Update: Did Hasbro Reverse Course on Mr. Potato Head Name Change?
Update: Hasbro has apparently backtracked on their decision to remove the 'Mr.' from their Mr. Potato Head toys.
In a tweet sent at 2:37 p.m. on Thursday, hours after announcing the initial change, Hasbro tweeted out the following message:
Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I yam proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD
Taking the tweet at face value, it appears that the toy company has had a change of heart about dropping "Mr." from the toy.
Tots and prayers to everyone at Hasbro involved in this debacle.
Original story: It's a sign of the times.
Mr. Potato Head, a toy that has been around for about 70 years, is transitioning to become gender neutral. What exactly does that mean? According to the Associated Press, that means Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister.
Hasbro, the company that makes the toy which is shaped like a potato, has said it needed a modern makeover. The toy will now be known as Potato Head.
According to the Associated Press, the change will appear on boxes this year and Hasbro is just the latest toymaker to change with the times.
Toy makers have been updating their classic brands to appeal to kids today. Barbie has shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes. Thomas the Tank Engine added more girl characters. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.
No word yet on how Mrs. Potato Head feels about the move from Hasbro. Also, no word on if there will be a Mrs. Potato Head in the future. A quick search on Amazon shows you can still by Mr. and Mrs. Potato Heads though, so for now the happy couple still exists. What it probably does mean is one potato head, many different accessories that will be stuck in different spots.
Potato Head won't be the only gender-neutral toy on the market. In 2019, Mattel launched a gender neutral doll. In August of 2020, Good Housekeeping released a list of gender neutral toys for kids, although many of those choices had to do with the lack of blue and pink coloring.
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