Rationale​: A formal letter informing how gender generalization has negative effects on the

society as a whole

I have decided to use a formal letter as the material for IB SL Language and Literature

written task 1b. In this topic we have read many articles related to gender stereotypes, and how

specific language is used to describe different genders have created radical perspectives

towards the opposite sex. I will specifically discuss the issue throughout the letter, how

commercial stereotypes shape people’s opinions on gender generalization.

In order to help the audience understand my purpose of writing this letter, I have decided

to use an advertisement as a reference. The advertisement consists of a picture of the gender

division between girls and boys where they have different objects, colours, and habits. I will be

criticizing his utilization of language and drawings on specific gender, and I will explain how this

has negatively affected the role of men and women in the society.

To conclude, I have fully understand the utilization of language is important in the mass

use of advertisement. The specific words and images used provide a powerful message to the

society. Therefore, publishers should be carefully selecting what to publish and what not to

publish.
Formal Letter
Raden Ajeng
Jepara, Indonesia
Jl. Bima Raya No. 145

John Pierre, Creative Designer

United States
Northern-west

Jepara, 12th of January 2017

Dear John Pierre,

My name is Raden Ajeng, an Indonesian public speaker and a mother of one. I am

writing to you, motivated and determined, to plead you to hear my voice. I would like to make
an honest confession to you regarding the social issue of gender generalization, that is severely
rising. I am reaching out to you, someone who has a great power, and whom I believe will be
able to make a crucial change to how advertisements affect the world, especially to the younger
generation.

I admire you as you are one of the most creative designers of children’s toys, but yet I
believe you do not fully understand the consequences ​behind the incorrect portrayal of
advertisements of kids’ toys​. Your commercial advertisements have created ​a wider difference
in the expected roles of women and men, using color, tools, and words for the targeted gender.
The ultimate example of this is the habituated pink color for girls and blue for boys. There has
been a rapid increase of viewers in the advertisements over the past 10 years, thanks to media,
billboards and TV programmes like Disney Channel. You are aware that children are the ones
who are mainly captivated by ads for toys, as they watch these advertisements, the idea of what
each gender should play with and how they should behave is implemented in their heads. I have
come to a conclusion where this idea is wrong and needs to be changed.

The problem I have noticed is the commercial stereotypes you have created directly
targeting children and indicating their roles in the society. I have attached one of your famous
ads below “​Boy Toys and Girl Toys​”.
 To start with, you have created sections, where “girls” and “boys” are put into different
groups. On the right column, the quotation “be a princess and wait for a boy to rescue you”
implies that the blonde princess has no power of protecting herself because she is a girl. Do you
realize that you have been giving a wrong information to little girls by telling them that if they
want to be a princess then they must rely on boys, and girls must not do the dirty work. It also
references to the idea of girls being incapable of protecting themselves because they are
physically weaker than boys, and therefore unable to live independently. The ad also shows that
girl is expected to be able to cook to serve her man, which implies that a women’s status is
lower than a man’s, but I am sure you are aware that both genders are socially equal. On the
left column, it clearly shows that only men’s brains are capable of analysing complex systems
whereas female-brains make use of its capacity simply for empathy. I was wondering whether
you purposefully put the boys section on the left side, whereas the girls are on the right,
implying the “women are always right” idea. You also have specifically selected contrast colors
where blue is for boys and pink is for girls. ​Pink marketing implies that being a girl equals being
pretty, and soft. Girls learn that what is expected from them is to look good and to take care of
baby dolls, fluffy pets and housework which are not for boys.

I dare to say that you have wrongly educated the young generation by creating a missguided
concept where men and women are naturally suited to different kind of work. This idea is purely
a social construction that has nothing to do with the nature. Are you aware that while you are
drawing these creative ideas at home, some people out there are facing mental problems
because of these disturbing expectations? My son, who is now 4, has started going to the
playground and he faces difficulties to fit in, due to his unique obsession of playing dolls. He is
seen as weak and less masculine by his friends and sometimes even called gay. As a mother, it
breaks my heart seeing my son being constantly mocked in school. I believe that there are more
boys out there, who are similar to my son, that are scared to express their true selves, who are
not able to show their great skills, because of this issue.

I understand that this view could be shaped due to your cultural and political consensus
where men have been perceived as the head of the household and women were mainly
housewives. However, you must be more aware that these advertisements are published
globally. When they are not correctly selected, in an undeveloped country like Indonesia, where
the standard of education is still low and where people still think primitively, they will
automatically believe in what information they receive and create a norm out of it.

Therefore, in this developing and growing society I do expect progressive actions and
ideas to be made. Yet, advertisements still perpetuate traditional gender stereotypes. So, I am
here speaking for my son and for the other children in the world, challenging you to create
universal ads and products because they affect people’s opinion, beliefs, and attitude. To break
gender stereotypes, I suggest to promote non-schematic ideas where both genders are equally
liberated, strong, creative and empathetic. Here is a drawing that my son created.
Thank you for reading my letter, and I do hope you will take this into a serious consideration.

Best regards,
Raden Ajeng