Mr. Potato Head gets a new name for generations

Mr. Potato Head, the root vegetable toy that has fascinated children since the 1950s, is gaining a modern look: Hasbro will henceforth rename the name and logo for the sake of gender neutrality.

In the autumn, Mr. Potato Head as the name Potato Head described as ‘to better reflect the full line’, the company said in a press release on Thursday. ‘But rest assured, the iconic Mr. And Mrs. Potato head characters are not going anywhere and will Mr. And Mrs. Potato head remains. ‘ Hasbro is also launching a “Create your Potato Head Family” toy as a celebration of the faces of families, including two large potatoes, one braai and 42 accessories. In an accompanying video, Hasbro calls it “a modern look for modern families”.

After initial reactions, Hasbro clarified their plans for the Potato Head brand. The tweet included a photo of the redesigned packaging.

While Hasbro did not return Yahoo Life’s request for further comment, Kimberly Boyd, senior vice president and general manager of global brands, said Fast company, “Culture has developed. Children want to be able to imagine their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists – with the ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs. – is restrictive in terms of gender identity and family structure. ”

She added: “The sweet spot for the toy is two to three years old. Children like to put on the toy and then play out scenarios from their lives. It often takes the form of creating small potato families, because they learn what it means to be in a family. ‘

The story continues

According to PBS, the idea came to Mr. Potato head of an inventor named George Lerner, who believed that children like to poke real potatoes with his plastic accessories (hands, feet, eyes), although he was worried in 1949 that such a game would be link food- insecure families on the heels of World War II. Lerner then sold his idea to a company that later renamed Hasbro, which manufactured the plastic bowl. Mrs. Potato Head came together in 1953 and the couple had ‘children’.

Today, the Mr. Potato Head line in the parable of Star Warssee Luke Skywalker (Luke Fry-Walker), Ystermansee Tony Stark, Spider mansays Peter Parker and even a hasselback style.

The announcement for Twitter news.

“Hasbro’s decision to introduce Potato Head as a gender-neutral toy is the latest step in a larger movement towards greater diversity and inclusion in toys and media aimed at children,” said Rich Ferraro, chief executive of GLAAD. said in a press release to Yahoo Life. “By presenting a toy that exists outside of the binary of man and woman, Hasbro helps children see toys simply as toys, encouraging them to be their authentic selves beyond the pressure of traditional gender norms.”

The toy renewal follows inclusive moves from Mattel, whose American Girl series has expanded to dolls of different abilities and genders, and Barbie, whose animated Facebook vlog tackles gender stereotypes.

“We see from research that today there is more acceptance – especially under Gen Z – of the spectrum of gender identities,” said Christia Brown, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Kentucky and author of Parenting outside of pink and blue: how to raise children without stereotypes of genders, tells Yahoo Life. “We did not see it 7 or 8 years ago.”

In turn, she says, parents are looking for books and toys that their children suggest, which indicate the demand to companies. Various toys are important because between the ages of 3 and 6, children understand the world in black-and-white terms. ‘Children of this young age are not cognitively advanced in understanding gender variation, so they are guided by striking characteristics such as gender code or [pink and blue] “says Brown.” They also necessitate gender-based stereotypes – for example, if one girl does not like to play Legos, all girls do not like them “in the midst of a cultural fixation on boy-girl (think gender reveals parties or” Children in this age group pay attention to “the rules’ and this is when we see an increase in stereotypical behavior, “she notes, adding that children around 6 and 7 become more flexible in their perspective.

Therefore, the evolution of mr. Potato head exciting. “It’s important when toy companies make such changes, because toys and play are educational,” says Brown. “Representation is a power lesson in the hands of say a 4-year-old. Toy businesses have been biased for so long and they can really shift the landscape of childhood.”

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