Parents were taken aback to discover that the new issue of Lego Club, a magazine aimed at five- to 12-year-old children, contained ‘beauty tips’ and advice for little girls.
In a section entitled ‘Emma’s Beauty Tips’, Lego characters give tips on how to ‘change up your look’ and get a haircut to suit the shape of your face.
“If you’re ready to change up your look, read on for some tips and tricks,” the publication reads.
Attention was first drawn to the feature by New York Times columnist Sharon Holbrook, who criticised the company for apparently failing to promote positive body image ideals in young girls.
Holbrook wrote in a blog post: “Perhaps naively, I had placed a certain amount of trust in Lego and its apparently good intentions, but I draw the line when even a construction toy company feeds my daughter that tired, toxic script of 'start fixing your appearance, and now.'"
Since her blog post was published, a number of parents have taken to their social media channels to voice their disapproval of the content.
While one Twitter user branded the move “inappropriate and infuriating”, another frustrated parent wrote: “I love Lego, but please stop giving me reasons to ban it from my house. You don’t need to shame girls to provide a storyline.”
What are your thoughts?
