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[Fweddy]

I slept with my ex-girlfriend's best friend last night. There's no way anything bad could come of that, right?

 

[caLLous]

I think your ex-girlfriend has a new ex-best friend.

 

[Edmond]

I slept with my ex-girlfriend's best friend last night. There's no way anything bad could come of that, right?

You know the fucking rules!!!!!

POIDH

 

[Job]

Was it the male or the female or the species.

 

[Job]

Only in the Guardian

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/22/lego-mini-figure-disability-toy-disabled-children

 

[Scouse]

Only in the Guardian

I think it's an admirable aspiration for a toy company:

But what about the rights of disabled children to be positively represented in the cultural sphere? To see their lives and experiences reflected in the media they consume?

As opposed to "pffft, fucking disabled lego, what a crock of shit - who wants a crip toy, eh?"

Good on 'em tbfh. Makes me glad that some humans care enough about about the vulnerable to do that.

And lego's original vision was:

to cultivate creative play and contribute towards healthy child development

If that includes firemen and policemen, does it not include the disabled?

 

[soze]

I have no problem with it. But doing it in the right way would be very difficult. Someone in a wheel chair is easy enough. How do you do deaf dumb and blind? What about mental disabilities? Or do you just have a kid in a wheel chair and tell all over disabled children to be happy they have that.

And also how far do you want Lego to go to represent everyone? Should they cover Religions, LGBT's ect. They are made for children and some parents would be uncomfortable having to broach all these subjects. But imo the sooner your kids are comfortable with all of this the less chance there is of them becoming sexist racist bigoted idiots.

 

[Scouse]

I have no problem with it. But doing it in the right way would be very difficult.

Yep. I bet there's a bunch of very clever designers at Lego tho - and it'd be nothing but a positive for the company.

And yep. It's about nurturing kids so they're less sexist, racist and bigoted, as you said. A lot of those things are culturally enforced and stimulated - so if you create a childhood culture where difference is to be expected then you modify the behaviour of your adult population.

Look at Sesame Street eh?

 

[DaGaffer]

I think it's an admirable aspiration for a toy company:


As opposed to "pffft, fucking disabled lego, what a crock of shit - who wants a crip toy, eh?"

Good on 'em tbfh. Makes me glad that some humans care enough about about the vulnerable to do that.

And lego's original vision was:

If that includes firemen and policemen, does it not include the disabled?

It's a bit tricky to implement without coming across as crass; what type of disabilities do you represent? Figure in a wheelchair, job done? (Have to admit I was surprised there hasn't been a Professor X minifig; he's in some of the Lego computer games). There are lots of physical disabilities that would just come across as terrible in a minifig, and that's before you even start on the intellectual disabilities; Down's minifig? How would that work?

I appreciate the sentiment in the article, I'm just dubious about the practicalities.

 

[Hawkwind]

Lego's primary goal is to make money, end of. The rest is marketing BS!

Why make a disabled lego character, because it won't sell! Apart from a few hundred hippies and dogooders, who would buy one for their kid.

<Kid opens up Christmas to find Lego box.>
"thanks Mum and Dad, is it the new Star Wars Lego"
"No, son it's Steven Hawking's and his amazing battery powered wheel chair"

What kid wouldn't want that! Harsh I know but this PC crap is going too far. Trying to dictate to toy companies, what next wheelchair Barbie and blade running Ken!

 

[soze]

Lego's primary goal is to make money, end of. The rest is marketing BS!

Why make a disabled lego character, because it won't sell! Apart from a few hundred hippies and dogooders, who would buy one for their kid.

<Kid opens up Christmas to find Lego box.>
"thanks Mum and Dad, is it the new Star Wars Lego"
"No, son it's Steven Hawking's and his amazing battery powered wheel chair"

What kid wouldn't want that! Harsh I know but this PC crap is going too far. Trying to dictate to toy companies, what next wheelchair Barbie and blade running Ken!

As single figures they might not sell. But when you buy the Lego City buildings ect you can add disabled Lego as easily as you can add racially diverse Lego.

 

[Hawkwind]

It's a bit tricky to implement without coming across as crass; what type of disabilities do you represent? Figure in a wheelchair, job done? (Have to admit I was surprised there hasn't been a Professor X minifig; he's in some of the Lego computer games). There are lots of physical disabilities that would just come across as terrible in a minifig, and that's before you even start on the intellectual disabilities; Down's minifig? How would that work?

I appreciate the sentiment in the article, I'm just dubious about the practicalities.

Didn't think of Prof X, suppose that would sell OK. Agree though.

What next, they will be asking for an Indian quadriplegic complete with 2 gay Dads.

 

[Scouse]

I appreciate the sentiment in the article, I'm just dubious about the practicalities.

I agree, there are a lot of design issues. But given a decent run maybe they could come up with a handful. It may never be more than "token" but token still counts.

I dislike Hawkwind's sentiements - even if it doesn't sell much (or only sells to the disabled) a company like lego has a lot of kudos to gain from that. Corporate image readlly does count.

And for a disabled kid I imagine to have representation of a disabled person, whatever their disability, in such a culturally ubiquitous brand would be a fantastic thing.

Lego could afford to do that easily. So why not?

 

[DaGaffer]

I agree, there are a lot of design issues. But given a decent run maybe they could come up with a handful. It may never be more than "token" but token still counts.

I dislike Hawkwind's sentiements - even if it doesn't sell much (or only sells to the disabled) a company like lego has a lot of kudos to gain from that. Corporate image readlly does count.

And for a disabled kid I imagine to have representation of a disabled person, whatever their disability, in such a culturally ubiquitous brand would be a fantastic thing.

Lego could afford to do that easily. So why not?

Yeah, that's the bit I'm not convinced about; I don't think someone in a wheelchair identifies with someone with Downs any more than I do, or vice-versa. Pretty much the only disabled "group" I think Lego could make a go of that wouldn't come across as awful and patronising would be something around the Paralympics.

 

[soze]

Lego do run the ideas site and at 10000 votes you get n official response about your idea. I wonder if they just did the Charge.org or popped it on here too.

https://ideas.lego.com

 

[Scouse]

Yeah, that's the bit I'm not convinced about; I don't think someone in a wheelchair identifies with someone with Downs any more than I do, or vice-versa. Pretty much the only disabled "group" I think Lego could make a go of that wouldn't come across as awful and patronising would be something around the Paralympics.

I think the point about mental disabilities is a moot (and kinda pointlessly distracting) point - lego is a physical medium and you can't display a mental disability phyiscally.

But your point about the paralympics - that'd be fantastic. Why haven't they done that already? There's a shitload of your design issues solved too. A positive representation of a range of disabilities that's inclusive to disabled kids.

I can think of nothing better

 

[Ormorof]

The whole point of lego is they provide the basics, the story and human aspect you add yourself

if you wanted a wheelchair lego man build a wheelchair and sit a lego down on it

One armed lego? Remove the arm, blind lego? Face with sunglasses

What is problem?

 

[DaGaffer]

The whole point of lego is they provide the basics, the story and human aspect you add yourself

if you wanted a wheelchair lego man build a wheelchair and sit a lego down on it

One armed lego? Remove the arm, blind lego? Face with sunglasses

What is problem?

Lego hasn't been about "providing the basics" for an awful long time; 90% of its activity is about licenced product. The point of the article was about representation in toy stores.

 

[caLLous]

I feel like I'm too young to do the whole "when I were a lad" bit but bloody hell Lego is easy nowadays. There are so many bespoke pieces for each set in the Technic range, it looks like there's no challenge to it any more.

 

[Tom]

What about dwarf Lego? That would be ace, imagine the number of people going into hospital with mangled feet with dwarves stuck in their skin.

 

[Hawkwind]

I agree, there are a lot of design issues. But given a decent run maybe they could come up with a handful. It may never be more than "token" but token still counts.

I dislike Hawkwind's sentiements - even if it doesn't sell much (or only sells to the disabled) a company like lego has a lot of kudos to gain from that. Corporate image readlly does count.

And for a disabled kid I imagine to have representation of a disabled person, whatever their disability, in such a culturally ubiquitous brand would be a fantastic thing.

Lego could afford to do that easily. So why not?

I know it was bit harsh but this "everything PC" is getting a bit too much. Corporate responsibility is about image which helps brand and sales. I might be a bit of cynic but companies don't spend money on such things if they don't have anything to gain by it.

I have nothing against disabled toys per se but don't think it needs to be forced on companies. If there is a market it would have happened already. Lego is savy enough with brand and product testing groups to know what is commercially viable. Prof X would work fine and be good. But disabled toys just for the sake of it is quite pointless. Just think a road they should not have to go down.

Merry Christmas.

 

[soze]

I feel like I'm too young to do the whole "when I were a lad" bit but bloody hell Lego is easy nowadays. There are so many bespoke pieces for each set in the Technic range, it looks like there's no challenge to it any more.

A guy I know bought the Super Start Destroyer. 3000 pieces and it took about 6 hours. There was no clever construction. Every difficult piece had a special part. He was very disappointed. Says he bought it as an investment though some of the big Lego Star Wars is very expensive.

 

[Scouse]

If there is a market it would have happened already. Lego is savy enough with brand and product testing groups to know what is commercially viable.

I doubt there's very much of a market but then we legislated for the building cripple access points at great expense to enable disabled people to buy 90p loaves of bread and that had fuck all to do with commercial viability.

Lego stand to gain massively with brand and corporate image - and they can afford it. So if it hits them a little bit in the pocket they won't notice, but if they can do something good...

 

[Scouse]

Season's Greetings!

Spoiler

 

[fettoken]

Spread the word, it's spring!!

 

[Bodhi]

I'm starting to suspect that @Scouse is actually my gran.

"Oooh the daffodils are out fairly early this year!".

 

[Scouse]

"Oooh the daffodils are out fairly early this year!".

Awww bless, you can't help yourself with your anti-global warming crusade can you.

Fairly early? The traditional daffodil season in the UK is March to late April. Therefore before christmas can in no way be defined as 'fairly' early.

And there are serious ecological knock-on effects for the daffs, strawberies, croci and other plants coming up so drastically early.

 

[Moriath]

Awww bless, you can't help yourself with your anti-global warming crusade can you.

Fairly early? The traditional daffodil season in the UK is March to late April. Therefore before christmas can in no way be defined as 'fairly' early.

And there are serious ecological knock-on effects for the daffs, strawberies, croci and other plants coming up so drastically early.

At least its interesting and gives you something to talk about

 

[Bodhi]

Awww bless, you can't help yourself with your anti-global warming crusade can you.

Fairly early? The traditional daffodil season in the UK is March to late April. Therefore before christmas can in no way be defined as 'fairly' early.

And there are serious ecological knock-on effects for the daffs, strawberies, croci and other plants coming up so drastically early.

Well I guess now that the Solstice has passed you can't regail us with stories about how the nights are fair drawing in any more, dear.

And to be fair, considering some of the changes in climate that we know about (Ice Ages, Medieval Warm Period, Wine in the north of England in Roman times etc) I'd be a bit more bloody concerned if it stayed exactly the same.

 

[Scouse]

Funny that you listen to the scientists unequivocally about the Ice Ages and old climate change variations but refuse to listen to them about todays changes eh? Especially when they're not saying the ice ages and warm periods didn't happen but that it's the current pace of change that matters...