Toys for Boys

Have you ever taken the time to notice the common trend among boys’ toys? They all seem to pressure these young boys into becoming what society deems to be “natural”- the stereotypical, hegemonic ideal. This especially is seen in action figures such as G.I. Joe, pro wrestlers, PowerRangers, and pretty much any collection of toys based on a featured film or television series. While many would claim that these toys are harmless, typical children’s toys, I beg to differ. I believe that children, especially boys, are more prone to playing violently when they are playing with toys that are meant to be violent. Whether they are playing alone or with other children (including girls), when boys are playing with action figures, they fight against other action figures. Because they are young and have little to no morals, they view fighting as something fun, a form of play, rather than something that is serious and should be condoned. Also, they see these action figures in the media as being rewarded for their violent behavior and begin to not only desensitize themselves from violence, but to strive to achieve this masculine characteristic. 

 Retrieved from http://www.toughnerdtoys.com

Here are some of the G.I. Joe 25th anniversary action figures. Notice how each has their own specially designed weapon....weapons that most children cannot even identify. 

In the chapter, Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity, Katz claims that violent behavior is considered to be masculine, while females are more prone to a more gentile, loving nature. In “action-adventure” movies, men are depicted as heroes, no matter how violent their behavior may be. Although many of these movies are rated “R,” such violence can also be seen in cartoons aimed at children, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Here, children see problems solved through violence, instilling in them that violence is in fact the answer. As boys grow up to become adults, they are able to mimic these heroes’ physical size and violence (p 352). This is when their violent behaviors become most noticeable, in their relationships with others.

Many disguise such ideological premises as common sense, when really they are a product of society (p 354). Masculine violence is seen all over the media- film, television, music, advertisements. Not to mention the news coverage on domestic abuse, homicides, and robberies. Because children grow up influenced by the media, and their toys, such hegemony is being instilled in them without their knowledge. This allows stereotypical gender roles to infect generations to come and influencing them to believe that they are not so much stereotypes as they are innate attributes. In fact, Katz informs readers that some claim that it is biological for men to dominate women and assert their aggressiveness (p 354).

The question is are these boys given these toys because they want to duplicate what they see in the media, or rather, is such violent behavior bestowed on them by their parents. I believe that is a combination of both. Boys see their favorite movies and beg their parents to buy them the toys and, being “good parents,” they give into their children’s desires, not really considering what they are doing. This is interesting considering the recent uproar of parents against violent video games. Having your child play with an adamant object and having them play a violent video game is essentially the same. Although one requires much more creativity and imagination than the other, they both provide outlets for violent behavior to develop. So then, why are violent toys ignored in the debate? perhaps because toys such as action figures have been around for far longer than video games. In fact, G.I. Joe has been around for 48 years. Because of parents’ familiarity and comfort with such an outlasted character, they seem to bypass the violence that he stands for. Also, I’m sure they view violence in war to be justifiable and honorable…although their children have no concern for such reassurance.

All in all, it comes down to the fact that toys aimed at young boys often embrace and encourage violent behavior. So, save your little boy from unneeded aggression and buy him a stuffed animal to play with instead :)






Katz, J. (2011). Advertising and the Construction of Violent White Masculinity. In G. Dines & J. Humez (Eds.), Gender Race, and Class in Media (pp 349-358). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, INC.