As a Brazilian who happily grew up with these toys (they’re a big symbol of 80s nostalgia around here still today), I’ll have to agree with some if the above sentiments: these are happy and inclusive toys, cleverly made with a child’s play sensibilty in mind (hand-sized dolls, interchangeable accessories) and the fact they depict ‘bad’ characters like robbers, cowboys, pirates and gladiators mean that’s the kind of fantastical play scenarios children enjoy playing with.
Sure, they could cancel each and every potentially offensive set until only the most benign ‘bunny veterinarian’, ‘office worker’ and ‘nun’ dolls and sets remain (and yes, these all exist and can be lots of fun). But should they, really? Not to me.
This line of thinking that the mere existance of potentially unwholesome things for children is going to corrupt and destroy mankind’s morality has been proven wrong again and again. I for one applaud the fact playmobil is equally inclusive of all sorts of scenarios, from homeowner to radiation cleanup crew. And the best example of dolls designed for both boys and girls, without pink-and-blue segregation like lego has been up to.
Unlike lego, playmobil shows a play-world where male pastry chefs and female firefighters are a perfectly natural thing. Can any other toy line make that claim?
