Hasbro: We've Released "Plenty" of Female Star Wars: Rebels Toys - Update

[StewShearerOld]

Hasbro: We've Released "Plenty" of Female Star Wars: Rebels Toys - Update

Responding to accusations that it hasn't released enough female Star Wars: Rebels toys, <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/hasbro>Hasbro has said that it's put out "plenty."

Update: Hasbro, responding to criticisms about its response to the concerns about its Star Wars: Rebels toy line, has offered a new revised statement answer to the interviewer's original question.

"Hasbro actually has some great new characters from Rebels hitting shelves now such as Sabine and Hera," said the company. "[It's also] recently been releasing more females within our Black Series and Saga Legends line such as Mara Jade, Toryn Farr, Bastila Shan, Luminara Unduli, Padma [sic] Amidala (Geonosis), and a number of great Leia's such as [Episode IV], Endor, and the awesome Boushh disguise that was revealed at NYCC."

While this statement does a much better job of highlighting the company's overall progress toward more diversified Star Wars action figures, it must be noted that it doesn't really address the issue of whether or not it will be releasing more female Rebels toys to help counterbalance the overwhelming focus on male characters like Ezra and Kanaan.

Original Story: If there's one thing that Star Wars is good for, it's merchandising. Since its earliest days, the franchise has been nothing if not a factory for churning out Star Wars-stamped toys, t-shirts, lunch boxes and more. Recent years, however, have demonstrated that there are apparent limits to the sorts of merchandise companies will produce. If you're a female Star Wars character, for instance, you might find that toy makers are less interested in selling you as an action figure.

That, at least, is the takeaway we got from recent a recent statement from Hasbro indicating that its <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/star%20wars%20rebels?os=star+wars+rebels>Star Wars: Rebels toy line includes "plenty" of female representation. The comment came following a question from one attendee inquiring as to whether or not the company had any plans to expand its Rebels offerings to include more Hera and Sabine action figures. "Where are the action figures for the female characters from Rebels, like Hera, Sabine, or Maketh Tua," asked the questioner. "Male characters like Ezra and Kanan have been released multiple times already in many formats and scales, yet the best we've seen on shelves so far is a single <a href=http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Mission-Figure-Stormtrooper/dp/B00M37V4G2/ref=sr_1_32?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1424231600&sr=1-32&keywords=star+wars+rebels>Sabine with a non-removable helmet and <a href=http://www.jedinews.co.uk/news/news.aspx?newsID=19681>a yet-to-be-released Hera, both of whom are packed with re-released Stormtroopers." Hasbro's response was to simply say that the company "feels [it has] released plenty of female characters in the line."

While not specifically saying it won't invest in more female action figures in the future, that definitely sounds like a dismissal from where we're sitting. This is unfortunate for a variety of reasons, the least of which not being that it's not the first time we've seen this kind of thing happen with Star Wars toys. Just last year, Disney <a href=http://www.people.com/article/disney-adds-leia-toys>fell under scrutiny after customers realized that the company's online store included no Princess Leia action figures. Facing mounting pressure from fans, the company eventually agreed to add Leia toys to its online catalog.

What strikes me personally is just how short-sighted this and most gender-based toy exclusions feel. Setting aside the fact that I'd happily buy female targeted Star Wars toys for my daughter, I can say that I would have been perfectly happy to receive a female action figure when I was a kid so long as it hailed from a property that I already enjoyed. Back when I was playing with Ninja Turtles, for instance, I wanted an April O'Neil to play with simply because she was a part of the show. Granted, that's just me, but I sometimes wonder if toy companies overestimate how much young boys scoff at the idea of playing with a non-boy toy. At least in the current case there are already some female toys available. Even so, here's hoping Hasbro decides to expand past "plenty" at some point in the future.

Source: <a href=http://www.jeditemplearchives.com/content/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=15082>Jedi Temple Archives


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[ZiggyE]

If female character figures sell less than male character figures, then surely this would be expected? The market responds to demand. If people aren't buying female figures at the rate of male figures, then of course there will be a shorter supply of female figures. What is Hasbro supposed to do about it? If Hasbro could create demand out of thin air, they'd be the most successful company in the world.

 

[TheMysteriousGX]

Is selling fewer female character figures a measure of popularity or a reflection of availability?

I mean, if you have 9 male figures and 1 female figure, that could skew things regardless of popularity, especially considering corporate inertia.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

If female character figures sell less than male character figures, then surely this would be expected? The market responds to demand. If people aren't buying female figures at the rate of male figures, then of course there will be a shorter supply of female figures. What is Hasbro supposed to do about it? If Hasbro could create demand out of thin air, they'd be the most successful company in the world.

I think the problem though is that there are no, or at least very very very rare, female action figures for Rebels. It's not like they put a bunch out and no one bought them. They haven't put them out because they think no one will buy them. Which is insane, considering this is the same copy that owns MLP. They should know better, or at least be willing to take a bit of a risk and see.
The place I work at has tones of Rebels stuff, but it's all the male characters. Ezra's lightsaber, The Inquisitor's lightsaber, his mask. those creepy-looking two-foot tall dolls of Kanan, Ezra, Stormtroopers, and pilots. But I have yet to see a single toy of Sabine or Hera, which considering how strong they are portrayed in the show, is kind of weird.

 

[ZiggyE]

Is selling fewer female character figures a measure of popularity or a reflection of availability?

I mean, if you have 9 male figures and 1 female figure, that could skew things regardless of popularity, especially considering corporate inertia.

Demand can still be measured in that way. For example if the female figures that do exist are regularly selling out, then Hasbro would restock. Guessing that they aren't restocking would suggest sales were indeed lackluster, which would make them less likely to want to create more female toys in the first place.

They haven't put them out because they think no one will buy them. Which is insane, considering this is the same copy that owns MLP. They should know better, or at least be willing to take a bit of a risk and see.

I wonder if we'll be seeing an article on the Escapist complaining about the lack of male representation relative to male consumers in Hasbro's MLP figures. Somehow I doubt it.

 

[mad825]

I fail to understand on how this article trying to say it's a problem. Are we in some kind of bizarre USSR state demanding that there must be full female representation in everything?

 

[Neverhoodian]

I'm a male pushing 30, and I'd gladly buy a toy of Hera. She's my favorite character in Star Wars: Rebels. She's kind, insightful, dependable, and one hell of a pilot. Come on, Hasbro. I would have thought you'd have learned your lesson by now after the brony phenomenon.

Poor Hera, always being overshadowed by the rest of the crew. She's the Applejack of the show.

Speaking of which:

I wonder if we'll be seeing an article on the Escapist complaining about the lack of male representation relative to male consumers in Hasbro's MLP figures. Somehow I doubt it.

Interestingly enough, there have been such discussions elsewhere:
https://www.yahoo.com/movies/a-my-little-pony-movie-plea-dont-forget-the-boys-100695282202.html

Speaking as someone who works in retail, the "Pink Aisle/Blue Aisle" mentality is still very much alive and well.

EDIT: I just re-read your post and realized you were referring to creating toys of male MLP characters in particular rather than marketing in general. Oops.

That would be tough to do, as there really aren't any major male protagonists aside from Spike. In the case of Rebels however, Hera is a prominent character and an integral member of the Ghost's crew. I would hope people would clamor for representation if an MLP equivalent existed but had no merchandise.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

I wanna just start off saying that I'm a hunter/collector of sorts. Rare, but not ungodly expensive toys be they nostalgic, or just not very available, or a part of my fandom (which usually means they're rare), etc.
Disposable income is a hell of a drug. <.< Anyhow...

I -really- wanna get a Hera, and Sabine figure, or at least know they exist. Especially good ones. Removable helmet, good accessories, half decent articulation, what have you. I've barely seen star wars rebels figures, period, aside from giant ones, masks, and that spinny saber the sith has. That just makes the hunt harder, and more rewarding, IMO.

In non Rebels lines, I have seen Slave Leia, and Mara Jade. Like, once per figure. If I could've afforded it at hte time, I would've gotten them. Still stupidly rare.

Thing is, female figures tend to get short packed. Meaning they get shipped out at a very low rate for what ever reason.
I mean when I was hunting down an April O'Niel figure, I learned that she came once in every -50- figures or so, and that was a while ago. New figures means she's even more rare. That puts her pretty behind, well, lots of characters. I doubt it's uncommon that female figures are stupid rare because they don't get shipped frequently. I see more Mousers than April, for crying out loud. It'd be a small miracle to see Karai, I imagine.

Short packing has nothing to do with the size of the cast, unfortunately. I mean April is a main character as much as any of the turtles, and she's about 1 in every 50 figures (Again, if that with new waves coming out since then!), and we don't see that many on shelves. That means she's obscenely rare, and that means even if she does sell, she simply cannot generate the numbers that equal demand in people's book.
As a toy hunter, I can safely say that short packs probably get bought up in a hurry for collectors, and re-sellers. Even with that, I don't exactly see a new April O'niel figure coming out even if it's just to update her arsenal with a iron fan, and maybe some psychic energy thing?
Yeah, we got the new bay movie one, but that's not the same thing, and even then she's kinda rare, not that that line has many figures in general, so she's less rare, but just barely.

I mean, ever wonder why it's so easy to find Star Lord, Leonardo, Captain America, Optimus Prime, Grimlock, etc. but almost impossible to find a Gamora, Black Widow, Arcee (Not that she was in the newest movie anyhow.), or April O'niel?

I can see that those are the ones boys wanna buy because they relate better to male heroic figures (Even though Rocket raccoon, and Groot who aren't human have really taken off), and will have one of the deadliest, most proficient fighters in the galaxy job coz she's a woman, but we just don't get the opportunity to prove ourselves interested in characters that aren't male.

TLDR: People keep talking about this "demand" thing, but if money talks, there's vastly little to spend the money on, so we can't "talk." The potential is gone before the figures are even shipped out.

 

[Belaam]

I am a geeky father or two girls and it is virtually impossible to find good female geek stuff from them. Particularly in kid sizes. Believe me, there is demand and I have put tons of effort into finding stuff. At one point, I even had a comic book artist more or less suggest that I make illegal copies of his work onto a T-shirt as no one would make any.

My daughters love Disney Infinity; they have all the female characters and maybe1/4 of the male. For the Disney stuff, that means they have nine femalefigures. For Marvel, they have two. Which is particularly odd as in game, they have models for Wasp and Carol Danvers, but didn't actually make the figures. Additionally, when I go to local stores, they are always sold out of female characters.

Granted, I don't have their sales numbers, but I doubt I'm the only geeky dad in their 30s with daughters and disposable income.

 

[Fireprufe15]

I think it is the same argument games companies use for male player characters. They assume a main demo of males and then they assume a male will only want to play as a male. Which simply isn't true. I for one will always pick the female option if that's available to me. (though then if romance is possible I just don't do it cuz that gets way to weird for me )

 

[rbstewart7263]

Its probably more to do with the parents. You might as a kid love playing portal 2 but its your parents in there sometimes limited scope that got you the lego movie videogame instead. In that same way many parents look at there boy and buy them exclusively boy stuff.

 

[gardian06]

If female character figures sell less than male character figures, then surely this would be expected? The market responds to demand. If people aren't buying female figures at the rate of male figures, then of course there will be a shorter supply of female figures. What is Hasbro supposed to do about it? If Hasbro could create demand out of thin air, they'd be the most successful company in the world.

this logic does not make sense... it has been seen, and sited numerous times that female dolls/figures sell-out equally if not more often them male dolls/figures, so this is a direct indicator of demand. but then we arrive at these dolls/figures being released in lower quantities, so this indicates very low supply. even from a Business 101 standpoint when ever demand for the product is higher then your supply of the product you are losing money because you are not keeping up with demand (in most cases it is said that you competitors will get business instead, or your prices are too low, but here) this means that if they would simply make more of the products, or in the case of the article "just make the products to begin with" then they would be able to justify creating more of the product because they would see that the products sell.

you know what Barbie sells well every year Barbie has good sales numbers (no mater how many times they just put here in a different dress), so this shows that there is a demand for Barbie (I am saying that Barbie is a quality role-model, or even a quality character, or product), but they also have Ken, and the Ken dolls also sell well. sometimes when shopping for a niece who is really into Barbie I think that I could just get her a Ken doll, and its like "related to barbie" but usually there is a very low quantity of Ken dolls on store shelves (when I have looked I am lucky to find 1, or 2 on shelves, and he is always wearing the same "I am either a D-bag, or doormat" scarf, and Cardigan), but if stores do not have them in stock then that means that they must sell well, and if they sell well, or are sold out often then they should make more to offset demand, but they don't because they don't percieve Ken as being as popular, and therefore do not create them.


the sentiment that a company cannot create demand out of thin air is a feasible, and realistic statement if they created a space where they could test to see if there was a demand in the first place instead of just turning to one another in a board room, and say "this show is designed for boys cause it has explosions, so should we create toys for the girls".... "no, girls would want any toys for this, so we don't have to create toys based on these good quality female characters"

 

[ZiggyE]

it has been seen, and sited numerous times that female dolls/figures sell-out equally if not more often them male dolls/figures

I've seen no such source for Hasbro's Star Wars line.

 

[Grumman]

Yeah, this really annoys me. I haven't gone looking for Star Wars: Rebels toys of any description, but back when Wreck-it Ralph came out I really wanted to buy a Sergeant Calhoun action figure. There wasn't one. There was a $100 limited edition doll that looked nothing like the character, and there was a non-articulated statue in one of the multi-packs, but no action figures.

 

[P-89 Scorpion]

Most media/entertainment companies like to target specific audiences and when that requires selling action figures that means targeting under 12 year old boys.

Young Justice was made for under 12 year old boys but it skewed in audience to girls and older audiences which resulted in it losing money as the figures did not sell.

The problem is that just because some parents may by a Star Wars action figure for there daughters most don't just like parents don't buy girl figures for boys.

When I was very young nearly all my toys were birthday/Christmas gifts and were a surprise. If I asked for a specific transformer I got a transformer and I'm sure that's true for most children today.

So toy companies do focus on specific audiences for each product line because they have to.

 

[Maze1125]

Only in America would institutionalised sexism get repeatedly "justified" by referencing capitalism and "freedom"...

 

[ZiggyE]

Only in America would institutionalised sexism get repeatedly "justified" by referencing capitalism and "freedom"...

Only on the internet would something as trivial as Star Wars action figure distribution get repeatedly "criticised" by referencing institutionalised sexism.

 

[keniakittykat]

Only on the internet would something as trivial as Star Wars action figure distribution get repeatedly "criticised" by referencing institutionalised sexism.

It's not about a shortage of star wars figures, not really. It's about toy companies not wanting to sell, or sell to girls. Unless it's their target demographic. And with the 'Young justice' controversy still being talked about, which was also a debate about not wanting to market merchandise to girls, it's not odd to see people getting worried when it keeps happening.

 

[ZiggyE]

It's not about a shortage of star wars figures, not really. It's about toy companies not wanting to sell, or sell to girls.

Hasbro does sell to girls. In fact it has many female orientated properties. The issue is girls don't want to buy star wars. That isn't sexism.