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Here’s a follow up, LEGO really is doing this! That’s a nice workshop. Rob writes -
I’ve seen pictures of the new Friends sets online and there is one of a girl with a her own workshop, including a robot she’s built.
Next up, LEGO 3D printer? LEGO hackerspace, LEGO Maker Faire…
FEED
Any guess as to what the gizmo in Ms. Minifig’s right hand is?
Comment by J. Peterson — December 15, 2011 @ 10:42 am
@J. Peterson: it’s a remote control for the robot.
I think my favorite thing though is the bench vise on the right-hand side of the workbench. That’s just classic Lego.
Comment by johngineer — December 15, 2011 @ 10:44 am
The “right hand gizmo” is probably a remote control for the robot. The antennae match.
They had a story about the new line on NPR this morning. They were lamenting a stereotypical list of professions: veterinarian, hair dresser, etc. They didn’t mention inventor but based on the discussion they should have. (Also, I don’t think veterinarian is a stereotypical “girl” thing as much as hair dresser might be.)
Comment by schill — December 15, 2011 @ 10:53 am
The thing in her right hand is made of three LEGO parts: Half a hinge, a control lever, and a red dot.
Comment by John Wasser — December 15, 2011 @ 11:15 am
@johngineer That was what I immediately noticed as well. I’m not a big fan of LEGO opting for the larger molded pieces to get finer detail, it’s always cooler to see what they can do with the smaller pieces intricately combining together, which that vise is a perfect example of.
Comment by hjohnson — December 15, 2011 @ 11:31 am
@hjohnson: agreed. one of the best (if not THE best) educational values of Lego is the way it teaches abstract spatial reasoning by combining mundane parts into new, interesting shapes.
i’ve never been a fan of the “custom” parts either, because they take away some of the mystery.
Comment by johngineer — December 15, 2011 @ 11:47 am
@schill I agree. I do encounter more female vets than I do medical doctors, but in no way should a skilled vet be considered a negative stereotype for women. And the set list reflects less on Lego than expectations of customers.
I’m happy that the market (society) has changed enough that Vet and Inventor’s workshops are considered viable for sales. My daughter can be a stay-at-home mom, teacher, or nurse if she wishes, but that shouldn’t be an imposed or expected choice.
Comment by Jeremy Hettenhouser — December 15, 2011 @ 12:30 pm
Oh this minifig makes me so sad. What happened to the yellow-headed non-people minifigs?? It feels like Brats and Lego got smashed together. Of course I like this idea of an inventor’s workshop and love that it’s aimed at young girls but why does it have to be sooo overtly ‘girly’ and less like the Lego I grew up with? (ref: http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/2009/07/3717671129_64985bd5c6.jpg)
Comment by Lukas — December 15, 2011 @ 5:44 pm
@Lukas, apparently girls hate the Lego you grew up with:
http://www.businessweek.com/go/11/lego/
(Although based on the ‘Lego Girl Graveyard’ in the article sidebar, maybe Lego just has really bad focus groups.)
Comment by reboots — December 15, 2011 @ 10:54 pm
@Lukas Perhaps it’s so that parents who wouldn’t ordinarily buy Lego toys for their daughters would buy this one.
What’s wrong with “overtly ‘girly’”?
Comment by Chris — December 16, 2011 @ 11:50 am
“What’s wrong with “overtly ‘girly’”?” – Well, that way lies Barbie…
Although, my daughter belonged to the “Barbie Book Club”, which was not nearly as bad as you might think it would be. Still not very realistically proportioned, though.
Comment by WestfW — December 22, 2011 @ 1:44 am