Ahh yes, Kinder Surprise, many a childhood memory can be recalled; the mixed excitement and disappointment of cracking open the little brown eggs of joy to discover what my ‘surprise’ was this time. These chocolatey treats have become iconic over their decades of existence, but the seemingly calm Kinder waters have been disturbed.
By no means are Ferrero, the manufacturers of the aptly named confection, free from past conflicts. Kinder Surprise have achieved legendary status in the US, where they have become prohibited from sale or import due to a bizarre FDA regulation which bans, ‘the sale of any candy that has embedded in it a toy or trinket.’ However, a new controversy is in town, and it’s coloured pink and blue.
Earlier this year, the Kinder Surprise was launched with different coloured wrappers to hint at the surprises inside; blue for cars, pink for dolls. While no explicit reference to gender has been made, the intent is obvious, Ferrero are asking parents to pick the ‘right’ egg for their child in a seemingly desperate attempt to reclaim dwindling sales. There has been an understandable outcry across the internet, with numerous change.org campaigns (one of which can be found here) being launched to combat it. While many people will be nodding their heads in agreement at the outrage, there will be without doubt several people who have found their way to this page and asked, ‘what is the problem?’
After all, surely this will save tears? Thousands of little boys receiving fairy princesses, and girls with accidental dumper trucks will no longer have this concern! Maybe now parents can make sure that their children get the toys they want in the first place? While this may be a concern for some presents, we need to start asking why these children want these toys in the first place; maybe the Kinder conundrum is a symptom of the illness, and not the cause. In our increasingly (albeit slowly) more accepting and open-minded world, is this kind of gender stereotyping a step backwards? In a word: yes.
To the initiated, the assignment of play-things based on the genitals you own seems preposterous, but to those unfamiliar with gender struggles it seems to be the norm. The Kinder conundrum on its own has the potential to be innocuous, but unfortunately contributes to a toxic mindset which enforces the patriarchy. The arbitrariness of gendered toys often feels like something that we should have moved past by now, and should not be enforcing further.
However, I don’t believe that the blame should rest solely with Ferrero; this reaction to falling sales seems to me to be a symptom of our patriarchal culture. In a society which still places such emphasis on gender roles, it’s hardly surprising that companies would exploit archaic views of masculinity and femininity for their gain. Millions of people have had these kinds of backward values so ingrained in them, that they defend them without question; maybe this is the real problem that should be solved?
I suggest that instead of campaigning against the perpetrating corporations, we should instead try to educate ourselves and each other about the implications of such gender stereotyping. This is by no means a simple task, and it will probably take generations for this kind of petty discrimination to be stamped out, but it will be worth the effort. We must remember that there are whole lot of people out there who see no issue in gender stereotyping, but this will be through ignorance rather than wilful bigotry. Patience is the key! Once people’s attitudes begin to change, the rest will begin to look after itself. It is very sad that Ferrero have taken this sort of action, but maybe we should stop sharpening our pitchforks at them, and instead consider tackling the issue at its root.