Mr Potato Head Is Now Gender Neutral And Everyone’s Got Jokes: ‘From Stud to Spud’
*UPDATE:* After announcing Potato Head’s new gender-neutral moniker earlier on Thursday, Hasbro issued a pun-filled statement on Twitter, clarifying that it’s renaming the toy line and not the individual toys themselves. “Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere!” the tweet read. “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.”
Hasbro’s decision to drop the “Mr.” from Mr. Potato Head in an effort to make the toy gender-neutral has inspired a lot of food for thought.
The company made the announcement on Thursday in a press release that read, “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 updated name will appear on packaging this fall, along with a new play set called “Create Your Potato Head Family,” which Hasbro said is “a celebration of the many faces of families allowing kids to imagine and create their own Potato Head family.”
Unsurprisingly, Twitter users had a lot to say about the name change, with some conservatives appearing outraged by the decision. Piers Morgan tweeted, “Who was actually offended by Mr. Potato Head being male? I want names. These woke imbeciles are destroying the world.”
*Also Read:* 'Star Wars' Actress Daisy Ridley Claps Back at Ted Cruz for Insult to Franchise's Heroines
Historian Kevin Kruse took the opportunity to diss Ted Cruz by tweeting, “I’ve just logged on to see ‘genderless Potato Head’ trending and I’m just going to assume that’s an amazing burn of Ted Cruz.”
“Over/under on how many Potato Head mentions at CPAC?” actor and director Jon Favreau joked. “Who will be the first to ask why Joe Biden has cancelled our children’s toys?”
Meanwhile, GLAAD issued a statement on the name change from chief communications officer Rich Ferraro, who said, “Hasbro’s decision to introduce Potato Head as a gender-neutral toy is the latest move in a larger movement towards greater diversity and inclusion in toys and media aimed at kids. By offering a toy that exists outside of the binary of male and female, 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.”
See more reactions and jokes to the Potato Head news below.
remove the "mr" and potato head is just an insult
— Katy Stoll (@katystoll) February 25, 2021
If you’re upset about mr potato head, you’re not a serious person
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) February 25, 2021
First they came for Mister Potato Head…and I said nothing…because it didn’t seem like something to get that upset about.
— Jon Stewart (@jonstewart) February 25, 2021
*furiously drawing a penis on every potato head I can get my hands on*
— Andy Downing (@andydowning33) February 25, 2021
Conservatives are more upset by a genderless Potato Head toy, than they are about an attempted coup of the US government.
— Jake Lobin (@JakeLobin) February 25, 2021
Ha,ha..from Stud to gender neutral Spud… https://t.co/X3pHWQjon2
— michael cheshire (@freshcat1) February 25, 2021
Imagine being so fragile that you feel threatened by an inanimate potato's gender.
— Benjamin Butterworth (@benjaminbutter) February 25, 2021
Conservatives seeing the Mr. Potato Head story pic.twitter.com/f6WeDuiLal
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 25, 2021
Mr. Potato Head has now been renamed to be gender inclusive.
He’s now just going to be called Potato Head.
When will the activists demand Joe Biden stops use of the “Come On, Man” catchphrase?
For inclusivity’s sake, it should be “Come On, Person!”
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 25, 2021
i purposely bought my potato-shaped son a MR POTATO HEAD TOY so he would have a masculine potato-shaped figure in his life. what am i supposed to do now, HMMM???
— katherine krueger (@kath_krueger) February 25, 2021
This is an outrage. Mr. Potato Head taught me how to be a man (by having a large hollow body cavity that can store my extra eyes and ears and hats). https://t.co/FDgVt0toa4
— Robert Evans (The Only Robert Evans) (@IwriteOK) February 25, 2021
Potato Head gender reveal party. pic.twitter.com/1n6QiZ38s6
— Cody Johnston (@drmistercody) February 25, 2021
*Related stories from TheWrap:*
Hasbro is Making Baby Yoda Plush Dolls – Including One That Talks
Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner Talks First Steps in Global Plan Following EOne Acquisition
Hasbro's 'Ms. Monopoly' Gives Women an Advantage Over Men, Sparks Twitter Debate