Entry 15: Inside Toyland

From my work experience, one could identify inequality at each job:

As a nanny, my role is somewhat of an unequal advantage 

by virtue of me having a job. I think the stereotypical nanny is

a female, varying in ages; however, media often times portrays

the teenage babysitter (such as in movies like The Incredibles or When a 

Stranger Calls). Both my gender and age give me an unfair advantage

to a job, when in reality, a 30 year old man may be just as 

qualified. Like Williams' observations of retail hiring, nannying is 

seen as a temporary job, both by the customer (parent) and the 

worker (the nanny). While this assumption is true, it does not really enable

someone to be a full-time nanny, unless of course they owned a daycare or 

something of that nature. 

I definitely fit the babysitter appearance stereotype portrayed in 

When a Stranger Calls. 

When I was a swim lesson instructor, the inequality was far more subtle.

Unlike the toy stores, the staff at the pool I worked at was very diverse.

There were males and females, mostly in high school or college. But there

were a few older instructors too. Ethnicity-wise, the staff was also pretty diverse.

There were probably more white people than any other race, but 

compared to the demographic make-up of the town, I'd say the pool staff

was much more diverse. Inequality I witnessed was similar to the gender-specific

toy issues Williams saw. When it was game time, girls would 

often play mermaids or play with toys and pretend to make food.

On the other hand, boys would play more violent games, like monsters

and sharks.

My job at Abercrombie was the most similar to Williams book.

The 50 person floor staff was primarily white, with the exception of three 

Asians, one African American, and someone with Native American ancestry. 

There were more females than males too, but the tasks were pretty much

 the same. The stockroom staff, though, was primarily male and had a 

lot of Latino workers. The merchandise is incredibly overpriced, so 

I believe it is targeted at an upper-class consumer population, like

"Diamond Toys" which is who usually shopped at the store. 

When more middle-class shoppers came

in, they often were easy to point out. They usually went straight to the 

unorganized, messy clearance section. Workers, unfortunately myself included,

would get really upset because they would make a huge mess, and usually

end up buying a ten dollar shirt (in the shoppers' defense, it was impossible 

not to make a mess unless you happened to be an XS and wanted whatever shirt

was folded on top). Also, these costumers usually paid in cash with exact change.

The intended audience was also white, illustrated by the multiple pictures of white children.

Occasionally there would be someone from a race of color, but 

Abercrombie had some lawsuits, so I'd attribute it to that.

I like girls that wear Abercrombie and Fitch...

I guess this song could have had an effect on popularity.

Overall, Abercrombie was definitely relatable to Inside Toyland

 not only in terms of workers, but also in terms of intended audience.

The points Williams made in the final chapter I think were useful; it's

not often that you read a piece that offers solutions to the problem the 

author is writing about. I also liked how the reading fell in time with the

holidays...it definitely made me want to watch Elf.

"10 am tomorrow, Santa's coming to town."