Goldieblox vs. The Big Sister Machine

The infamous Goldieblox company is at it again with a new ad. The company, which became popular last year with a viral ad, main purpose is to encouraging young girls to get into engineering. Their new ad titled, "Goldieblox vs. the big sister machine" features an assembly line of girls dressed identically in pink heels and pink vests, grabbing barbie-like dolls off a conveyer belt. While a women who is assumed to be "big sister" chants “You are beauty and beauty is perfection” from a T.V screen. All hope seems to be lost for the this next generation of little girls, for they are too caught up in what is stereotypical. That is until an overall clad blond sneaks into the line with a hammer and breaks the machine. The company then announces that there will be a new action figure for girls, and we can assume that this action figure was the girl that broke the machine.

I think that the Goldieblox company is a great one, and that their cause is noble, but this ad left something to be desired. First, in comparison to their first ad I just didn't think it was as poignant, or as cute. Second, i'm not sure what they are trying to do. Is this new action figure going to go around stealing dolls from "girly girls," because dolls are supposedly bad now? I don't think it is good that little girls are sold a narrow variety of toys, and that they all seem to be shallow, and I do think that Goldieblox's goal (to entice girls into the field of engineering) is a great one. However, it seems like in this new ad is saying that in order to be this new breed of young girls, you can't like traditional girly things. pinning two stereotypes "girly girl" and "tomboy" against each other is not going to lead to the reform in childhood toys that Goldieblox wants. Regardless, seeing these types of ads and these types of companies is heartening, and I hope to see the trend continue.