Beginning Gender Lens Project

The Easy Bake Oven was one of my favorite toys as a child and I thought it would be interesting to choose a topic that I had fond memories of. There is a wealth of information on the timeline of this toy, but very little, if any, studies that I have found. Most of the articles are either nostalgic or about safety recalls. Hopefully I can find some research on the social or cultural effects of this product.

The most surprising and impressive bit of information I have found so far is that a 13 year old girl started a petition to have gender neutral colors for the Easy Bake Oven. Her younger brother wanted one, but did not want a purple and pink toy. Hasbro, makers of the oven, complied. The petition garnered over 40,000 signatures and included professional chefs. Now the line includes a black model suitable for any gender that wishes to play.