Bring back the tomboys

In the years that followed the tomboy heyday, gender polarization effectively swallowed childhood. The combination of declining birthrates, prenatal sex testing, the phenomenon of gender-reveal parties and other cultural shifts helped cultivate the pink and blue divide that now colors most toys, games and clothes: pink and blue pens, bikes, snacks, toothbrushes! There has been a return to the pre-tomboy idea that femininity and females are conjoined, likely because companies found they could sell more of the same items if they came in pink and blue versions.

This extreme division has perpetuated gender stereotypes in children’s media. When I bought a kids’ edition of the Kindle Fire in 2017, it forced me to select a gender for my child, and then edited out almost anything “masculine” (apps, videos and books about sports or adventure) if I chose “girl,” and anything “feminine” (princesses, fairy tales, flowers) if I selected “boy.” A report revealed that females made up only 38 percent of main characters on American kids’ TV shows in 2017. While boys use physical power and STEM skills to solve problems on these shows, girls tend to use magic. Another study found that higher TV exposure for 4-year-olds contributed to a higher likelihood that they’ll believe men and boys are better than women and girls.