"Penelope Peapod"-FAO Shwartz Product
Rachel B, Rachel K, Ivan


Penelope Peapod is a product sold in FAO Shwartz that seems to cater to young girls. The product starts off as a simple bassenet and then folds out to reveal a baby doll that has a matching dress that coincides with the bedding. We noticed that that all the babies were girls with dresses on, there were animals in dresses in some of the bassenets, and we also noticed that there were very few black dolls. The few black dolls that we saw were all in one basket in the corner of the section. Also, the advertising on the title sign showed all young, white girls with the dolls in hand. We saw no boys, or multiracial girls. The messages we gathered from this product were that girls should have a connection with babies both biologically and in terms of gender. Also peapods have a connotation of pregnancy and therefore reinforces the idea that girls should be the consumers of this product. Also, this product sends the message that consumers mostly prefer white dolls over dolls of different races. We looked further into the message that girls have a connection with babies and found that perhaps the premises behind this message were that biologically girls should have babies and care for them. Also because boys are not at all involved in the advertisement of this product, it implies that boys or men are not involved in the making or caring for babies. The implications of this message could be that girls at a very young age may think that they should have babies and be the primary caretaker for them. This product also gives boys the message that caring for babies is “girly” and only girls should take on the responsibility for babies. This product gives girls “training”, it gives them more of a sense of motherhood and it implies that white babies are desireable. This product also could give girls the wrong message about where babies come from because it shows that babies come from peapods.