LEGO’s The Force Awakens Millennium Falcon Wins ‘Boy Toy of the Year’ Award, Whatever That Means

Last weekend was the annual New York Toy Fair, which was followed by the Toy of the Year Awards, in which LEGO took home some hardware: a “Boy Toy of the Year” award for their Star Wars: The Force Awakens Millennium Falcon. Pfffft.

Hasbro’s Star Wars Bladebuilders Jedi Master Lightsaber was also nominated in the “Boy Toy of the Year” category, which honors toys “developed specifically for boys of any age.”

I think it’s great that LEGO was recognized for their achievements over the past year, and for some of the truly awesome Force Awakens toys they released–Star Wars won “property of the year” at the Awards, and The Brick Fan points out that was likely due in no small part to LEGO’s contributions. But the idea that the Millennium Falcon–particularly a Force Awakens-specific Millennium Falcon, which wouldn’t have even gotten off Jakku if not for Rey–is primarily for boys is silly and boring, and reinforces gender stereotypes about Star Wars that, in this the age of Rey and Maz, are laughably outdated.

Hopefully as more retailers follow the lead of Target and Disney in making their merchandise for kids increasingly gender neutral, the Toy of the Year Awards will consider eliminating their “Boy Toy” and “Girl Toy” of the Year Awards, too (for what it’s worth, the Girl Toy of the Year Award for 2016 went to Moose Toy’s Shopkins Scoops Ice Cream Truck, and I imagine there are plenty of boys who would also love to get their Shopkins on).

The Toy of the Year Awards celebrate creative excellence, and there’s nothing less excellent or less creative than gendering children’s toys–especially when that gendering could potentially exclude young girls from a franchise in which they’re just beginning to get the representation they deserve.

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