | December 27, 2011, 7:39 pm 7:39 pm
Diane, you really pushed the conversative gender-represive agenda with your last comment: “Go right on to be queen.” How about: go right on to be President!!!
Posted by: Ron Stanley | December 27, 2011, 7:41 pm 7:41 pm
Had to laugh at this one. I just got home after spending Christmas with my daughter and her 3-year old triplet girls and their soon-to-be two year old sister. By far the most popular gift under the tree was a Fisher Price tool kit with battery-operated drill! I can’t remember anything pink (except maybe a shirt or two). Go girls!
Posted by: Judy Baerg | December 27, 2011, 8:04 pm 8:04 pm
i have always had a thing about pink beeing aa week color, but that is just me. now society is a whole other matter, my fam. for for instance would insist that the younger generation dress and act accortingly (to thier standers) because they didn’t want anyone gossiping about THEM. I ddo not see how that encourages a child to expand there own personality.With that said I applaud this little girls father for supporting her and the girlfor doing a good job on speaking her mind.
Posted by: wera hinojosa | December 27, 2011, 8:23 pm 8:23 pm
Riley is my superhero. You go girl!
Posted by: christine | December 27, 2011, 9:09 pm 9:09 pm
This has been my thought exactly. Even though I can hear that behind this little girl’s rants are words of her parents, it is a subject that needs to be addressed. As my family members can assure you, I have gone on a few rants myself about how sick I am of seeing all the girls toys painted PINK! Castles are not PINK, dump trucks are not PINK. I have a 2 year old daughter and a newborn son. I know there is a difference between boys and girls, but it seems that the toy companies do try and cram pink and “girly foo-foo” toys in the females faces, and only boys can have “manly” robot/car blue toys. It takes a lot of extra effort to make sure my daughter’s room is not dripping in pink toys. She has princesses and power tools. And her tools are not PINK!
Posted by: Rachel | December 27, 2011, 9:34 pm 9:34 pm
Woo Hoo for Riley!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ve been fighting ‘Pink for girls’ my whole life!!! Even when I was on the Art Linkletter Show and won a bicycle… that was pink! ARGH!!! I asked, “Mr. Linkletter are there any other colors? ‘Cause I’m really sick of pink.”
Riley, you’re already a Super Hero in my heart and an inspiration to all of us to not be stereotyped. Keep your spirit as you grow up and be proud of who you are. Thank you for not being afraid of sharing your honesty and opinion in such a kind way.
Hugs to you!
Mary
Canyon Country, CA
Posted by: Mary Hoffman | December 27, 2011, 10:25 pm 10:25 pm
My girls ARE super heroes. One served in the Marine Corps for 9 years, served on the Presidential helicopter squadron, and was an expert marksman. She still serves our country as a civilian contractor for the Army and makes sure our solders get home safely. My other daughter saves the lives of our children every day in her career as an emergency room nurse. Prior to that she worked on a pediatric organ transplant unit. We need to teach our daughters that they ARE our heroes day in and day out whether they like pink or not.
Posted by: Michele | December 27, 2011, 11:09 pm 11:09 pm
I think this little girl brings up a great point. I’m tired of people judging others for not fitting into their narrow definition of what they think people should fit into. Did you know that in previous years boys wore pink and girls wore blue as pink was seen as being stronger while blue was seen as a more fragile, delicate color? It has only been in the last couple of decades that this has changed.
Posted by: Kat | December 27, 2011, 11:40 pm 11:40 pm
While I agree little girls can be superheroes and boys can like dolls, I happen to be the mother of a VERY froo-froo fussy little girl. She insists on only wearing LIGHT pink and I have to force her to wear pants in the winter. Everything is princesses and sparkles. when we try to push other options on her she rebels and insists on pink and girly. My mother in Law hates pink and everyone always tries to buy her things that are not girly. I wish people would realize that while girls don’t HAVE to like pink, some girls do and I wish people would respect my daughter’s choices as much as if she was a tomboy and liked blue things. Children should be free to form and express their preferences whichever way they fall.
Posted by: Katherine | December 28, 2011, 1:15 pm 1:15 pm
This is such an interesting discussion, which I recently had with a man who vilified me for allowing my 2 year old son to wear pink pants. He was appalled that I am a preschool teacher and went on to tell me that my son was going to become a homosexual and I was forcing him to become one. My response? ” Is a blue flower a boy or a girl?”
It is so disturbing that color has become gender-identified. Just as my son loves cars and robots, he also wants his toenails painted and ‘nurses’ his baby doll to help her go to sleep. Why and when did these activities acquire a gender identity and why are we as a society so quick to accept this?
Posted by: Tara Morgan | December 28, 2011, 2:14 pm 2:14 pm
Like Katherine says above, one point I neglected to bring up — the need for balance. Some little girls like pink and sparkles! Totally fine, but marketers are ignoring the “non-princess” market share. Little girls who wear sandals and cutoffs, dig in the dirt and want to be a nature explorer/scientist one day and Wonder Woman the next! (Guess which side I fell on? LOL.)
Posted by: Beth Pedone | December 28, 2011, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Im glad this little girl is thinking, but come on. companies arent forcing anyone to buy anything they dont want. They put princess dolls in pink boxes because the girls who buy them are attracted to pink. Its all marketing, its companies giving the majority what they want, because that is most profitable. No one is saying that little girls cant play with super heros and little boys cant have barbies, but companies dont just make this stuff up, they base their product off of what consumers want!
also, Tara Morgan, “nursing” a baby (breast feeding) is pretty gender specific..
Posted by: kelst11 | December 31, 2011, 11:40 pm 11:40 pm
I can relate to this little girl with the pink and little girls should have more of a variety in color of toys and some of the toys shouldn’t have a specific gender at all but pink and blue doesn’t determine a child’s preferences I was the youngest of 5 kids 3 girls and 2 boys and a mother whos favorite color was pink so I was stuck with Only pink “girly”clothes till I was 9 and every bedroom I had till I was 14 was pink but aside from the clothing and bedrooms being pink we were always welcome to play whatever we wanted so we wore pink and climbed trees and played karate fighting princesses and rode horse back and had mud fights and girls day out at the mall and hiking and camping and fishing and painted our nails and baked cookies and made doughnuts my mom taught us to do what we loved and what made us who we where which was unique and special! she taught us that there are definite differences between boys and girls and men and women but the differences don’t make us unequal they make us need each other for balance and they keep life interesting! There are things my husband will always be better at because he’s a man and there are things that I will always be better at because I am a woman but between the 2 of us we can handle any situation as a whole! and by the way my sisters I still don’t care for pink.
Posted by: Emmy | January 2, 2012, 2:59 pm 2:59 pm
Okay, here’s another question to piggyback this little girl’s question. Why aren’t all colors gender neutral colors? What exactly ties the color pink to femininity more than orange or green? It is a color nothing more. Why are no boys toys pink? Why do we even separate the toys into boys and girls sections anyway? All we are teaching our kids from a very young age is that they are different and are expected to fit whatever arbitrary image we’ve concocted for their gender. It is all pointless. All that matters is that they have fun and learn when they play. Corporations need to lay off such strong segregation between the genders in all their products and advertising.
Posted by: Vanessa Mattson | January 10, 2012, 2:38 am 2:38 am