Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Thank you!!

You are rad

I'm feeling a little over-whelmed with all the lovely messages and comments I've received since my post yesterday! I've been smiling and laughing reading them all-- and thanks to all the people who complimented my stall set up... I was feeling pretty happy with the way it all looked too if I do say so myself.


Joe and I have been talking so much about that strange experience, and my mind has been wondering around this horrible concept of blue for boys and pink for girls, and the way that people didn't know how to understand my toys, how to look at them, and how the comments I heard were pointing to the need for classification/categorisation/pigeon-holing/stereotyping etc. The worst part for me was seeing kids dragged away from the toys, and thinking about what else they might be dragged away from, and why. Why it really matters if you give something blue to a girl, although that doesn't seem nearly as taboo as giving something pink to a boy. I really think it all comes back to homophobia and the preservation of the idea of happy families... trying to curtail the ever rising divorce rate and other 'unsightly' things. Rather than write a sociology or history essay, I'll just say I find it so sad.


I do however talk about things like this each week with my Glebe customers and I know that there must be lots of happy kids out there, who are being nutured and encouraged to find themselves, and it's another reason that  I'm happy to have fluked my Mum and Dad, and my awesome brother, who don't seem to be so strangely affected all this craziness...

B.

P.S. that rad card is from this rad etsy shop!


5 comments:

Pink Ka'n said...

So if I give my boy a pink toy he'll 'turn' gay and I'll get a divorce? hehehehe
I'm all for my (as yet non-existant) male children being dressed in skirts too, but I'm not quite sure how I'll convince hubby of that. I think he'd be happy for them to wear a skirt out of choice though, when they are older. Right! Time to start planning kilts for my toddlers (he can't argue with that one LOL)

Stephie said...

I used to do craft fairs here in the UK (years ago) and I found that the majority of visitors were a. looking for something for nothing; b. unappreciative of the fact that being hand made means it takes time and therefore costs more; c. had no clue about design, craftsmanship or originality; d. were looking for something for nothing (still!). If you're experience was anything like that - give up 'markets' and 'fairs', the words just have connotations of 'cheap'. You have an original, up-market product, find somewhere up-market to sell them :) I think they're great: really quirky and fun.

Stephie said...

Ooops, crap grammar alert above! Well, it's way gone midnight here!

lexi said...

I'm all for pushing against those boring, narrow stereotypes. I encourage my son to choose pink if he wants pink. I don't care, it doesn't mean anything except that he digs on pink. It's conservative people who are too scared to do their own thing. Think about the area too - very conservative (and to think I live and breathe it and fight against it every single day). I'm all for going with what a child loves instead of the mass road. Whatever happened to imagination and fun? People/some parents forget. It's a sad world. But your Blinkies are awesome.

Sally said...

Good thing my son and I weren't at that hideous market. Sounds like the other punters might have been uncomfortable seeing him with his baby doll. Might have been a tad shocked when he cared for the baby by singing to him and changing his nappy. Hate to think what could have occurred when he lifted his shirt to 'breastfeed' baby!!!
Also - I just want to add that you are courageous and brave to even put your creations out there in any marketplace - don't let this experience limit you.