Last week Hasbro announced it would be introducing a gender neutral, inclusive Potato Head toy by dropping the “Mr.” from its beloved Mr. Potato Head toy branding and packaging.
In a statement on their website, Hasbro confirmed the re-branding but reassured fans of the classic toy that Mr. and Mrs. won’t be going anywhere.
“Hasbro is officially renaming the MR. POTATO HEAD brand to POTATO HEAD to better reflect the full line,” read the statement. “But rest assured, the iconic MR. and MRS. POTATO HEAD characters aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. and MRS. POTATO HEAD.”
If you’re a little confused, we don’t blame you! So, while the company is taking steps to be more inclusive with its packaging, the potato bodies with tons of small parts and pieces that you can mix and match will still be available as Mr. and Mrs.
On Thursday Hasbro clarified the changes in a tweet:
Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere! 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 pic.twitter.com/6I84KrxOLQ
— Hasbro (@Hasbro) February 25, 2021
“Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere!” the company tweeted. “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”
This fall, Hasbro will launch the Create Your Own Potato Head Family, which they call a “celebration of the many faces of families allowing kids to imagine and create their own Potato Head family with 2 large potato bodies, 1 small potato body, and 42 accessories.”
“The possibilities to create your own families are endless with mixing and mashing all the parts and pieces,” said Hasbro.
This isn’t the first time a classic toy has been updated or reimagined to be more inclusive. Barbie has been updated to include versions that are curvy, petite and tall. Some versions of the doll now come in wheelchairs, without hair and with diverse skin colors and hair textures and styles. One doll has the skin condition, vitiligo, while another is bald.
American Girl is also committed to inclusion and diversity in its dolls, even adding boy dolls to its lineup.
And Crayola has also introduced more diversity with its Colors of the World crayons, featuring more diverse skin tones. The 24-pack of crayons is meant to represent 40 different skin tones from across the world.