Girls and boys play with different types of toys and these toys are gendered (Blakemore & Centers, 2005). A study by Blakemore and Centers (2005) analyzed different toys and put them into categories to see if they fit into toys for boys, girls, or both. The results of this research conclude that toys for girls have a focus on appearance or domestic skills while in contrast those for boys were deemed as exciting or dangerous. In another study about gendered toys, the emphasis is on body ideals as well as how these toys can present characteristics that align with the role of sexual objects (Boyd & Murnen, 2017). The features taken into account when analyzing dolls include categories like thinness, tight clothing, and revealing clothing among others (Boyd & Murnen, 2017). While Pink Baby doesn’t adhere to the thin body ideal, the toy exhibits some of the sexual object features coded in this study.
Although the brand does not advertise this doll as a toy for girls. In the unboxing videos most (if not all) of the videos of the brand feature girl teens or tweens unboxing the dolls or playing with them. Pink Baby’s characteristics according to the categorization offered by Blakemore and Center’s research make it a toy for young girls. The emphasis on glamour and fashion or grooming with a plethora of accessories it’s one the key factors that make this toy for girls.
It is important to be mindful of the stereotypes toys can transmit to kids as they spend an important part of their lives playing with them and they can have a great impact on their development (Blakemore & Centers, 2005) as toys can act as a script for gendered body expectations and behaviors (Boyd & Murnen, 2017).