No wonder young girls don't get into science.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

The fact that they MAKE gender-delineated chemistry sets AT ALL fills me with rage. RAGE. As much rage as those crap "Girl" toolkits. You know what? I would FUCKING LOVE a pink hammer, but only if it's a REAL FUCKING HAMMER THAT SMASHES THINGS AND PUTS NAILS IN WOOD. The bullshit that they dip in pink rubber and market as "for ladies" is all useless lightweight junk that you can't even do anything with.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Look at this piece of shit:

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

CHEMISTRY:  IT'S JUST LIKE COOKING DINNER FOR YOUR HUSBAND.

This is making me laugh uncontrollably !!

[Sir Squid Diddimus]

Also: Look at that little bitch hammer. What the cock is that shit??

"I'll just put this tack through cardboard, cause surely I could never have the strength to drive a nail through drywall to hang a picture"

Fuck that!

When I use a hammer I use a big enough mother fucker with enough force to drive a railroad spike through the BACK OF GOD'S HEAD!!!

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Also: Look at that little bitch hammer. What the cock is that shit??

"I'll just put this tack through cardboard, cause surely I could never have the strength to drive a nail through drywall to hang a picture"

Fuck that!

When I use a hammer I use a big enough mother fucker with enough force to drive a railroad spike through the BACK OF GOD'S HEAD!!!

 

[Phox]

Also: Look at that little bitch hammer. What the cock is that shit??

"I'll just put this tack through cardboard, cause surely I could never have the strength to drive a nail through drywall to hang a picture"

Fuck that!

When I use a hammer I use a big enough mother fucker with enough force to drive a railroad spike through the BACK OF GOD'S HEAD!!!

Damn right. 

[Kai]

I think the "boys' sets" are more gender-neutral.  If you have a girl that's into physics and chemistry, buying the magnet sets, the erector sets and the chem sets is not going to awry.

I think it's rather the opposite--the makeup and perfume are very girl-specific.  As a mom to only boys (as of today's date, anyway), I have to say boys' "toys" can be way more gender-neutralized than girls'.  Mostly because of colors schemes, etc. 

Not that this still isn't an issue, mind you.  I think it's rather sad that the manufacturers can't market things in a way that add up to BETTER LEARNING rather than gender-role reinforcements.  *shrug*  But that's when a parent's discernment is inserted, and you just say FUCK IT ALL  my kid wants to learn, so here's a crack-your-own geode set, or here's a rock tumbler, or here's a solar system for your ceiling (my 12 mo old niece just got one for her birthday this weekend...).

Even the boy's sets are gender-specific, and here's the simple reason why: If a boy wanted to play with the girls set, it would be frowned upon.

As a friend of mine says, "Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, because it's okay to be a boy. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, because you think that being a girl is degrading." It's misogyny, plain and simple.

[Kai]

Another article on science kits for girls.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I think the "boys' sets" are more gender-neutral.  If you have a girl that's into physics and chemistry, buying the magnet sets, the erector sets and the chem sets is not going to awry.

I think it's rather the opposite--the makeup and perfume are very girl-specific.  As a mom to only boys (as of today's date, anyway), I have to say boys' "toys" can be way more gender-neutralized than girls'.  Mostly because of colors schemes, etc. 

Not that this still isn't an issue, mind you.  I think it's rather sad that the manufacturers can't market things in a way that add up to BETTER LEARNING rather than gender-role reinforcements.  *shrug*  But that's when a parent's discernment is inserted, and you just say FUCK IT ALL  my kid wants to learn, so here's a crack-your-own geode set, or here's a rock tumbler, or here's a solar system for your ceiling (my 12 mo old niece just got one for her birthday this weekend...).

Even the boy's sets are gender-specific, and here's the simple reason why: If a boy wanted to play with the girls set, it would be frowned upon.

As a friend of mine says, "Girls can wear jeans and cut their hair short, wear shirts and boots, because it's okay to be a boy. But for a boy to look like a girl is degrading, because you think that being a girl is degrading." It's misogyny, plain and simple.

Yep.

My son is a beautiful child with large eyes and delicate features. He likes to wear his hair long and he used to love wearing dresses and women's shoes around the house. His dad used to make fun of him and say "everybody will think you're a girl". Because that's a deterrent?

So he just wore dresses and women's shoes around my house, where nobody gives a fuck. He stopped doing it, but he still wears makeup sometimes.

Also, total Brony. Not at all kidding.

[Elder Iptuous]

years ago i was looking for a disposable tool set to toss in my car, and when i went to the hardware store, they had two sets like that.  one black, and one pink.  the pink one was cheaper.  i got that one.  it worked just fine.
as a bonus, there were several occasions when a neighbor asked to borrow a tool and i would give them one of those.  guess what? it always came back!

my mom got one not too long ago as well, and now instead of asking my dad to do some simple task that requires a tool, she goes ahead and fucks it up herself.  which, although is not in the best interests of their house, at least she's trying it because, 'she's got tools made for her'.

[Cramulus]

Look at this piece of shit:

HAH! Ah nostalgia -- My mom has that exact toolkit. It even says "Women's Tools" on the front.

She bought so that dad would stop accidentally taking her tools to work. And it worked - he never ganked the pink screwdriver or light weight pink hammer

consequently, it means that those were the tools used most frequently when growing up.


and look at me now

[The Good Reverend Roger]

Also: Look at that little bitch hammer. What the cock is that shit??

"I'll just put this tack through cardboard, cause surely I could never have the strength to drive a nail through drywall to hang a picture"

Fuck that!

When I use a hammer I use a big enough mother fucker with enough force to drive a railroad spike through the BACK OF GOD'S HEAD!!!

And then Squiddy killed Jesus.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Thanks Kai, now I'm stuck in the endless maze of articles that is Scientific American.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

years ago i was looking for a disposable tool set to toss in my car, and when i went to the hardware store, they had two sets like that.  one black, and one pink.  the pink one was cheaper.  i got that one.  it worked just fine.
as a bonus, there were several occasions when a neighbor asked to borrow a tool and i would give them one of those.  guess what? it always came back!

my mom got one not too long ago as well, and now instead of asking my dad to do some simple task that requires a tool, she goes ahead and fucks it up herself.  which, although is not in the best interests of their house, at least she's trying it because, 'she's got tools made for her'.

One of the reasons they come back is simply because they're memorable and recognizable. The other reason is because of the stigma attached to things that are "girly".

It's sad that your mom grew up thinking that there were things she couldn't do just because she has a vagina. It seriously bums me out that these toolkits have a market and that's why. It also bums me out because I hate the idea of little girls seeing them and internalizing the message that regular tools are for boys, and girls need special "girly" tools.

On that note, I know what I'm getting for LO this Yule. A nice BLACK toolkit.

[Elder Iptuous]

nono.... my mom was a tomboy growing up.  although she isn't particularly mechanically inclined, she never played the 'helpless woman' routine.  although she did expect my dad to fill his gender roll as she filled hers as far as household duties go.

and, yes.  there is a market for girly stuff.  i can see why it might bother some, and be seen as unfair by some.
doesn't bother me a lick.  i have no qualm with girlie girls, manly men, girlie men, or manly women.
and the fact that there is one predominant archtype for each sex seems perfectly natural to me.

maybe it's because i'm blessed with a really great marriage, but people getting bent around the axle regarding gender struggles is nothing but amusing to me.  i just love the show, as long as i can turn it off if ever it gets grating.