Every year, many Americans look forward to celebrating Halloween, and dressing up is usually part of it. Personally, I love Halloween, but I hate that it seems to amplify the way our culture “does gender,” as Judith Lorber might say. A recent television commercial for Party City illustrates how gender is socially constructed in the United States. It shows numerous children and adults (most of whom are depicted so as to be assumed to be male or female) in a variety of costumes. On a superficial level, advertising may appear progressive by showing girls dressed in traditionally masculine costumes; however, it continues to reinforce traditional gender roles and limits options for men and women by feminizing and sexualizing girls' costumes and not including traditionally feminine costumes for boys. The ad thus relates to Judith Lorber's "The Social Construction of Gender", in which she discusses the fact that, although our society seems to adopt a certain vagueness in gender norms for women, masculinity is still expected of men and, overall, we still enforce gender roles. .Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay To some extent, this Party City ad challenges gender roles by showing women and girls costumed as traditionally male characters. Characters such as Spiderman and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are originally male and are generally considered as such in our society; in advertising, boys and girls wear these costumes. These characters are associated with strength and courage, which are not traditionally feminine characteristics. It’s great to see women and especially little girls getting the chance to emulate admired characters and display these traits. Judith Lorber is absolutely right when she states that “gender roles are changing” and the lines between femininity and masculinity “seem to be blurring” in some ways (Lorber 55). It is becoming more and more socially acceptable for girls to demonstrate enthusiasm for superheroes and some other traditionally male interests. Lorber mentions seeing a little girl on the subway wearing dark-colored clothing and "a Yankee baseball cap" (54). Although sport remains a predominantly male pastime, girls are more encouraged to become involved or interested in it. We're definitely starting to see a lot more opportunities for girls to enter previously male-dominated spaces. However, just because it's more acceptable for girls to like things like superheroes or baseball doesn't mean there aren't still limits to their enjoyment. Some people seem to think that this little bit of progress is enough, that we have enough gender neutrality and flexibility. Nonetheless, gender role constraints are still firmly in place. For example, the baby Lorber mentions also wears “tiny earrings…little flowered sneakers and lace-trimmed socks” (54). Even when they choose to dress their baby in more masculine clothing than is usually seen on baby girls, her parents still feel the need to identify her as female using these markers. Adopting a certain level of masculinity is acceptable for women and girls, provided they maintain a certain femininity and it is still easy for everyone to determine.