Grr... (my freshly hatched gyno-centric rage)

So I was out shopping today for some Birthday presents for a friend of mine when I came across these dress-up outfits in Boots.



They are called "Girl Nation" and they are by, I think "Christy's" or something. Now I got annoyed... not just because they lack variety (pink fairy, or pink princess) because who knows there may be more in the line (though seeing dress up clothes on offer today I doubt it). I love pink and glitzy things. What annoyed me was the equivalent boys line - "Boy Legend" (or was it "Boy Legends"?).



See the girls ones are princesses, and fairies and suchlike and the boys are... a Doctor, and a Firefighter. This really, really ticked me... perhaps it's because I took it as a message that boys can be Doctors or Fire-fighters and girls can't. Or that boys can fantasize about being a Doctor or Fire-fighter, real world profession but that girls should only aspire to being fictional heroines like fairies or princesses (yes there is such thing as real princesses but most little girls aren't going to grow up to be one, plus this sort of princess is the fictional fairytale sort).

I dunno I guess I am over analysing, but it does make me wonder. Where are the dress up clothes I remember? I remember being able to dress up as policewoman, nurse, doctor etc. as well as a princess when I was little... and for that matter where are the boys "fictional heroes"? Where is a prince, or a knight or whatever? And why specifically gender these with lables like "Boy Legends" and "Girl Nation"? I've seen better boys outfits elsewhere - like cowboy, and alien in other shops but all the girls costumes seem to stick to fairy or princess of some sort. Why do boys get to dress up as Spider-Man and there are no Supergirl costumes for little 'uns?

Maybe I'm just looking in the wrong places, I do believe Early Learning had a good selection of dress-up costumes for all genders but that is probably is because Early Learning has an education bent so are more likely to be encouraging of "pretend to be a grown up" fantasy so it has more Doctor, Police Officer, and such clothes. I don't see why this can't eke out into other shops though, nor why little girls can't be offered other fantasies than just princess or fairy... what about cowgirl*? Female robin hood type characters? Warrior princesses? Superheroines?

Oh well I might be getting bent out of shape over nothing but I do know I'm slightly ticked.

EDIT: Checking up I found that the Girl Nation line does indeed have a few career play costumes - Nurse, Ballerina, and Flamenco Dancer. Still it would have been nice to have Doctor, Fire-fighter and Nurse be in a gender neutral line (though I'll be honest, I do relies that while there may be little boys out there who would like to play as a male ballet dance I do reckon it wouldn't sell a large amount). ... and they have a (pink, so I guess if you hate pink you're sunk) Cowgirl out fit.

I would have liked a wider range of these outfits to have been stocked at my Boots... maybe the stock was low. They also have some Halloween costumes... Devil fairy amuses me for some reason.

Here is their site: http://www.christygroup.com/home/

My Dad's Disrupted Birthday

So I went to see Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer yesterday, I bought the tickets form the rest of my family (sans Mam who's in Spain on a working holiday at the moment) because it was Dad's Birthday. We had to go through Newcastle 'cos neither of the two other closer cinemas were playing it at a reasonable time, Dad really enjoyed it but the rest of his Birthday was kinda... crappy.

First someone clipped the wing mirror on his van, second he was locked out of the house (my Brothers and I set off to Newcastle before him and planned to meet up with him, he forgot his key) and had to buy himself a change of clothes because he didn't want to wear his work clothes to the cinema. Third when we were headed home some drunkard was causing a fiasco on the Metro when he kicked in the window of driver-compartment thing (luckily he was on the cabin on the back of the Metro so it was vacant, the driver being in the other end). Finally when we got home our plastic sledges had filled up with water, or been blown over in because of all the rain and wind... the fell off the carport and smashed the glass in our back door and now Dad's fixing it.

So not exactly the best Birthday ever. Poor Dad.

OMG!!! (also HUGE Doctor Who spoilers!)

Well some of this has been an open secret for months, and some of it is fan speculation confirmed but I still can't believe the Beeb just posted these spoilers like this!

WARNING HUGE SPOILERS HIGHLIGHT TO READ//
Network TV Week 27 Saturday 30 June 2007

Earth has been conquered and the Master rules supreme, with the Doctor a helpless prisoner, in the final episode of Russell T Davies's Doctor Who.The entire human race has been reduced to slavery, as the mighty warships of a new Time Lord Empire rise from the ashes. Only Martha Jones can save the world...

David Tennant plays the Doctor and Freema Agyeman plays his companion, Martha Jones. John Barrowman and John Simm guest star.

//SPOILERS OVER

While part of me wishes I hadn't read that, a bigger part of me is just excited!! Though I'm surprised they just released that willy-nilly... unless they are trying to distract us from an even bigger surprise! If not I hope RTD doesn't have a heart-attack because of the spoilers!

Musings

I was just told about this on a forum I'm a member of. I think it is really nice to see Enrique Inglesias being inclusive! The lad he invited on stage looks absolutely starstruck :) I think would be too, and hey he usually does this for us ladies it is nice to see do the same a more specific-crowd venue.

Anyway, I've been told about a podcast with Adam Hughes, Paul Dini, Misty Lee and a... undisclosed fourth person... on the Heroes For Hire #13 cover. Appearently they are pretty dismissive except for the unknown guy. I don't want to listen to it myself as I think I'll just get pissed off. It is attitudes like that which make me feel like there is a barrier for me to get past to really get into western comics... sigh.

I do have a list of comics I want to pick up: Spider-Girl Digest #7 & #8, Runaways Digest #2+, Buffy Season 8 vol. 1, and Paul Cornell's Wisdom run. Wisdom is a MAX comic, and has sexy ladies in it but from what I can tell they are empowered and sexy... and don't give off that creepy "submissive" vibe that the H4H #13 cover gives off which makes a world of difference to me. Plus it's Paul Cornell for Pete's sake... the man has written three awesome Doctor Who episodes, so I am expecting Wisdom to be brill.

I have no DC titles in that list because none of their current stuff piques my interest I'm afraid.

Hello world

I have to admit this is not my first blog. I've had a livejournal and a diaryland diary before, but I am going to try to stick to this one I swear.

Okay, so I suppose I should introduce myself.

I'm a University Alumna, who is desperately looking for work. I have a 2.2 in Multimedia Computing which I do admit I am proud of, but I lack a job because everywhere wants experience! How am I supposed to get that without getting a job first? It doesn't make any sense.

I am currently addicted to the blogs at http://girl-wonder.org/ through them I am somewhat discovering feminism, I mean I've always believed in equality (and call myself an equalist, but would say "hell yes" if someone asked me if I was a feminist... course, no two feminists agree like zebras having different stripes so I'd probably have to explain what I mean by the term).

I am an anime, manga, and comics fan. I read all sorts of manga watch all sorts of anime but I am particularly addicted to magical girls! In regards to comics, I enjoy a bit of Marvel... I've just started collecting the Runaways digests, and have the first six Spider-Girl digests.

I love science fiction and fantasy, SF a bit more than fantasy. I love Doctor Who, and was a big fan of the Buffyverse back in it's heyday. I love Heroes! So awesome! I also enjoy Star Trek (all the series), and rather like Stargate: SG-1, and Atlantis.

I love cartoons, and animated series. Especially stuff like the DCAU, Kim Possible, Ben 10, American Dragon and shows such as those.

I love to read, and adore Harry Potter, His Dark Materials and things like that, I also am currently reading some of the sci-fi "classics" - I've read Fahrenheit 451, and The Stars My Destination, next up is Flowers for Algernon... I also loved The Time Travellers Wife.

So that's me, well there is probably more, but I can't think of what else to add right now.