Would you buy a Barbie doll for your son?

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Toy company Mattel, owner of the Barbie brand, also released a range of movie dolls and merchandise, banking on the box-office success to help move boxes off the shelves.

We cite tradition and nature to say dolls are for girls and cars are for boys, but toys were not always gendered like that. Researchers say it was capitalism that gave rise to this divide.

The stereotypes seen in toy marketing have gone on to shape or reinforce stereotypes prevalent in adult life, such as ideas of women’s and men’s roles in society.

Some researchers have also blamed this for the low numbers of girls taking science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or Stem, subjects and boys lagging behind in developing the nurturing and emotional skills needed in adulthood.

Though the 11.5-inch doll was born of an intention to show girls that they could be anything they wanted, it has been vilified for promoting an unrealistic body image and perpetuating stereotypes over the years....Various studies have linked playing with impossibly slim dolls to low body esteem and an increased risk of eating disorders in children.

For qns on toys and the value of play.....

Qn: Do films offer anything more than an escape from reality? (Cam. 2014)