Trump’s recent response to growing concern over his tariffs and their effects on the average American consumer, as well as American businesses, has become a subject of much criticism and debate. The president’s opinion that “I don’t think a beautiful baby girl that’s 11 years old needs to have 30 dolls,” he said. “I think they can have three dolls or four dolls,” is being called out of touch by parents who are struggling to meet their children’s basic needs.
While Trump insists that his comment is merely “an acknowledgement that prices for Americans are going to increase”, concern is rising over the more sinister implications of this austere sentiment.
Seen and Not Heard: Reinforcing Gender Roles
The president’s unconcerned view is not only a dismissal of economic hardships faced by the average citizen, but it is also a disparagement of girls’ interests. Belittling girls’ hobbies and interests while also reinforcing the idea that dolls are a “girl’s toy” harkens back to a time when “little girls should be seen and not heard” was the prevailing sentiment.
While Fans of Trump and supporters of his policies claim that the increasing taxes on imports will revive traditional labor-intensive jobs, it is painfully obvious that these jobs are in stereotypical male-dominated fields, aligning neatly with the right’s preoccupation with traditional, binary gender roles. Limiting children’s access to toys or limiting what kinds of toys are available to them stunts their development and imagination.
More importantly for girls, it limits their worldview. Women have fought long and hard for equality in the workplace, and such flippant comments from men in power have a detrimental effect on decades, even centuries, of struggle.
William Wants a Doll: The Role of Toys in Teaching Gender Stereotypes to Children
Studies show the importance of toys in the development of young minds. Allowing boys to only play with “boys’ toys” robs them of the opportunity to learn empathy, while doing the same to girls discourages them from building and exploring. Disregard for the fundamental role of toys in practically shaping society may lead to a future generation with a narrow mindset and regressive values.
This rigid belief may morph into intolerance and racism, which paints a dire picture for the future of America.
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