Selling Gender. The Representation of Boys and Girls in the Italian Toy Commercials

The article reports the results of a content analysis of 78 Italian toys commercials and 142 characters. The research aims to determine the level of sex typing in the Italian television advertising directed to children. The analysis reveals that there is a sensible difference in the portrayals of boys and girls. Boys outnumber girls. They are depicted in major roles, involved in a group setting, shown as active and in a large range of interactions. They are dressed in mixed colors, put in bright indoor and outdoor locations, playing with action figures, build games, transportation and construction. They are accompanied only by male voice-over. Girls are portrayed in minor roles, as passive, involved in individual and group activities. They are depicted in bright backgrounds, dressed in pastel colours, playing indoors with dolls and animals and building something only in the presence of boys. They were driven mostly by female voice-overs, but also by male voices. These findings confirm the perpetuation of old stereotypes in the Italian commercials and raise serious questions about the role of television in the gender socialization of children.