Gender Stereotypes In Batman's Toys

A boy will not attain a muscular body if he picks up a Barbie doll and a girl will certainly grow chest hair if she plays with an action figurine. As ludicrous as this sounds, this is how our society thinks nowadays with children and their acceptable playtime behavior. But who made the decision that Girls can only play with dolls and boys can only play with trucks? Just as Barthes says in “Toys”, “All the toys one commonly sees are essentially microsomal objects of the adult world” (53). In the other words, toys are symbolisms of us humans. A majority of the boys are obsessed with superheroes and cars, which stand for power and speed. A common and widely known toy who has attained all these features of a “boy” toy is essentially the Batman

The package is black which gives us a thrilling feeling and shows that batman is a calm guy and he has a sharp mind. All of his clothes are black which helps to keep his actions in the deep hidden. Every small detail and features on the toy “can very powerfully communicate the satisfaction a product offers.”(Hine 117) In this case, every minor detail of Batman’s package enhances his masculine character. His mask wrapped around half of his face only shows his eyes and face to conceal his true identity. White light has always been sent out from his eyes, which shows his calm and justice. That light makes every criminal afraid of him. His chiseled jaw reflects the male’s masculinity. The downward tilt around his lips shows a character that abhors evil as a deadly foe. Batman’s physical fierce appearance represents what a true “man” should be like, and what people should aim and strive

The golden waist belt is loaded with many different kinds of weapons, such as darts, or antitank grenades, which reflect that he is a man with the latest technology and that he is always ready in action. His muscles are very big and strong, which can give women a feeling of safety and protection. His big black cloak plays a key role when he saves the victims, every time when he saves the weak; he always covers his victims with the cloak. The cloak seems to be a shelter to give citizens safety. It also resembles bat wings, which gives him balance in the air, allowing him to glide. The color is black so it can blend in with the night and camouflage in the dark, giving him a hidden image.

Besides his appearance, his transportation also plays a big role in every battle. For example his vehicle, the bats car, has always been the batman’s right hand to help him fulfill a task. His car is bullet proof and has a lot of technical instruments which help him to track down criminals. He also has a motorcycle in his car. Half of his car’s body is made up of the motor cycle, so when he needs to do some secret task and his big technological car is not convenient to use, his motorcycle comes into