The customer is implying that it is obvious between a barbie and a hot wheels which is gendered for boys. So instead of saying which toy they want, they are expecting the employee to identify which is for boys. It’s a subtle way of reinforcing gender binary and societal expectations of what is “appropriate” for children to want to play with.
More confusing is why a retail employee would try to proselytize a random customer this way. It is perfectly clear what toy is wanted, the employee just decides to be obtuse about it. There is no positive outcome here, best case the customer gets annoyed with you, worst case they get really mad and involve your superiors.
As an autistic, I genuinely wouldn’t know and a customer telling me “boy toy” would’ve meant literally nothing to me. Nothing political or whatever, I honestly would very awkwardly be like “can you please let me know which one of the given options you consider that to be?” or I would panic and ask a coworker to take over that particular customer.
What I mean to say is, trying to proselytize isn’t the only option of how this kind of a scenario could be happening
Though in your situation i would assume you just figured that out after the first one or two customers asking for it this way, since that sort of (subconscious) thinking is still fairly prevalent.
I totally understand wanting to help promote a more differentiated thinking when it comes to gender norms, but i am also quite sure fast food customers are not a very receptive audience.
Same as retail/CS workers just wanting to do their job, not get chatted up/hit on/etc., the customers just want their food.
This is a confusing conversation. Why couldn’t they say Hot Wheels?
Sexism.
What do you mean? Why does sexism prevent them from asking for the toy by name?
The customer is implying that it is obvious between a barbie and a hot wheels which is gendered for boys. So instead of saying which toy they want, they are expecting the employee to identify which is for boys. It’s a subtle way of reinforcing gender binary and societal expectations of what is “appropriate” for children to want to play with.
More confusing is why a retail employee would try to proselytize a random customer this way. It is perfectly clear what toy is wanted, the employee just decides to be obtuse about it. There is no positive outcome here, best case the customer gets annoyed with you, worst case they get really mad and involve your superiors.
As an autistic, I genuinely wouldn’t know and a customer telling me “boy toy” would’ve meant literally nothing to me. Nothing political or whatever, I honestly would very awkwardly be like “can you please let me know which one of the given options you consider that to be?” or I would panic and ask a coworker to take over that particular customer.
What I mean to say is, trying to proselytize isn’t the only option of how this kind of a scenario could be happening
Fair enough, i hadnt considered that.
Though in your situation i would assume you just figured that out after the first one or two customers asking for it this way, since that sort of (subconscious) thinking is still fairly prevalent.
I totally understand wanting to help promote a more differentiated thinking when it comes to gender norms, but i am also quite sure fast food customers are not a very receptive audience. Same as retail/CS workers just wanting to do their job, not get chatted up/hit on/etc., the customers just want their food.