This blog probably won’t have much substance, like, at all, but some memories from my childhood have been on my mind for a while now and I wanted to talk about them. I’m sure everyone my age had at least one happy meal as a kid. The red box with yellow handles was like a treasure chest to hungry kids. The boxes used to look a lot less terrifying back then before McDonald’s turned the boxes into mascots; they were actually pretty cute. When you’d open the box and the warmth of the fresh food would hit your face, there would also always be a special gem, though – the toy.
When I was a kid, and a kid in Mississippi no less, McDonald’s always asked when you ordered your happy meal in the drive-through if you wanted a “boy’s toy” or a “girl’s toy,” and if you ordered in the restaurant, they’d simply give you the toy that was designated to the gender you appeared as. As a really young child, I had no issues with this. I remember wanting to collect all of the brushable hair My Little Ponies, and they’re probably still stashed away somewhere in my grandmother’s house. However, as I grew older, I always thought the “boys’ toys” were much cooler, and as a kid who was really into “boy” shows, being a girl at McDonald’s kinda sucked. I can remember tons of days of disappointment when I’d see a Pokémon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Transformers toy, all franchises I was really into, but get a La La Loopsie or Justice toy because I was a girl.
I remember I would ask to get happy meals in the drive-through specifically so they’d start asking which one I wanted, and I would tell my parents or grandparents that I wanted a “boy’s” toy.” If I was with my parents, they’d comply, but I would always slump down in my car seat out of embarrassment so the workers couldn’t see me. Some of my grandparents would always tell the workers the meal was for a girl no matter what I said, and while I’ll probably never know why they did that, I could bet it was based on a fear of me being “weird” or not fitting gender norms when I was older. Who knows? I just know I hated it.
I haven’t ordered a happy meal in a long time, but I remember the last time I did they simply asked what franchise I wanted a toy from. I hope that’s how they do it now, and if it is, I’m glad kids will be able to get the toy they want, regardless of gender.
