Female Hero Merch - What's the Big Deal?

So here's the thing -

I am raising a houseful of manga/comic/superhero/cartoon series/zombie/horror film/sci fi fans.

The more I have explored this vast and varied world of fandoms, merch, cosplay, fan art, and all the digital accoutrements that accompany them, the more I have come to see merchandise as more than just toys, tees or decor; for fans, these things enrich an already varied imaginative and creative inner life and help them to see themselves and their world in particular ways. Finding appropriate merch, however, can be a real challenge.

NY Comicon

As a parent (and possibly a fan of a few 'doms my self), I can testify to the giant pain in the ass it is to find the things my kids would like to use in their imaginary play. Obsession with obscure manga series aside, what is perhaps an even greater pain is trying to find merch for girls that is not, can we say, too "girlie." News flash: not all girls like pink, sparkles, or frills. This has been true, well, always. But go into any toy store, or any department store, for that matter, and you'll inevitably find "the pink aisle" (i.e., "girl toys) and then multiple aisles devoted to toy cars, action figures, Legos, and so on (i.e., "boy toys"). The strict gendering of such spaces discourages healthy cross-play in children of all genders, and supports destructing patriarchal thinking about what girls and boys like, can or can't do, and so on.

First-world problem? For sure. And I would agree with critics who say that the lack of female-character action figures, t-shirts and display items is probably not the most pressing issue in the world right now. Or perhaps ever.

I would agree, except that the conspicuous absence of female toys and fan merch (particularly in the heavily masculine fandoms, such as Star Wars or any Marvel or DC Comics anything) speaks to and is symptomatic of the way that women are included in popular culture and society in general. It clearly illustrates that film franchises and toy makers don't see the value in creating products that might appeal directly to girls and women as fans; women are, once again, cast in what I'd call a "service consumer" role, in which they purchase far more than men do, but a great deal of this purchasing is done for others. If the institutions of our entertainment industry, advertising, product manufacturers, and so on can't be bothered to value women's input and desires in their role as consumers, why then should any other cultural or social institution do the same?

Photo courtesy Abi Bechtel @abianne

The insidiousness of the "small things" is a constant irritant for those who are sensitive to the rampant gender asymmetries in the U.S.; women continue to be objectified, excluded, or denigrated in all spaces and places, online, on film, on screen, or on the street. What is hopeful about this is the increasing number of individuals and groups determined to call out the toxic sexism and bigotry of our culture, piece by piece. One woman posted pictures she took at a local chain store, in which shorts for girls were absurdly short, tight, and overpriced when compared with the more modest cut and price of shorts for boys in the same store. Others have fought back by speaking out at public events, using humor and candor to shine a light on the destructive contradictions women face, even under the best possible circumstances, every single day. Still others have organized, marched, protested, boycotted, and refused to be silenced. Bit by bit, piece by piece.


This is why when a Facebook friend of mine organized an activist group focused on effecting change in the overtly gendered way that toy makers and merchandisers produce, organize and sell their wares, I was instantly, shall we say, a fan. This group, We Want Female Hero Action Figures, T-Shirts and Toys, asks the question that countless others have asked:

What kind of world do you want the future generations of children to grow up in? A world where women's contributions matter or don't? Action figures and T-shirts may seem like a shallow concern to you, but think about the message toy makers are sending to girls when the girls departments in shops are filled with princess merchandise only, whilst the boys department displays only the male superhero. Please join us in getting the toy makers to see the dangerous (and sad) myths about men and women they are perpetuating.

Determined to take on merchandise giants including Hasbro and Disney, what this group is really attempting to do is shift entrenched cultural norms that devalue women across the board, from ignoring the unpaid labor that many women do in the home to failing to make a Black Widow action figure despite her prominent role in a feature film. And don't even get me started on Disney, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Rey: that's a whole other post. Will convincing toy makers to make more and better toys (for girls and boys alike) accomplish this paradigm shift? No. Will convincing merchandisers to quit gendering every friggin' thing they make and produce more and better "gender neutral" collectibles, clothing and other merch fix the inherent disadvantages that women face in our society? Not really.

What it will do, however, is put another crack in the logical fallacies upon which much of popular culture in the U.S. is based. And it just might encourage women and girls to see themselves as valuable contributors to all facets of culture and society, as they always have been. We need to provide strong female role models, rich and varied creative materials, and an equal voice for ourselves and for future generations: if we don't, we risk a future that looks very much like our present and, worse, our past.