To sort out who's who and what's what in the enchanting, vexing
world of Barbies(R) and Ninja Turtles(R), Tinkertoys(R) and teddy
bears, is to begin to see what's become of childhood in America. It
is this changing world, and what it unveils about our values, that
Gary Cross explores in "Kids' Stuff," a revealing look into the
meaning of American toys through this century.
Early in the 1900s toys reflected parents' ideas about children
and their futures. Erector sets introduced boys to a realm of
business and technology, while baby dolls anticipated motherhood
and building blocks honed the fine motor skills of the youngest
children. "Kids' Stuff" chronicles the transformation that occurred
as the interests and intentions of parents, children, and the toy
industry gradually diverged--starting in the 1930s when toymakers,
marketing playthings inspired by popular favorites like Shirley
Temple and Buck Rogers, began to appeal directly to the young. TV
advertising, blockbuster films like "Star Wars"(R), and Saturday
morning cartoons exploited their youthful audience in new and
audacious ways. Meanwhile, powerful social and economic forces were
transforming the nature of play in American society. Cross offers a
richly textured account of a culture in which erector sets and baby
dolls are no longer alone in preparing children for the future, and
in which the toys that now crowd the racks are as perplexing for
parents as they are beguiling for little boys and girls. Whether we
want our children to be high achievers in a competitive world or
playful and free from the worries of adult life, the toy store
confronts us with many choices.
What does the endless array of action figures andfashion dolls
mean? Are children--or parents--the dupes of the film, television,
and toy industries, with their latest fads and fantasies? What does
this say about our time, and what does it bode for our future?
Tapping a vein of rich cultural history, "Kids' Stuff" exposes the
serious business behind a century of playthings.
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