Does Monopoly Pink Boutique Edition Game Promotes Gender Stereotypes or Girl Power?

Christmas is just around the corner and toy makers are gearing for their busiest time of the year. Christmas is an advertiser's wonderland, with new and hot products being pushed at every turn. Toy stores and retail giants like Wal-Mart hire part-time and seasonal workers to handle the additional stock and demands of their customers. And, Hasbro releases yet another version of their popular Monopoly game.

This year Hasbro brings the Pink Boutique Edition of the Monopoly game exclusively to Toys R Us this holiday season. The game is marketed to girls between the ages of 8-12. Inside is a pink-covered wonderland complete with boutiques and malls in the place of houses and motels. Instead of dog, car, and train pieces, the girls' only edition has sandals, hair dryer, purse and other items that girls can relate too. Instant Messages and Text Messages have replaced the Community Chest and Chance cards to design the game to fit our current era. Everything in the game is either pink or purple, including the dice. All of this comes in a keepsake box that doubles as a jewelry box.

Some are saying that the game is too 'girly' and harbors on the female stereotype. All of the pink and other things can be considered as bordering on the fact that females aren't intelligent enough to understand real estate or take it seriously. Some of the critics of the newest edition of Monopoly consider it as being an insult to the female gender.

On the other side, some can argue that the game is just good ole fun in a format that girls can relate to. The point of the matter is, 59% of real estate agents are female, and I am pretty sure that they like jewelry, purses, makeup and hair products. The reason that game makers make and market items like this for girls is that these are the type of items that little girls want to play with.

I am female and I don't feel offended at all by the game. I've never been a really 'pink' person, but lots of girls are. When it comes down too it, making this game is a valid marketing decision based on the buying decisions of the targeted demographic. The game is very cute and girls having sleepovers all over the world will enjoy it.