Teen Wolf & The "Bad" Alpha

Last weekend, my family had a small barbecue with another friend-family (those kind of families where the whole family is friends with your family). In this group, I was in the age-range between the adults and the teenagers, so obviously I spent my time with the younger crowd: my brother, the two brothers, and their younger sister who's in middle school. During the barbecue, the teenagers talked a lot about pop-culture shows, specifically MTV network's Ridiculousness and Teen Wolf. What I found interested was that they ranted about how bad MTV shows are, and how MTV doesn't produce shows that interest them or represent teenagers. One of the shows they thought was ridiculous was Virgin Territory, and in their discussion they wondered why MTV would make a show about virgins, and why was it so bad to be one. They felt uncomfortable with that and told me they would rather watch violent shows with good story-lines than shows about sex. Right off the bat, I knew these boys were shedding light on "teen television" without even knowing it.

During our class discussions and readings, a lot of violence and sex in shows have been dubbed "teen television." Yet, these young teenage boys thought a show about someone's sexual choice was uncalled for and not interesting. "It's their business, not mine," said one of the teens. Yet, a series that these teenagers thought was interesting was MTV's hit-series, Teen Wolf. This series was on one of those "free on-demand" channels which encourages viewers to binge watch series until the last aired episode. This kind of "free on-demand" stunt has been seen other networks like BBC's series Orphan Black. When you think about it, a lot of networks let their series go into free on-demand, which is rather clever since on-demand channels are easily accessible. Furthermore, on-demand is seen as a fast way to make new fans since fans of the series will make their friends and family members watch a few episodes with them. For me, this was the same case.

Being late into the Teen Wolf craze, I listened to how the teenagers quickly explained what had been happening before the intro credits were even finished. Before each episode of Teen Wolf there is a recap of the major events that have happened prior to the new episode. Afterwards, the show begins with a dark setting and a catchy moment of either a murder or a machismo line from one of the male werewolves with their eyes glowing their Alpha/Omega status (ex. red means Alpha). As we watched the episodes, there was a lot of attention on the "bad" Alpha, Scott McCall, whose looks remind me a lot of Aladdin. The biggest complaint of Scott was his inability to defend his friends as an Alpha should be. Scott is too soft. He doesn't assert his authority, making the Omegas get themselves and others into trouble. Now, this isn't one of those "hyper-masculinity" issues where the teenage boys wanted someone who was mean, authoritative, and emotionally cold. They actually disliked those male characters and told me they thought those characters were "assholes" who needed to get over themselves. What they didn't like about Scott was that he has an important job as Alpha: protect his werewolf clan and make sure no other (non)supernatural impeded on their safety and well-being. Yet, Scott is somewhat submissive to others (non)supernatural creatures, he wasn't clever at problem solving as he should be, and he couldn't protect his clan as an Alpha should. During high-tension moments, he focuses too much on wanting to understand the enemy than defending himself and others, and leaving the understanding till after everyone is safe from harm's way. Yet, the teenagers still liked Scott's "human" side: he is caring and always there for his friends, and he stumbles over the girl he likes and (later) being the caring boyfriend he should be.

These three teenage boys contrast the stereotypes that surround "teen television." Not all male teenagers like hyper-masculine characters, sex, and violence. Male teenagers also want good and engaging story-telling. True, there is violence and sex in Teen Wolf, but the teenagers are more focused on the fighting and moral aspects that lie within the fighting. The fighting was more of a survival aspect they admire. Furthermore, the teenagers said that the violence and story-telling keep things more interesting. It was action. And the romance stuff in between wasn't too much to take away from the action of werewolves, banshees, and other supernatural creatures.

The Idealized Alpha:

1. Assertive, but not demeaning

2. Fair & Just

3. Brave

4. Protective, but not overly-protective

5. Clever at problem solving

6. Successful in protecting his clan and (non)supernatural allies

7. Physically strong

8. Emotionally available and not emotionally detached

9. Asks for help when he needs it

Toys and Chaos

"Boy Books"

"Girls Books"

 When I entered Toys R Us the first aspect of the store that struck me was gender roles. I overheard several employees directing customers to the "girls section" (where Barbie can be found) and the "boys section" where Star Wars and Jurassic Park are located. As a I wander through the story I remember in Seiter's article about how the girls section was closer to Arts & Crafts, and walking over I did find the "Books" section which was relatively close to the Barbie House section. At the book section I noticed there was a huge variety of "girl" books compared to "boy books." Pink is definitely associated with female though I would say Green is more associated with males. Like I said earlier, the books weren't far from the Arts and Crafts section which was definitely geared more towards women. I wouldn't say all the toys were necessarily Arts and Crafts but more

"How to be a Lady." Back when I was younger the Arts and Crafts section had more DIY sets and kits but now I see more junky

Why?

Ew

disturbing spa items. One of the toys that was in front with it's own tower of boxes stacked up being sold was "Orbeez Luxury Spa." Why would my kid want to soak their feet in bubbles and sit around and talk about nothing? In my mind, children are suppose to be creative, exploring their imaginations, running around, .. not sitting at home enjoying a "luxury spa." Their feet aren't tainted and gross like us adults yet.  We go to the salon to get pedicures and have professionals remove our rough patches of dead skin. This toy was must less interesting and quite a "fail" in my book compared to the movie-TV show toys. At least the licensed toys could speak to the inner fan-girl in me.

Near the Arts and Crafts, I saw a huge sign for Imaginarium. Excited I ran over and saw nothing but Lego and Thomas and friends except for a little rack. My friend and I both discussed it and decided

that maybe Imaginarium was becoming obsolete and it probably won't take long before the store updates and remove the sign. It was only walking to the Arts and Crafts we saw Imaginarium toys hidden behind a wall near the books, behind Thomas and Friends. We discussed that now a days people have grown more into niche's and Imaginarium might not be keeping up as well anymore. No cult following, and especially since this is the Landmark store, there will more likely be tourist to come here and buy exclusive toys from Lego and other large manufactured and branded toys then boutique toys.

This particular store made it very obvious which toys were licensed toys and owned by media conglomerates. Toys linked to movies such as Star Wars, Superman, Jurassic Park, Transformers, and Lego Land had large and over the top displays where the only large display I saw that was geared more towards females was Barbie. It seemed that male-oriented toy displays dominated the majority of the first floor. 

Hidden in the corner of the store I saw a tiny display and sign that showed love to our police and Fire Department. This was in the part of the store that was abandoned, with no associates, and very few consumers. The couple of people I did see here were tourist who asked me where the bathroom was. I decided to take my time and show my love to NYC by taking a selfie.  Much like the other popular toys, these toys weren't far off from what the other merchants were selling but no-one was interested.

I couldn't really tell which toys were this year's "hot toys" so I asked an associate why. The past year the store's "hot toy" was any merchandise from the movie "Frozen." The sales associate explained since this was the landmark Toys R Us, people from all over the world come to specially purchase "Frozen" merchandise, leading them to often be out of stock.

AND THIS IS MY "WHAT IN THE WORLD.." OF THE EVENING... 

 

Toys R Us? More like I Want Toys, am I right?

I would be lying if I said I didn't want to be almost everything in Toys R Us, but I can say with confidence that I didn't buy a single thing. I can also say with confidence that the second half of the above sentence makes me sad.

What most excited me, and what likely most excites kids, was the sheer number of licensed products permeating the store. If you have heard of a kids media franchise, odds are there is not only a section of the store set aside for it, but there is probably a giant sized structure indicating it's location. Don't believe me? Ask the giant Spiderman, Star Wars Characters, Dinosaur, Barbie House, Wonka sign, or Minions (of Despicable Me fame) if they agree. This kind of marketing synergy between the franchises and the toys makes it irresistible to kids (and me). Did you guys see the stuffed Rocket Raccoon from Guardians of the Galaxy? I repeat: IRRESISTIBLE.

This idea of over licensing leads me to another interesting idea with regards to the layout of the store. I didn't particularly find that the store was so organized by gender as much as it was by section. These sections were defined by both licensing (like the super hero section or the lego section) and types of toys found therein (like the young kids section and the video games section). Most interestingly, there was an entire section dedicated to Imaginarium, the very thing used as the antithesis of Toys R Us in Seiter's article. It would seem that, at least for this Toys R Us, which may not be indicative of Toys R Us in general, the organization of the store is based around creating atmospheres in which you would buy particular products. If you want super hero things, you are more likely to buy them in a place where there are life sized superheroes dangling above your head and products everywhere, while if you are looking for stimulating toys for your toddler, a section like Imaginarium might be more apropos.

Do I really want to be a Toys R Us Kid?

By now I’ve expressed how I was a bit of a Barbie freak in my youth. So it wouldn’t have been surprising if I went a little fangirly in the Toys R Us Barbie dream house. But my first step into the house was greeted by a disturbing display of Hunger Games and Twilight Barbies. Twilight Barbie? While I’m not a fan of either series, these Barbies upset me more because they represented the complete surrender of Barbie to mainstream culture. In my childhood, licensed Barbie characters were from movies such as The Wizard of Oz and Free Willy and TV shows such as Star Trek. Licensed Barbies shifted from cult classics and American favorites to teen fads.

A few interesting things I noticed in the store were the complete changes in atmosphere. The only sections of the store were the really loud and in-your-face ones, such as Jurassic park and Lego. Some sections were pretty deserted, such as the bicycles (after all, who goes to Times Square to buy a bike?) and the video game level. The video game section makes sense in the age of online shopping such as Amazon and reduced price stores like Best Buy. The “educational” sections such as Playmobil, Imaginarium, books and board games were fairly deserted as well. Then again, we did go to the store late in the day, so it was MUCH less crowded then normal, especially considering it was tourist season.

I also noticed how while the store was packed to the brims with licensed products, most consumers that I saw by the cashiers were buying the items they probably can’t find at their local Toys R Us, such as giant and novelty candy items, or touristy products such as I <3 NY Geoffrey the Toys R Us giraffe.  

Exploring Toys "R" Us Aisles

Given that the store is a main attraction in New York City it justifies the high amount of adult tourists. According to one of two of the store employees, the people who mainly visit the store are tourist and for every 2 children there are 3 adults. While I walked through the different floors of the store, I heard: German, Portuguese, Colombian accents, Argentinian accents and Ecuadorian. Most of the adults were taking pictures with the Dinosaur and excited by the doll house. Others had large bags filled with toys. Given that it is not Christmas, it is probable that the toys are gifts for families back home.

When I read the question: Are children “having tantrums”? I was ready to write a number in the double digits. Of course, given the number of adults, this was not the case. Actually, I didn’t even see one. But then again, I was there for only two hours. One of the stationary employees, selling Kinetic Sand, said that she usually kids throwing about 10 tantrums a day, but to take into account that she stays in one place all day so there may be more.

As for where the products are made, most toys are principally from China but also from Sweden, Philippines, and Taiwan. As for the clothing is mostly from India.

The Toys “R” Us in the city is very different compared to those in college point or Long Island City. Giving that Manhattan is the core location for visitors of New York City, the exaggerated decoration only seems appropriate. The Toys “R” Us in the city is characterized by its interior giant Ferris wheel, the bright and all-color lights, the giant dinosaur, doll house, the people dressed as characters; you don’t see this on a regular Toys “R” Us. These characteristics make Toys “R” Us specifically designed to be a tourist attraction. The toys and their set-up in accordance to the rest of the store work in a form that rather than a store it is more like playroom. 

Toys r us

Toys r us is one of the most well know toy stores around. The Toys r us in times square is on a whole different level when comparing one toys r us to the next. The structure of the store is built entirely to attract and amaze kids. Each level of the store is made and narrowed down to an age group and preference of toy. As I walked around, I could see how they built the store environment with the toys in mind. In one area hanging from the ceiling, superman was holding up a truck, then next to the transformer toys was a real 15 foot transformer. If this was not enough, employes would perform with the toys to attract the kids. The amazing part about the store was how they built each level to interact with the kids. No matter what kind of toy you liked, they had it and where you find it would encourage you to buy it simply because of the environment. The barbies were located in a life size barbie house with every barbie imaginable. Their was also wonka candy and ice cream. This toys r us was not just a toy store but a kids fantasy land. It made kids want to keep coming back not just for the toys but the experience.

Visit to Toys R' Us!

The first thing that stood out to me as I walked into Toys R’ Us was the experience they are creating for kids. I was not aware of the “R” Cade strategically placed at the tippy-top of the entire store. I looked over the balcony of the arcade and it is simple to see how much detail goes into setting up the store. Much of it was separated into licensed products, Frozen was something I came across as well as the minions from Despicable Me, which I would be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about seeing. It was also extremely hot on every floor except for the basement where electronics and bikes were. I actually ran into a women sitting by the guitars in the basement telling Chris and I how worn out she was from her grandkids dragging her all over the store and how it was the only place she could sit where she wasn’t sweating. While walking through the store, I also heard many different languages including Spanish, French, and Russian. There was also a completely different feel when walking from the “toys” section to the “baby” section. In the “Baby’s R’ Us” section there were parents actually shopping for what they needed, appearing as though they have been inside before, not phased by the many distractions outside of that section. There are a lot of strategies Toys R’ Us uses in order to attract their customers, and I didn’t realize how well it worked until we went to visit on Thursday, it truly is impressive.

My Purchase of "Pirate Monkey"

I am proud to say that i did not fall to the pressure of buying a licensed toy on our class trip to Toys R Us in Times Square. Instead of buying my girlfriend a Barbie or a Hello Kitty, I found her a small, pink monkey doll dressed like a pirate. When I gave her the doll on sunday, I told her that her name was "Pirate Monkey" and that she was not allowed to rename her.

The task of not buying a licensed toy at Toys R Us, however, is not an easy challenge to complete. Not only are there significantly more licensed toys in the store then non-licences toys, but the licensed toys are placed in ways that they can catch your eye. The licensed toy sections, such as the Barbie and superhero sections are surrounded by large statues or big pink houses that will pull children to those parts of the store. On the other hand, the unlicensed toys are usually just lined up on shelves the way you would find them in any normal Toys R Us or department store. Even sections such as the candy section were "licensed". The third floor candy section was called "Candy Land" and had the logo of the classic children's board game towering over the section's entrance. The second floor candy section was filled with "Wonka" candy products.

The licensed products also seemed to be the products that excited children the most. When walking through the crowded superhero section of the store, children ran past me from product to product. One little boy ran by screaming "Look Mom! A lightsaber!" On the other hand, sections like the Imaginarium and board games sections were either completely empty or had a few parents browsing the shelves while there children gazed at a licensed toy a couple isles away.

With all these distractions in my way, i am very proud of my purchase of the unlicensed "Pirate Monkey"

Toys "R" Us- Times Square

My “Toys R Us” experience was very nostalgic and fun. I loved being in the store and I loved seeing all the kids and parents walking through. I did however in the front entrance when we were greeted by Professor Fuqua, I then see 3 tantrums from 3 separate families as they were trying to drag the kids out of the store. I think that based on Seiter’s “just looking” question that seems to not be a good idea with the families and the kids because, obviously the kids seem to want everything and for parents to buy everything in the store. Which I think is normal to a certain extent based on the fact that children want to play with toys and being there can be an overwhelming experience. The other thing I noticed too is that most of the merchandise does have a TV show, or franchise associated with it. I was more attracted to the “Boys Toys”.  A lot of merchandise was for the “Ninja Turtles”, “how to train your Dragon 2”, and of course Superhero’s. I noticed that the store was separated in genders, age groups, and the video games; Ipads and DVDs seemed to be all gender neutral on the bottom floor.

Toys R Us

Being a young adult, I have clearly had my fair share of Toys R us visits. I remember vividly how excited I would get when my parents would surprise me with a visit there. I was so mesmerized by the colors and selections that I would just run down the isles like a crazy child. Strangely enough I had a different vibe with the one in times square. I walked in and was obviously captivated with the huge Ferris wheel but after a few laps around the store I noticed how people weren't really buying anything. I noticed how the majority of people in the store were either employees or adults. As I was walking around I noticed the product placement and how strategic they were. The Girl stuff was mainly in one section and the guy stuff was in another. They had bright pink walls next to Blue or black walls to guide people in the directions in which they were interested in. They even had huge life like figures such as T-Rex or a life-size barbie house to bring people in. 

One thing I noticed was how many games and products were based off of T.V shows, or movies. You had transformers, Disney characters, Star wars and many more. I found this interesting because growing up I clearly had my favorite t.v shows and if there was ever a doll or game based off of it I had to have it. Its funny how much kids or adults fall in love with a show or character and go out and buy a game based off of it. This also takes place in the video game section where games are now based off of shows where you can play you're favorite character. Having all of these products that are from T.V shows and movies is some what of a domino effect for the entertainment industry. Someone makes the movie another makes the toys and its a win win for both because people will go out and buy the product. 

another thing I found interesting was all the stations placed around the store with "How to" and an employee showing you how to use a certain product. I find this to be smart because some times you are skeptical about buying something not knowing if you will like it or not, so having people demonstrate it before hand is helpful and probably helps sales. 

TOYS R US Trip

As I walked through Toys R Us, the crowd was rushing through the store as if it was Christmas in July.  Being located in Times Square, this Toys R Us store was no ordinary touristic attraction. It was as if you enter the Chocolate factory of Willy Wonka, only in toys.  

Being here multiple times, I knew the exact layout of the store was. Most items still in the same location as last time, only this time, different brand toys were stored on the shelves. Many of them being licensed, these toys tried to make an everlasting appearance to the point where people would buy their merchandise. Although people bought toys, most of them were adults (tourists) who went to the store just to look around at the life size toys (such as the Transformer, minion, dinosaur etc). 

Some things that stood out to me while being at Toys R Us: 

*I found interesting how Playmobil and Lego toys were located right next to each other. In the reading by Seizer, it was mentioned that Lego is commercialized while Playmobil is considered "high quality". What makes this specific toy so special?! As I mentioned in class, Playmobil is just like HBO is to television; both contributes a need to a person (to play or to watch) and yet, one is considered more quality than the other. HBO is the same as a regular channels on television, so is Playmobil is (pretty much) the same to Lego.

* I liked how two girls wearing Tangled (Disney licensed) shirts decided to pose in front of a huge Transformer figure. Following them, I realized that they went to more "boy-ish" toys and wanted to play with them instead of girl toys. Its amazing how the store is set up so that the sharp bold colors of the boys' side is isolated from the girly pink and colorful lights of the girls side. 

*The store is set up so that the boys' toys are located on one side while the girls' toys are on the other. In a reading, Miles of Aisles of Sexism by Sudie Hofmann, it mentions that "toys for girls implicity urges them to find husbands in order to get their dream lives". When going into the Barbie house, you can see Barbie as many different occupations, while having many accessories and other toys to play with. Barbie is the representation of the "perfect girl", a skinny girl who can get a guy by wearing make up and dressing inappropriately. It makes girls want to look like her, which can be a negative influence on girls. They can believe that they are not beautiful enough and try to do anything and everything to be like her. Bullying, harassment, jealousy and eating disorders can occur just so that girls can have the ideal image of perfections. Boys have toys that can lead to aggression and violence.  Competition can rise as well and are "encouraged to define manhood in ways that hurt themselves and others" (Hofmann). 

* The ferris wheel. If that is not a marketing tactic, I don't know what is. Every seat is designed as a brand toy, so for example, there was a Barbie car as a seat, a Monopoly inspired seat, My Little Pony, Nickelodeon etc. With its bright lights and only $5 to go on the ride, this ferris wheel is (pretty much one of) the main attractions in Times Square. 

If you want to go to have a good time you can, just remember that there are many tourists walking around in the store. Expect yourself to stay in the store for at least 2 hours and try to remember that you're there to look (unless you are buying something). Chances are, with consumerism in the air, you might end up just leaving the store with a toy in your Toys R US bag. Because after all, YOU WANT TO BE A TOYS R US KID ! 

Gendered Toys

This was my reaction to the painfully gendered toys.

Does consumerism bring you down?

Does ridiculously gendered toys bring you down?

Me too!


During my visitation in Times Square's Toys R Us store, I focused on gender and how toys are treated and separated by gender. As I walked into the store, I looked up to see half of  a UFO which not only reminded me of "Roswell," but had me feel as though I was being transported from Times Square into a world of "Pure Consumerism."


My immediate reaction was to stare at the brightly-lit ferris wheel with each car designed with a brand/licensed, such as Scooby-Doo, Barbie, and Toy Story. There were no "original" designs for these cars, the brands were recognizable and nostalgic, making you want to spend $5 to ride the ferris wheel.

Families in these cars: parents looked bored & children looked pleased.

Walking in a group, I noticed there were more young adults and parents roaming the stores than children. Furthermore, I realized the colors consistently changed depending on the products. A prime example would be with the Barbie section where the majority of the belongings were pink and stereotypically feminine, whereas the playmobile toys were predominantly blue and stereotypically masculine. In the Barbie "dream house," it was very small and unexpectedly disappointing. On the right-hand side were expensive barbie dolls of different movie characters, such as the Good Witch from the Wizard of Oz. On the left were cheaper ken dolls from romantic movie characters, such as Jasper Cullen from Twilight. Surrounding these two display sections was a continuous sea of pink boxes of dolls. The people in the Barbie house were all women (excluding the men from our class). The men avoided the Barbie house like the plague, yet in the boy-toys section, no one seemed to want to leave....

Girl toys are either PINK or PURPLE /// Boy toys are BLUE and RED.

Near the Playmobile section, there was a dragon and a knight and other male figurines on display. The packaging were blue and the characters portrayed on the boxes were predominantly male. Where the toys in Barbie were collectible dolls from movies (specifically romantic), the toys in the Playmobile were of buildings, travel, and adventure. No romance? Is this just a "girl things"?

A stark contrast of both sections is seen in the picture above. This brings us to the question as to why toys are so gendered. In the LEGO section, the majority of the characters portrayed on the packaging were male. In the Mid-Town Comics & general super-hero/ninja section, the majority of the superheroes were male. Barely a female character in sight. In these sections both girls and boys were putting on masks and having fun. But in the girl sections, the majority of the people around them were girls and consisted of handbags and vanity products. This is an immense difference from the LEGO and superhero sections!!

Why do people shy away from the girl's section, filled with pinks and purples and dolls and vanity products, but everyone surrounds the boy's section, filled with blues and reds and dolls ("action figures") and heroes? As a female, I felt frustrated with the lack of accurate female representation. Not all girls like pink. Some girls like blue, yellow, red, green, etc. Some girls like adventure, action, violence, dinosaurs, and superheroes just as much as the boys. With this said, not all boys like blue and red. Some boys like pink, purple, yellow, etc. Some boys like romance, vanity products, and collectible dolls (woopse! I meant... "action figures").

Toys project the gender stereotypes we are surrounded with and it's not subtle.

Now, if you excuse me, the city is in trouble and I need to put on my blue super-suit and go on an action-packed adventure of justice.

"Pure Consumerism" -- A "Pure Imagination" spin-off for Toys R Us

Come with me and you'll be, 
In a world of pure consumerism. 
Take a look and you'll see,
Into your consumerism.

We'll begin with a store,
In Times Square called the Toys R Us store,
What we'll see will defy
Explanation.

If you want to view licensing,

Simply look around and view it.

Everything is branded and licensed,

Even the huge an -- imatronic -- T-Rex!

There is no store I know,

To compare with pure consumerism.

Walking there, you will see,

gendered toys I wish wouldn't be.

If you want to view licensing,

Simply look around and view it.

Everything is branded and licensed,

Even the huge an -- imatronic -- T-Rex!

There is no store I know,

To compare with pure consumerism.

Walking there, you will see,

gendered toys I wish wouldn't be.

Hope you enjoyed my song :)

When I walked around the Time Square toys r us I saw that the majority of toys had to do with a movie or tv show. Most of the sections are broken up by the product and have some form of art or interactive piece tied to it. What I picked up on is there were a lot more sections dedicated to boys as opposed to girls. The first section was action figures based on a movie then directly after that was some stuffed animals and NewYork based products. Once you make your way passed there you are greeted with more boys toys. Here is the tricky part about that though, even with in the boys section there are scattered pink toys for girls which to me sort of made it seem like the toy manufacturers were making it ok for girls to play with the boys toys. Most of these toys were out doors things such as bikes, scooters and random sports products. These sections also had a good amount of neutral colors such as green, yellow and teal.
What caught me by surprise was the amount of action figures based on video games, cartoons, and movies. There was a whole side of video games and within the mix were all these action figures based on the game. Then when you go upstairs there is a whole section for super heroes and of course ninja turtles since the movie will be out soon. Even when you go to the creativity section where they have all the instruments, I noticed the boxes had boys on all the packaging except the pink one, so even the neutral teal with purple had a boy on the packaging. There was a whole section of building toys, legos, playmobil, megabloks and duplo. While I walk through all of these sections I kept asking where is the barbie dolls and baby dolls? All the way tucked in the back corner on the third floor. Over in this section there were dolls for all ages, and other products such as backpacks and dress up outfits. In the furthest back corner there was a big barbie house where all the barbie dolls were hidden, I mean literally hidden. You had to actually go in the house to see the collection of dolls. This surprised me most of all because there were all these sections for boys and yet the one part that is dedicated specifically for little girls is hidden off to the back depth of the store. The nickelodean section was the same size as the whole girls section. The boys have a whole floor dedicated to their imaginations yet the girls get a dark corner. The boys have hot wheels, action figures, sports and nerf guns, a whole floor dedicated to video games and electronics yet the little girls have a shelf of baby dolls. I don't know if this has something to do with the amount of creativity young boys lack or if it is that little girls don't have the same interest as they did when I was growing up. It is almost as if the manufacturers are focusing on what they can sell in package deals as opposed to sparking imagination. All these products based from movies are big bold and in your face. I even noticed the ninja turtles now have a play set that you can buy, when I was younger my brother and I made our own ninja turtles weapons and costume. The manufacturers are telling us parents what our kids will watch and play with now and I think it will only get worse as technology grows.

Children Toys: Toys "R" Us vs American Girl

 Honestly, even I would consider shopping for my child at American Girl vs Toys "R" Us despite that I know there is no difference in the actual toy. Elite Daily, posted this blog called "30 Inappropriate Children Toys That Should Have Never Been Created to Begin With."  They refer to toys such as the images below.

 

The first sentence states, "When it comes to letting your kid run wild in Toys “R” Us, it’s important to remember that not every toymaker thinks the same way we do."  The connection of this types of "unacceptable" toys is automatically connected back to Toys "R" Us store.  Thus, suggest at some point they sold it, and the blog continues to say there are probably still some toys such as these that are being sold today.  I think it will be thought-provoking to keep an eye for such toys at Toys "R" Us and compare to other "higher quality" stores. 

Talking "quality," perhaps even "educational" toys it reminds me of the store American Girl (Dolls, clothes and games for girls). The first time I went in there, it was for an interview, despite that it is a retail store, the store focuses a lot more on the experience that the children and parents have while they are shopping. Theres's a doll hair salon, there's a cafe, the dolls have their own stories with their movie and book in addition to historical characters. The idea that this store is dedicated to only "girls" gives it a certain class status. I actually know, from a friend that works there, celebrities shop there which says a lot about the image of the store has. 

 

Doll & book: Addy escapes to freedom, and now she wants to re-unite her family. 

 

Doll : Kirsten in a new land with a new language can Kirsten learn the true meaning of home?

 

   

"Ruby Rose Explores Gender In Powerful New Video 'Break Free'"

"Ruby Rose Explores Gender In Powerful New Video 'Break Free'"

Click on the link above and watch Ruby Rose's new video to her song "Break Free" which illustrates the fluidity of gender identity.

I thought this would be interesting to watch since teenagers have been stereotyped as "finding themselves" and looking for their part in the "circle of life." Yet, interestingly enough, the road to self identity and discovery doesn't have a specific age range in our lives. It's fluid -- coming and going as quick as it comes. One moment we know exactly what kind of person we are, but the next moment we could be questioning....Questioning if we're majoring in the right field; questioning the line of work we're in and its worth; questioning our sexuality and/or gender; questioning the meaning of our lives; questioning the role society constricts us in; etc. etc.
Our whole perception of the world can change with one action, whether it's from ourselves, a friend, a family member, or stranger. The reason I'm saying all of this is simple: the individual in this video is not a teenager but a young adult who questioned their identity. This resulted in them stripping away the societal constraints of idealized femininity and became the identity they wanted to be. All of this brings us back to the teenage stereotype. Teenagers are said to always be looking for themselves and their "identity." Why? Why is it generally considered a "teenage phase" when we will go through questioning for the rest of ours lives (with a prime example being the infamous "mid-life crisis").

Your thoughts?

Teen Aliens or alienated teens?

By portraying the hunted aliens of the TV series Roswell as teens, the show draws parallels between the experiences of alienation felt by teens and those felt by theoretical aliens. But whats most interesting are the questions posed about the relationship between teens and adults, particularly in a post Columbine society. In the show, the character of Sheriff Valenti represents a majority of the adult presence. Valenti not only automatically see's aliens as dangerous, despite the only evidence of their presence being that a girl was saved, but refuses to believe any of the teenagers that he asks questions of. This distrust is further manifested when the three aliens are driving down the road and get pulled over by him for no reason. One of the aliens even days that he pulls teens over for no reason just to scare them. His constant surveillance and deep distrust of teens is what causes all of the problems for the aliens in the first place.
If not for the aliens, this series could have been a drama about the post Columbine society, despite being developed before Columbine. Instead of questioning the atmosphere that could cause a teenager to feel so distant from everyone else that he turns to mass killing, they blamed things like the music he listened to and the clothes he wore. Instead of working with teens to produce a more open environment where everyone could be heard and understood, adults mistrusted their children even more and policed them like never before. Much like in Roswell, fear is not the answer. Mutual conversation and understanding is.

"Roswell" and "Alienation"

“Roswell” is a very interesting and intense show that premiered in the late 1990s, in 1999. Right after the tragic occurrences that happened in Columbine. The show uses the theme of the supernatural and has the main characters as “aliens”. When we use the word “alienation”, we are describing an experience in which you are being isolated from a group or activity in which the students should be involved, such as fitting into “regular” high school setting. The adults in charge, and that being set with “Roswell” being set in a small isolated town such as the town where the Columbine School shooting took place, therefore set the tone of the way the students felt about school and fitting in as a whole, but question them and making them feel more “alienated” as well. They even go as far to send the “aliens” own peers to investigate more information. Columbine relates to this because those kids two were outcasts and had set the tone in their town to be questioned, just because of their choice of lifestyle. After the Columbine issue I feel like it targeted different teens and showcased how something like that and an ever-changing generation to be different needs to be embraced, children should be allowed to the express themselves, and should be able to get professional help if needed. Maybe if these students did feel a sense of belonging and people were not so ignorant, this tragedy may have not occurred.