Lego’s sexist construction worker stickers come under fire

Lego hasn't had a good run with the media as of late.

Last year, the toy giant was bashed for creating a Lego line exclusively geared towards girls that came in all manner of pastel pink and purples hues, along with hearts, puppies and beauty salons. Critics cried "gender stereotyping" while others quietly snatched up the toys with reckless abandon, causing company profits to soar 25 per cent in 2012.

Then, earlier this month, Lego made news for planning to pull a line called "Jabba's Palace" after accusations of racism, despite claiming that was not the reason for pulling the toys.

And now, American journalist Josh Stearns posted an image of an offensive set of construction worker Lego stickers on his blog and Twitter account.

One of the construction worker male figures says "Hey babe!," as if he was heckling a random woman on the street.

After Stearns posted the image, it garnered a swift online reaction.

"The old stereotype of the construction worker lounging around and whistling at women obscures the fact that sexual harassment is a problem in all fields," writes Amanda Hess for Slate.

"When we pin harassment on blue-collar workers, harassers who work in the comfort of their air-conditioned law offices (been harassed there) and government-contractor office parks (there, too) float by on the privilege of a suit and a high rung on the corporate ladder," she continues.

It turns out, the company offered an apology letter penned by the toy company’s senior communications director in Denmark.

The letter predictably doesn't delve into specifics, but does state that the stickers were discontinued in the summer of 2010, and also suggests Stearns needs a better sense of humour.

"To communicate the Lego experience to children we typically use humor and we are sorry that you were unhappy with the way a minifigure was portrayed here," the letter reads.

But really? Humour? Lego, we must ask -- do those stickers really inspire a knee-slapping giggle fit in your creative boardrooms?

You can do better.