Hasbro provokes backlash after making Mr Potato Head gender neutral

 (Photo: Hasbro)

Toymaker Hasbro sparked an online backlash this week after announcing that it would be dropping the "Mr" from its Mr Potato Head toy. 

Mr Potato Head is one of the most popular toys to be feature in the hit Toy Story movie franchise from Disney and Pixar. 

Notably, his character was known for insisting on the "Mr", with "That's Mr Potato Head to you" being one of the memorable lines from the movie. 

Hasbro announced on Thursday that the toy was being "reimagined for the modern consumer" and that "Mr" was being removed from packaging from autumn.

It said the new version would give children "endless" opportunities to create their own families.  

"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," it said in a statement. 

But the toymaker was mocked online after the announcement. 

TalkRADIO's Mark Dolan called Mr Potato Head the "latest victim of cancel culture" and of "woke political correctness gone mad".

"It is a shocking story, it is a disgrace," he said. 

"He's a potato! Please leave well alone. Welcome to the crazy world of 2021."

GMB presenter Piers Morgan tweeted that there were more important things to be getting on with in the middle of a global pandemic than making Mr Potato Head gender-neutral "in case we upset a few wokies". 

Hasbro has since clarified that Mr and Mrs Potato Head "aren't going anywhere" and will still be available to buy. 

Newsletter Stay up to date with Christian Today
News
After the elections, what next for Britain?
After the elections, what next for Britain?

If the two-party system is indeed dead, as both Zack Polanski and Nigel Farage claim, it’s because members of these two parties have failed, promoting ideologies that are alien to the British character, and serving their own interests, rather than those of the people.

Are we losing the ability to be still? ADHD, digital distraction and the spiritual battle for attention
Are we losing the ability to be still? ADHD, digital distraction and the spiritual battle for attention

What if modern life itself is making sustained attention, inner stillness and mental clarity increasingly difficult for almost everyone?

Christian Reform UK voters 'want their country back'
Christian Reform UK voters 'want their country back'

Nigel Farage has clashed with CoE leaders in the past.

Can the Middle East learn how to respect religious freedom from Kurdistan?
Can the Middle East learn how to respect religious freedom from Kurdistan?

Kurdistan "offers an example imperfect but meaningful of what coexistence can look like".