If Childhood Gender Roles Applied To Adults (Video)

If Childhood Gender Roles Applied To Adults (Video)
Buzzfeed

A video from Buzzfeed asks what would happen if we applied common childhood gender stereotypes to adults. The results are predictably hilarious, surreal and thought-provoking.

The comedy clip shows two new employees, one male and one female, at a company with very rigid interpretation of gender roles. Before long, the man is being chastised for wearing a 'girl colour' shirt, while the woman is encouraged to choose a tea mug emblazoned with the word 'princess'.

The stereotyping goes on, with wrestling in the office dismissed as 'boys will be boys', and the female employee criticised for 'bossiness' while her male counterpart is praised for his strong leadership.

It's all very silly, of course, but it raises questions about why society at large still goes out of its way to impose gender roles on children in a way which would seem preposterous as an adult.

From protests over pink and blue segregated toy aisles to concerns over the potential negative effects of little girls obsessing over princesses, the gender stereotypes we present to our children are a common source of concern to modern parents.

On one hand, of course, most parents don't want their little boy to feel as though he can't enjoy My Little Pony, or their little girl to think she can't prefer construction kits to a plastic baby doll.

But on the other hand, many wonder if preferring toys, colours and clothes associated with your own gender is to some extent 'just one of those things'.

Some even fear that raising their kids without awareness of expected gender behaviour might lead to playground taunts and isolation.

But the ending to this funny but thoughtful video - which tells us 'Good thing this never happens to adults... Right?' - acts as a warning that imposing gender roles on young children has a long-term impact on wider society.

Whether you're a a total pink princess or a he-man, the video ultimately reassures us that it's best to be who you are, regardless of stereotypes.

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