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. 

News
What we can learn from Mary of Bethany
What we can learn from Mary of Bethany

Dear reader, what would it look like for you to be a Mary of Bethany in this day and age?

Why the world needs more women like Dullari
Why the world needs more women like Dullari

In the UK, gender equality conversations often focus on pay gaps or female representation in leadership, but in Nepal the struggle is far more basic. It is whether a girl can go to school, whether a woman can seek medical care without permission from her husband, and whether she can live in her own home without fear.

Fresh drive to reach 100,000 girls with anti-trafficking programme
Fresh drive to reach 100,000 girls with anti-trafficking programme

An international charity has committed to reaching 100,000 girls worldwide who are at risk of human trafficking. 

The story of the Bible’s female leaders
The story of the Bible’s female leaders

8 March is International Women’s Day. In the Bible we can read about the roles that many women played in leadership and ministry. This is the story …