The Manly Whine Over Kid’s Lego Playground.


Promotional photo released by Lego showing a Legoland employee helping a child who’s accompanied by an adult (Lego).

A Legoland Discovery Center has opened in Melbourne, Australia, much to delight of children and adults. The playground area, marketed to the 3 to 10 year olds, is not accessible to adults unaccompanied by a child under the age of 16. Some supposedly adult men are appalled by this, yelling discrimination, and violation of human rights. It would be nice to think that acting this childishly is a strategy, but unfortunately, it seems to be a mindset which screams out “I am a spoiled rotten adult male, I have privilege! How dare you keep me out!?”

A handful of adult men are pissed that the Playground area is restricted to children. And one is even threatening to file a human rights complaint.

The Discovery Center opened on Tuesday and adults who aren’t accompanying children (16 or under) have been turned away from the Playground area, which is marketed to kids from 3-10 years of age. Adults without children are still allowed in the shopping area of the attraction.

The Melbourne Legoland location plans to have an “adult night” one night a month, but that’s apparently not enough for some grown-ass men who think they’re being discriminated against. As The Guardian points out, the age restrictions are in place at 17 other Lego Discovery Centers around the world.

“Absolutely appalled by the fact I was unable to enter without somebody under the age of 16,” one man wrote on Facebook. “Lego is not just for children and I’m sure the majority of people would agree with me. I understand it’s a play center but I have no intention on climbing around, simply just to look and admire. Incredibly disappointed, sort yourself out Legoland!!!”

One man even said on Facebook that he was filing a complaint with the local state Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission on the basis that the age restriction discriminates against people without kids. It’s unclear if a formal complaint has yet been filed.

Okay, look, I’m a childfree person, but this complaint is utterly idiotic. It’s one small part of the center, which is distinctly for small children. It’s not discrimination against childfree people to keep lone adults out of a playground for small children. I expect it’s a matter of safety concerns, and Lego wanting a place where parents can relax and not worry about their sproglets. You won’t die if you can’t stomp all over a playground for the little ones. Go on one of the adult nights, you can play to heart’s content. Go to every adult night.

“It’s a bit of a bad joke on your shop having age limits,” another man wrote before the Legoland opening. “When you look on a box of Lego it says ages from 4 too 99 or dose [sic] the shop have different rules. What a joke as I’ve loved Lego for 40 something years and my some [sic] loves doing his moc stuff. Think about it as I believe you need to rethink your rules..”

[…]

“Absolutely disgusted to hear that you will discriminate on grounds of age,” another man wrote a couple of weeks ago, as the controversy began before Legoland even opened its doors. “Lego is something that is enjoyed across all the ages – I personally have thousands of dollars worth of the creator and architecture series and it’s clear that many adults without children will want to experience the attractions.”

Oh FFS, grow up already. Kids should have their own space at something like Legoland, and they do. You aren’t being shut out, you can wander all over the place, with one small exception, unless you have sprogs. Is it really that vital to you, to squeeze out small children, so you can squish yourself into a kid sized chair, and sit at a kid sized table?

Jesus Christ, way to be whiny annoyances having a tantrum, men. Perhaps if you manage to act like an adult, you could be allowed to accompany someone who does have children.

Gizmodo has the full story.

Comments

  1. Kengi says

    Many years back I dated a person who really enjoyed the kids events at zoos and museums, so we just borrowed kids from our friends. We had no trouble finding friends with kids willing to let us take them to the zoo for a day.

    If someone is such a miserable person that their friends don’t trust them with their kids, they really need to re-think their life choices. Or maybe they just don’t have any, you know, actual friends outside of Reddit.

  2. says

    The discovery centers are completely kid based, and why shouldn’t kids have their own bloody space? Just as I think kids don’t need to intrude on every adult experience, adults certainly don’t need to intrude on every kid experience. It’s unbelievably silly. I like a lot of kid stuff too, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken over not being allowed into a kid’s playground.

  3. johnson catman says

    . . . I personally have thousands of dollars worth of the creator and architecture series . . .

    Then go the fuck home and play with them. Dumbasses.

  4. says

    Ban men.
    You know, I wouldn’t even trust these guys to play nice. They would hog all the pieces and make the kids cry, being the same bullies they always were, only now they could be sure no one is bigger and meaner than they are.
    Those guys are the very reason kids need those spaces without tons of fuck annoying adults taking all the pieces and telling them what to do.
    And yes, quite apart from that I am totally not down with grown men wanting access to kids’ spaces.

  5. rq says

    Oh, dear, ban all the men! If they whine about this, then they would whine about kids using all the pieces or taking all the wrong colours or not sharing enough or what have you. I couldn’t believe this was a real article, at first.
    “O woe, looke upon the plight of ye Whyte Mann and despayre!”
    As we can see, the world is biased against men, their life is so hard. What are they going to do, never buy Lego again? Sheesh.

    And yes, quite apart from that I am totally not down with grown men wanting access to kids’ spaces.

    All my hackles went up for this very reason during the entire article. Just so much wrong with that.

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