On Feb. 25, Hasbro, the toy company that manufactures iconic toys since 1923 announced that in order to reflect modern families today, they would be rebranding their iconic “Mr. Potato Head” to “Potato Head”. Hasbro would also be releasing a toy line in the Fall to reflect this change called the “Create Your Potato Head Family”. A toy from a movie has now become a debate on “cancel” culture” and has been politicized.
COURTESY // HASBRO
However, this change hasn’t come without controversy. According to radio host, Glenn Beck, the “Mr. Potato Head” Rebrand as well as the decision to pull Dr. Seuss’ books for offensive imagery signifies “the end of freedom in America,” according to the Daily Beast.
It’s not surprising that the right is getting upset about their freedoms being infringed upon or because of millennials and their “cancel culture”. However, it is also not the end of an era, there will still be Mr. and Mrs. Potato head toys and Dr. Seuss books for those who don’t necessarily share the same values as others.
It’s great that Hasbro has decided to create a toy for children so that kids can recreate the different families that there are. Hasbro states that it’s “a celebration of the many faces of families allowing kids to imagine and create their own Potato Head family.” They’re expanding their audience to families who fall under the LGBTQ+ umbrella in order to reflect families around the world.
Hasbro isn’t the first one to do this. Mattel was the first when they introduce their “Creatable World” dolls in order for kids to be able to express themselves rather than trying to fit into the gender binary.
In an article for AP News, Editor in Chief at toy review site The Toy Insider, Ali Mierzejewski says that “It’s a potato. But kids like to see themselves in the toys they are playing with.” What’s so wrong about a children’s toy rebranding to something that’s gender-neutral so kids can express themselves and reflect their families. In the end, it’s a children’s toy that’s marketed and used by children, not intended to be played with by adults.
In the same AP article, GLAAD’s Chief Communications Officer, Richard Ferraro stated that “Hasbro is helping kids to simply see toys as toys, which encourages them to be their authentic selves outside of the pressures of traditional gender norms.” And isn’t this what it’s about? A toy is something that kids use to entertain themselves and bring their imagination to life.
Kids should be able to play with toys that they can shape and mold to who they may become or to reflect who they are now, with no limits on their creativity. The “Barbie'' brand has shown massive growth for exactly this. For the longest time, Barbie was a blonde-haired blue-eyed woman who was generically slender. Her personality was based around shopping but the brand changed direction for the betterment of their consumers. Now she has had over 200 careers from a vet to a chef to an astronaut, all putting women in the spotlight. They have continually grown to reflect a larger demographic like different hair types, skin tones, and sizes. Mattel has even ventured to create Barbie dolls that reflect famous female figures, their Inspiring Women Series, and have created dolls such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Maya Angelou, women who can continue to inspire young girls everywhere.
If people are truly upset over this change, the true power that they hold is with their purchasing power. It’s as simple as buying a toy that reflects a person’s values and beliefs. Overall, it’s just a plastic toy that holds as much value as we give it and in this case, it’s societal values that it’s reflecting. It’s great that kids can have toys that they can shape to the images that resonate with them rather than a toy that’s marketed to just a boy and girl.
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March 10, 2021 at 08:04AM
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Mr. Potato head receives a gender-neutral rebrand — Sonoma State Star - The university's student-run newspaper - Sonoma State Star
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