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 !