Mr. Potato Head to get a sex change for “gender equality”, says Hasbro (yes, really)

Hasbro has announced that the “Mr.” in the Mr. Potato Head brand name will be dropped, so that children can make same-sex potato head families that are more “gender inclusive.”

The toy giant, which has been making the Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head toys for almost 70 years, declared on Thursday that the Mr. Potato Head brand name will simply be re-named “Potato Head.”

“Hasbro is making sure all feel welcome in the Potato Head world by officially dropping the Mr. from the Mr. Potato Head brand name and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion,” the company said in a statement.

“Hasbro is making sure all feel welcome in the Potato Head world by officially dropping the Mr from the Mr Potato Head brand name and logo to promote gender equality and inclusion.” https://t.co/5Kv7O51RSV

— The Independent (@Independent) February 26, 2021

Additionally, the company plans to release a new playset where children can create their own “potato families”, with a goal of allowing for same-sex potato parents, according to the Associated Press.

Mr. Potato Head is no longer a mister. Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the spud a gender neutral new name: Potato Head. The change will appear on boxes this year. https://t.co/yUAO4bVYG0

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 25, 2021

The change was celebrated by the Gay And Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), who said in a statement 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.”

Recently there has been a move towards more “LGBTQ+” representation in children’s toys and media, such as in 2018 when a Sesame Street writer announced that the characters of Ernie and Bert are a gay couple.