Okay, let's take two average children of equal age (about 8, let's say).
The boy is playing in the backyard with action figures. There's no such thing as a baby Captain Falcon. No, you want the grown man so you can blow things up. Great, enough with the violence. He moves on. Now what? Legos. He wants to create something from the bottom up. He doesn't want to raise it. He wants to be able to turn it into whatever he wants, not leave it up to chance. Mother's intuition? I think not. That's the father's intuition. The father is the one who seems to do most of the discipline in the average, partriachal family. [Despite the efforts of feminist groups, most families are patriarchal. It's natural.]
What about the girl? Well, she's playing with her barbie dolls, raising up little Kelly. Maybe she's playing teacher with her stuffed animals. But violence?! No... that's what icky boys do with their cooties. Gross. The mother's instinct is to nurture, yet leave most to chance. She is forced to leave almost everything (except for fetal alcohol syndrome and all that jazz) up to fate during pregnancy. She loves the child how it is and will congratulate it for being itself. The girl has been maternal from the get-go.
Well, then. Enough with the hypothetical. What would Freud have to say about all of this?
Anthrax: Nice to have you on the show today, Mr. Freud.
Freud: Nice to zee you!
Anthrax: Now, what do you have to say about stereotyping in children's toys?
Freud: Vell, it iz quite obvious zat children between ze ages of 3 und 12 experience ze phallic stage, vere zey battle with ze libido an incredible amount.
Anthrax: And what does this entail?
Freud: Zis entails ze Oedipus/Electra complex, which shows us zat children become extremely attached to ze parent of the opposite sex and jealous of ze other parent, showing marked increase in anger toward him/her.
Anthrax: Interesting... and what does this have to do with Tamagotchi?
Freud: Vell... ven you are jealous, because a guy you like likes anozer girl, vat do you do?
Anthrax: I attempt to do what he likes about that girl...yet better.
Freud: Exactly!! And vat does ze mother do?
Anthrax: She takes care of the children. Feeds them, helps them get ready for bed... that's the essential foundation of the mother-child relationship.
Freud: You see, zis is vat ze girl vill vant to do better. She vill vant to be able to raise children better zan ze mother!!
Anthrax: Ah! I understand. Thank you, Mr. Freud.
Freud: Anytime, Anthrax.
Anthrax: Well, we're out of time on this segment of The Anthrax Show. See you next time!!
The boy is playing in the backyard with action figures. There's no such thing as a baby Captain Falcon. No, you want the grown man so you can blow things up. Great, enough with the violence. He moves on. Now what? Legos. He wants to create something from the bottom up. He doesn't want to raise it. He wants to be able to turn it into whatever he wants, not leave it up to chance. Mother's intuition? I think not. That's the father's intuition. The father is the one who seems to do most of the discipline in the average, partriachal family. [Despite the efforts of feminist groups, most families are patriarchal. It's natural.]
What about the girl? Well, she's playing with her barbie dolls, raising up little Kelly. Maybe she's playing teacher with her stuffed animals. But violence?! No... that's what icky boys do with their cooties. Gross. The mother's instinct is to nurture, yet leave most to chance. She is forced to leave almost everything (except for fetal alcohol syndrome and all that jazz) up to fate during pregnancy. She loves the child how it is and will congratulate it for being itself. The girl has been maternal from the get-go.
Well, then. Enough with the hypothetical. What would Freud have to say about all of this?
Anthrax: Nice to have you on the show today, Mr. Freud.
Freud: Nice to zee you!
Anthrax: Now, what do you have to say about stereotyping in children's toys?
Freud: Vell, it iz quite obvious zat children between ze ages of 3 und 12 experience ze phallic stage, vere zey battle with ze libido an incredible amount.
Anthrax: And what does this entail?
Freud: Zis entails ze Oedipus/Electra complex, which shows us zat children become extremely attached to ze parent of the opposite sex and jealous of ze other parent, showing marked increase in anger toward him/her.
Anthrax: Interesting... and what does this have to do with Tamagotchi?
Freud: Vell... ven you are jealous, because a guy you like likes anozer girl, vat do you do?
Anthrax: I attempt to do what he likes about that girl...yet better.
Freud: Exactly!! And vat does ze mother do?
Anthrax: She takes care of the children. Feeds them, helps them get ready for bed... that's the essential foundation of the mother-child relationship.
Freud: You see, zis is vat ze girl vill vant to do better. She vill vant to be able to raise children better zan ze mother!!
Anthrax: Ah! I understand. Thank you, Mr. Freud.
Freud: Anytime, Anthrax.
Anthrax: Well, we're out of time on this segment of The Anthrax Show. See you next time!!
