Action figure toys have been in action for quite some time, dating as far back as the 60s. The first action figure was the G.I. Joe, a soldier toy that was basically designed to be a doll targeted at boys so that their playtime wouldn’t be labeled as “playing with dolls.” G.I. Joe functioned like a male military Barbie with changeable clothes and accessories. Since their conception, G.I. Joe action figures have been a staple of the toy line market, joined by other action figure franchises like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers, Gundam, Spawn, and countless others that are often based on popular cartoons and comics.

It’s subtle, but action figure toys actually have a lot to say about cultural views of gender. An experienced Toronto divorce lawyer can make such a distinction in first two weeks of a case. For starters, they represent how even activities like playtime are segregated according to what’s seen as appropriate for girls, and what boys should do. Boys play with action figures while girls play with dolls, yet both toys are essentially the same concept. Action figure toys also represent stereotypical attitudes toward the separate roles and characteristics of girls and boys in our society. Girls participate in more domestic, passive activities, and boys take part in active endeavors—Barbie shops, cooks and takes care of her baby sister Kelly while G.I. Joe runs around with guns and shoots stuff up.

True, girls and boys gravitate towards certain activities and tend to have certain characteristics, but one wonders how much of that is attributed to biology and how much is due to cultural standards. Gender isn’t always so clean cut—there are also people who sometimes transgress the boundaries of gender roles. Some girls and boys enjoy playing with toys that are designed for the opposite sex. And interestingly, the idea of girls, “tomboys” playing with action figures is usually more accepted than boys, “sissies” who play with dolls. What does this all mean? Maybe male gender is valued over female gender, so girls who act like boys are moving up while boys who act like girls are downgrading.

Or is this reading too much into what are really just plastic models created to entertain children? In the end, don’t we all cast aside our playthings in pursuit of adult activities and preoccupations? This also potentially means that tomboys will be expected to drop their action figures and start wearing makeup, and sissies will be pressured to throw away their dolls and taking up football. Every state has specific stipulations and requirements for most of the procedures of household regulation: acquiring a authorized divorce lawyer Toronto, dividing property, figuring out and enforcing custody and support of children. But still, gender equity has come a long way and hopefully it can only go further. In the meantime, you should buy your kid whatever toy they want to play with, whether they prefer action figure toys or dolls, and whichever sex your child is shouldn’t matter.