Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has reached a new level of notoriety — she’s now a member of the Lego Legal Justice League. (Yes, really.)
Ginsburg, along with current Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan and first female Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, are the four members of the newest Legos set created by Maia Weinstock. The MIT News Deputy Editor told msnbc.com via e-mail that she was inspired to create the robe-clad set of women in honor of International Women’s Day and to show kids that “if they can see if, they can be it.”
“I think it’s important for kids — boys and girls — to have options in the toy aisle that celebrate trailblazing women in history, and that also provide a director opportunity for role playing through the toys themselves.”
Unfortunately, there’s an objection; this power quartet won’t be on toy shelves any time soon. Weinstock submitted the project to Lego Ideas last week, but it was rejected due to a rule that prohibits the depiction of “politics and political symbols.” Weinstock disagrees citing the non-partisan, non-political nature of the Supreme Court but concedes that “it’s not practical” to do more at this time because “some of the parts [for the set] are quite rare.”
But there may be hope, yet! “There are some rumblings about possibly petitioning LEGO to change their mind, but we’ll see,” Weinstock said. “For now, I’m proud to know that so many are enjoying the photos, the minifigs, and the set.”
Related: Bye, bye pink aisle: Lego branches out
The Supreme Court set would be a welcome departure from some previous Lego missteps made in an attempt to broaden their gender appeal. In early 2012 the company came under scrutiny for sets that showed characters clad in skirts, pastels, and accessorized with matching handbags. The Lego ladies came complete with backstories — including a blogger, animal-lover, beautician, singer, and “smart one” — but noticeably absent were girls with interests in medicine or law.
Weinstock’s set definitely doesn’t have that problem. “With an action figure or LEGO minifigure you could actually be a Supreme Court Justice by having her interact with other minifigures. And of course, O’Connor, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, and Kagan are pioneers who deserve to be celebrated.” That’s a ruling we can agree with.
Ali Vitali is MS NOW's senior congressional correspondent and the host of "Way Too Early." She is the author of "Electable: Why America Hasn’t Put a Woman in the White House … Yet."