TheMainBricker

You don't perceive a set based on the gay pride flag or a set called Queer Eye as gay?!? Intersectionality. I have no idea what that means. Licensed sets, I don't know how much of the representation is driven by the licence holders, but I have no problem with that. More so the opposite, in that I get fed up that sets always contain the same figures and not feature more characters. My point about inclusivity is this, for nearly everything else Lego have done it in a naturistic way (including people in City citizens sets, more characters in licensed sets), but when it comes to gay inclusivity they are separate sets, single issue sets, separate is not equal. You do wonder whether the general indifference that's been shown by the Lego community to the Queer Eye set (that will likely be reflected sales wise) will mean that Lego will put on hold similar projects. I believe Everyone is Awesome has been popular, probably because that's recognisable worldwide and 1/3 of the price, so they may pivot towards those sort of projects, rather than $100 sets based off shows that don't translate to non-English speaking countries.

Mr Ashton on his social media makes it very clear he is a fan of this reality TV show, Lego needed convincing that it was worthwhile to do a set based off of something so niche and something that doesn't spell sales. The interview talks about diversity and he basically centres it around these two sets. It seems a very narrow definition. Commercially it's no different to other companies (like Disney) who do a whole lot of rainbow products, but don't do anything for other groups etc. The Lego City citizens sets do have more diversity in them, but as far as I'm aware only Everyone is Awesome and Queer Eye are two sets explicitly about a protected characteristic, I'm not aware of a disabled minifigure set for example. The increase of colour diversity in licensed sets (because only licensed themes have natural skin tones) is more down to the diversity of the casting inside those films/shows. Sexual orientation isn't a visible trait, so technically Lego City sets have always featured gay people, it's down to the user's imagination. I've seen a lot of people moaning that there hasn't been a The Office set, well you probably would've had it by now if Mr Ashton was a fan of the show. Perhaps Lego should start listening to a more diverse group of voices?

Interesting interview with Matthew Ashton about the Queer Eye set https://jaysbrickblog.com/news/more-lego-sets-championing-diversity-inclusion-and-coming-an-interview-with-matthew-ashton/ Essentially it confirms most of what has already been suggested, that Lego (probably Matthew Ashton) contacted the Queer Eye people about doing the set, and Lego themselves had to be convinced to do the set as (as is understandable) not many people had heard of the show. Essentially it was Matthew Ashton's pet project and he basically pushed it through. It also states that there will be more diverse sets, which we can assume are more gay themed sets (as that is Ashton's definition of diversity), particularly having an LGBTQI and Diversity & Inclusion group at Lego. It seems unlikely that we would see other diversity such as racial, cultural, disability etc in sets, which is disappointing.

Probably GWP with the UCS AT-AT. Look at the GWP for the Nou Camp set, that came in a proper box.

Jabba's Palace had a natural lifespan (although some in the media spun it that it was discontinued due to controversy). I don't think Lego refused to sell it in any Islamic countries, it had worldwide availability whereas with the gay sets they're not sold in some Eastern European and Middle-Eastern countries and possibly China.

More like "Boba Fett's Building".

I couldn't agree more. I'm disappointed at the amount of articles written on this set by straight men who claim that this is good for representation and this now broadens Lego to gay people, because apparently this is all what gay men are interested in. Judging by a lot of the responses (particularly with that price tag) it won't sell well. This thread hasn't exactly had a lot of traffic, and most non-English websites didn't have a clue about the series. Everyone is Awesome is about a 1/3 of the price of this set, the Pride flag is known about over the world so people are more willing to buy that. Be interesting if Lego make the same mess that they did with the previous set and not sell it in certain countries, by removing it from the website, reinstating it, removing it again etc.

Seems like a sensible and marketable series to do. A massive fan base and suitable for all ages. Plus Disney own them, so the commercial agreement is easy.

The Lego Idea Pop-Up Book set has already done scenes appearing from something else. So this set doesn't seem anything different.

I hardly think that a big yellow cube that pops out some scenes could hardly be could innovative, and the Mario sets which are just different versions of Mouse Trap aren't innovative either. Personally the fact that the all the instructions are only on an app is unforgivable. I do wonder outside of the starter sets, how well the Mario series is actually performing.. I'm seeing a lot of parents say how the sets just gather dust with children, and it does seem to be a theme with constant reductions on it. A lot of those expansion sets would be better sets if they had minifigures.

Terrible set, but then again all of the Mario stuff has been too gimmicky. A truly wasted licence.

This new set looks dreadful. Lego keep producing sets no one asked for. Looks a lot like 40290, but with a large price tag!

The wedding Brickheadz were separated out by Mr Ashton because he wanted gay couples, he also put rainbow tiles in the Trafalgar Square set in a node to Gay Pride. This has all been explained in an interview he did, this isn't me inferring stuff. I don't think the Lego group did anything for Gay Pride until Mr Ashton came along, and I think now it is expected of all employees (at least in the London head office, not retail) to take part in Pride etc. But the two sets Everyone is Awesome and Queer Eye are the out-right gay sets.

Matthew Aston who designs all of the gay themed Lego sets, said expect it to be unveiled in a couple weeks.

I'm not a fan of Harry Potter, but I'll probably get this set as it is a nice Lego representation of an owl. Whoever is currently on the design team of Harry Potter is currently doing an amazing job, lots of nice HP sets recently. I'm a fan of those big minifigures too. Arguably HP seems to be the best theme at the moment, lots of nice designs. SW is going through a bit of a ropey period currently.

After researching what exactly a "French tuck" is, it would appear that that style was only given a name on the show, because that form of styling has been around for a long time, don't make the mistake that people who wear clothing that way are doing so because of a reality TV programme. Judging by photos from the series the men don't dress well themselves, and the fashion "expert" seems to make a lot of fashion faux pas himself! Your wife is married to a Lego fan, so that's why she would be inclined to the set. But viewers of reality TV are not the people interested in buying toys of the TV shows. There doesn't appear to be any other merchandise based on the series (Funko pops would be a good indicator) so I don't know who at Lego did the market research on this. No other toy company sees this as a good license. The only reality show I could think of where merchandise would do well is the Kardashians. But Netflix shows like Queer Eye, Selling Sunset, Tidying Up don't make good ideas for a Lego set.

With a leak like this it does look like a reality, I have no idea who the target market is for this, it's very niche. Not sure there's many viewers of a makeover show featuring some badly dressed men that are after a Lego set based on it. Probably going to be a bigger flop than Vidiyo. You really have to wonder who at Lego is coming up with these ideas, their market research appears clueless.

Vidiyo is dead. The partnership with Universal Music isn't, so that means different sets/themes/ideas with Universal.

The final thing I will say on this is, which is what infuriates me is that Lego have said it was not their decision it was Disney, yet people still want to blame Lego because it doesn't fit with their theories. It is the licence holder (Disney), for whatever reason, behind the decision. So there is no reason to be blame Lego.

I don't get this, we are told by SW Lego design director at Lego that this is the case, and you want to refute it and go on about conjecture! With a preference to believe a theory someone has posted on these forums because it fits with what you'd like to believe rather than the reality. So now I am left with a question over whether we will get any new Jedi Masters and any sets based on TPM Anakin when he was a slave. Disney have already banned slave Leia, and even Carrie Fisher wasn't a fan of that decision.

Evidence: https://www.brickfanatics.com/disney-asked-designers-to-rename-the-new-lego-star-wars-slave-i/

Disney requested Lego not to use the word "slave". It seems that no one here remembers the fact that Anakin was a slave in TPM, and slavery was discussed in that film. I guess sets of Anakin and Watto will now be taboo too. Boba Fett was a bad guy, so would have a ship with a name like that. But it seems that Disney are making him one of the good guys now and are removing references to him being bad. Expect to see the Space Station set instead of the Death Star. It is very much on topic because it now appears that a lot of Star Wars is now becoming off-limits for being made into Lego sets by Disney.

Probably since BLM Disney have been loathed to have the word "Slave" in anything. Disney+ has a whole load of warnings on a lot of its films. So I imagine it's due to stuff like this, which doesn't actually address any of the problems that the movement is actually about.

Seems a niche idea, probably a fake rumour. Someone's taken the idea of Friends apartments and mixed it with the gay pride set to come up with this rumour. The SW CMF rumour was fake too. Find it rather strange you mention "cis", surely all the Queer Eye men are "cis" too? Don't know much about the show, I doubt a reality show has anything distinctive like an apartment and much of an audience.

And then the question is why isn't there a BLM set? Last year Lego removed advertising for police sets to avoid any controversy with the BLM movement, Lego are typically risk-averse when it comes to controversy, so much so that we've seen bizarre decisions like the Criminal Hideout cancellation. This set is a controversy generator, and there already appears to be substantial backlash for it on social media. It could've been avoided, and this subject matter is a minefield, with me basically being called a bigot for a typo or by saying that this is a political set, even though my own sexual orientation isn't disclosed here. I just find this talk of inclusion strange, because I didn't know that Lego wasn't inclusive? I didn't know that my sexual orientation had anything to do with being AFOL. Will Lego now have to make sets with identifiably LGBT minifigures? Will there being a Gay Pride set every year? Will they make charitable donations, and if so disclose what charities it's going to? It's Pandora's box. I personally find it disappointing that we can't come together as Lego fans, but rather have to be known as gay Lego fans, gay Afro-Caribbean Lego fans etc. It sounds like you've never been in an official Lego store! I would probably receive less question from the KGB than I do at a Lego store! "Who are you buying this set for?" "What have you been doing today?" "What are you going to do now?" etc. All questions asked by staff at the Leicester Square store. I'm just like "can I just buy the set and get out of here?".