Yes, Lego’s new Lego Friends have pink and purple pieces. They are softer, pastel colors and tend to include animals often described as “cute.” More importantly, they are sexist.

Right?

That’s what the internets are saying. And if enough angry Women’s Studies’ undergrads blog about it, it must be true. But what if this isn’t an evil attempt of Legos to undermine the great strides we women have made through the years? What if this is a rather smart way of reaching out to those holding out the wallets and holding down progress?

Let’s be honest: Lego Friends are not offensive to girls, they’re offensive to the idea that girls haven’t already been playing with Legos. Before Lego Friends came out, the only girls sitting around thinking I wish there were Legos for me were the girls told by adults that Legos were for boys. Kids will play with anything if it looks appealing. That’s why YouTube is filled with babies in boxes eating paper. If Sally wants to build an airplane with red, yellow, and green blocks, she’s going to. If she doesn’t, it’s because someone has stopped her or [gasp!] because Legos simply don’t interest her. It’s not because they’re not pink.

The audience for Lego Friends isn’t all girls; it’s all parents/grandparents/relatives/adults who are buying into the message that “Finally, girls can play with Legos!” These new pieces aren’t for girls, they’re for the small minded and, as we know, small minded people are the easiest to take advantage of; there’s very little chance they’ll consider you’re taking advantage of them.

Now, what if the daughters of these small minded people begin building with their pink and purple Legos and discover that tinkering and creating is kind of fun? What if this is the introduction to science, engineering, and technology that can fill the current gap of women in those fields?

Again, girls who have access to Legos will play with them if they want. The limit isn’t the blocks’ colors, it’s a child’s imagination. Now consider all-girl households whose outdated family members are against, or just never considered buying, Legos. These kids now get the chance to do what 90% of all other kids are doing: building big things out of little things that can reduce grown men to tears when stepped upon.

If you absolutely cannot stand the idea of pink and purple Legos for your daughter, then don’t buy them. Buy the original, classic Legos. If someone buys them for her, don’t make a big deal out of it, just dump them with the rest of the Legos.

Hey, now she can build an even bigger boat with more colors and more features. Or a bigger spaceship. Or a bigger apartment complex for her hamsters.

The point of Legos is building. Don’t knock them down.

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Jordan Lints

Political and Cultural Contributor

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