This Clown Blasts Gender Stereotypes After Mom Won't Let Son Get Butterfly Face Paint

Different kids want to play with different things. Some kids are into dinosaurs, some are really into cars, some are really into sports figures and baseball cards, some are into ponies, some are into cowboys and some are into princesses and medieval fantasy stuff. What's messed up is when parents try to force certain kids to play with certain things because of their gender.

From a young age, boys are often expected to play with guns and trucks, while girls are expected to play with dolls and play ovens. And while these stereotypes are less common than they used to be, they're still enforced every day. Twitter user S. S. Markarian, a children's entertainer from Los Angeles, took to social media on Saturday after a boy's parents refused to let him get butterfly face paint, with an important message on masculinity...

And it's not just boys, he also recalled several occasions where little girls who asked for more of the "boyish" face-painting requests weren't shamed as badly for wanting a butterfly as the young boy was, but they were called "kooky" for not going with something that's more "girly."

Twitter users seemed to agree, with many saying that they experienced the same thing as children, and explaining how it impacted their lives. Imagine how much different society might be if all of the boys who were taught that they had to be a mean bully that they couldn't possibly be masculine?

Markarian explained further and started touching on some very real conversation points...

The issue seems to be widespread. 

One parent explained how she's battling other parents trying to enforce stereotypes on her children. 

What do you think of this issue?