In December last year (2015), the hashtag #WheresRey took over social media.  People were trying to find their beloved Star Wars Force Awaken character, Rey, in their favorite toy store and she was nowhere to be found.  Yes, anything and everything Star Wars Force Awakens is hard to find – let alone toys.  So… we give a semi-pass for toy makers in this light because Star Wars anything is just hot. Period. 

However, what we found surprising was a Star Wars Force Awakens-themed Monopoly game was made and Rey was also nowhere to be found.  The manufacturer contested that they didn’t want to include this main character in the monopoly set as it could have spoiled the movie. ~rolls eyes~ 

We work with a lot of toy manufacturers, and time-to-time again, they “think” girl toys don’t sell.  There are some out there that think otherwise and trying to make a difference.  Take I Am Elemental for example.  They believe girls can be superheroes too, and they were a smash hit on Kickstarter. 

Even the big guys are making a change.  Hasbro has been incorporating a lot of female superheroes (and villains) in their toy lines.  Scarlet Witch was part of the Marvel Legends 6 inch wave last year, and White Tiger, Valkyrie, Thundra, Captain Marvel, and Misty Knight as well.  This year we see Spider-Gwen, Beetle, Sharon Carter, and Mockingbird coming out – also part of the popular Marvel Legends toy line.

 

Some say the rise in female action figures is just a fad or the result of feminist outcries, but here at Woozy Moo, despite the intentions, we think this is a good thing!  But let’s just play devil’s advocate and say it is a “fad.”  What does a fad do?  It gets people talking and it spreads.

Now, we also think people are smart.  When people start talking about something, they start thinking and dissecting what they are talking about.  In this case, people are talking about the biases in the toy industry.  It makes people think twice about picking up a toy and giving it to a child.  It makes people wonder why that toy was made.  It empowers people to take charge of what they think is best for them and the people around them.

So for now… we are happy with people talking.  The battle for fun without discrimination is far from over, but we are glad to see one more female action figure on the shelves : )