Target presents consumers with an assortment of girls' clothing, toys, books, media, and in October, Halloween costumes.
The images of Target's "idealized girlhood are larger than life. Smiling faces in advertisements peer down at customers from every way you look.
Girls are told to be "smart," have "looks," to be "wise," and last but not least, to "BUY."
How can girls or their families possibly reject such cuteness?
For Halloween, girls can be candy, a pink Barbie fashionista...
...girls might choose to ride a pink and white pony...
(On the other hand, dinosaurs and brown horses are marketed to boys, but a girl might want to choose these, too.)
If a girl wanted to wear pants for Halloween, she could choose the boys' garden gnome costume. (She could then opt to wear the beads or not.) If she decided to choose a feminine garden character, she could choose to be a ladybug in a skirt, of course. She could also choose the "girl" garden gnome costume (below). Here are two other dresses she might choose.
She might choose to be Cinderella or Minnie Mouse.
She might choose to be a bit more covered-up version of Ariel, wearing a skirt.
...or she might be Alice in Wonderland. (Is anyone flashing back to Lewis Carroll's photographs of Alice Liddell?)
A little girl could choose to be a medieval princess, but if she wanted to wear pants, she could pick "Zookeeper."
Here are the gendered garden gnomes.
I wonder what Freud would say about these boys' costumes.
Disney princesses... *sigh*
She may choose to dress up as a superhero, but she still doesn't get to wear pants.
A teenager can dress up as a "bouncy bunny" or a "speedy cheetah."
...or a "midnight" black cat or a "honey bunny."
...a "celestial" angel or a "lucky" lion.
Where are the costumes that have pants?!
"Red-hot" riding hood
I wonder if young women are supposed to actually go out into the cold late October weather in these costumes, or if they are geared for the bedroom...
There is also a lack of diversity of the models. Look who has to dress up like "Big Bird."
The book presentations in Target were also interesting...
Look, there is an attempt at including diversity.
Here is a bit more on the bottom shelf.
Girls need to keep their hands busy....
They can choose to have a pedicure salon, to make lip balm, or to make "window stickies."
I guess these kits are supposed to prepare girls for the cosmetics aisle.
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