This week we would once again like to bring attention to the gender segregation of the once-universal LEGO world. Anita Sarkeesian is a feminist video blogger who became famous due to the violently misogynistic backlash to her proposal to make a webseries about sexism in video games. In these less contentious videos -- part of her Feminist Frequency series -- she traces the history of LEGO’s marketing, as the product transformed from a fun-for-the-whole-family creative outlet to an exclusive mess of gender stereotyping.
I have a long history with LEGO. I used to spend hours playing with the basic sets. I actually had the Paradisa “Sand Dollar Café” set, as well as the complete LEGO soccer field. I played LEGO Island back in the nineties and now own most of the film franchise tie-in games. I made a point of visiting the impressive LEGO display at last year’s Emerald City Comicon. I’m a LEGO fan.
However, I know that I was able to get into the toys because my brothers and male friends owned sets. I know that I am enjoying playing video games intended for male fans of male-centered franchises. I know that, in order to walk around Gotham City as Black Canary, or Huntress, or Lois Lane, I have to spend hours adventuring as Batman and Robin. It’s a broken system but, as Sarkeesian suggests, it would be easy to fix.
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