In this early spell of summer weather it is natural that my thoughts turn to ice lollies.
I have been thinking in particular of the Fab lolly, which had a relaunch last year to mark its 50th anniversary.
What is really scary is that I remember when Fab was new.
I was also sure that I remembered that when it first appeared in the 1960s it was marketed as an ice lolly for girls.
In fact I was certain I remembered that because, as a small boy in those days, you were desperate to try one but daren't be seen eating it.
Thanks to a couple of people who sent me the advertisements below via Twitter - @AndrewSNicoll and @DavidBertram1, follow them at once - and a bit of googling that turned up the television commercial above, I now know I was right.
It is easy to forget how much children used to segregate themselves by sex. I enjoyed the 2003 film Wondrous Oblivion, which was set in the 1950s, but it got this badly wrong.
It's central incident saw a white schoolboy failing to invite a Black girl to his birthday party, which was interpreted as a slight based on race. But in the 1950s a young boy would not have invited a girl to a party to save his life and a girl would not have expected to be invited.
We are more enlightened now. Still, Lady Penelope was an excellent role model for girls.
At my primary school - must have been about 1969 - there was an attempt to get boys and girls, who had previously sat on opposite sides of the hall during assemblies, to sit together on long benches. We flatly refused. I have three sisters and so was used to having girls around at home, but there was no question of mixing with girls outside of the house.
ReplyDelete"We are more enlightened now"
ReplyDeleteSadly, my experience as a parent would say that we probably were more enlightened in the 80s when I was a nipper, but not these days. EVERYTHING for kids is gender segregated these days.