Gendered McDonald's toys

[Ms. Toad]

7. Fought that battle 20 years ago.

That is how long (or, I'm sure, longer) they have phrased the question that way.

My daughter always cringed during the dual-toy promotions, since she knew what was coming the minute they asked the question:

Is it for a girl or a boy?
Please tell me what the toys are
Is it for a girl or a boy?
You don't need to know the gender of my child in order for my child to have a meal with a toy in it. What are the toys?

Sometimes it took several iterations before they would describe the toys, rather than asking for the gender of my child.

Then we would drive around to the window, and they would smugly point out that my girl daughter had requested the girl toy.

I went round and round with corporate (at the national level) - who insisted that their workers are trained to describe the toy rather than ask the gender of the child. But I got a look at the keys when I actually went inside one time, and the keys are labeled "boy" and "girl."