The Thursday news that the Hasbro toy company would drop the "Mr" out of its "Potato Head" brand immediately sparked a Twitterquake as users were outraged and baffled by the sudden change of name and identity of a favourite childhood toy.
"11 million children in the United States suffer from hunger, but first we have to stop that problematic Mr. Potato Head!", one of the user ridiculed, commenting on the name change.
Those angry over a new world in which Mr Potato Head is no longer a mister, and some laughing at how vigorously people defend gender pronouns for a plastic potato, propelled the toy into Twitter trends.
Jokes, memes and sarcastic comments on gender neutrality flocked Twitter threads.
Mr. Potato Head becoming gender neutral is definitely one of those "nobody asked for this, please stop helping" things but it is funny in a depressing way to watch the transphobic crowd defend the pronouns and honorifics of a potato
— Cliff Jerrison (@pervocracy) February 25, 2021
Mr. Potato Head has now been renamed to be gender inclusive.
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 25, 2021
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!”
They're really throwing a fit over Mr. Potato Head pic.twitter.com/psXtijLiJG
— KnowNothing (@KnowNothingTV) February 25, 2021
China: belt and road initiative, five year plans, a push to dominate the global 5G market, a massive military base in Africa, hypersonic missiles, new cities, railroads, highways.
— Allum Bokhari (@LibertarianBlue) February 25, 2021
America: debating the gender of Mr. Potato Head
Please, give Potato Head some space pic.twitter.com/ZZblG1iHjZ
— Erin Jean Warde (she/her) (@erinjeanwarde) February 25, 2021
Over/under on how many Potato Head mentions at CPAC?
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) February 25, 2021
Who will be the first to ask why Joe Biden has cancelled our children’s toys?
Some wondered what would happen to the - yes - Mr Potato Head's wife, Mrs. Potato Head. "Did anyone tell her?", netizens questioned. Others immediately rolled out theories on what could happen to her.
So, Mr Potato head has become gender-neutral? Does Mrs Potato head know? She's gonna be pissed when she finds out. I always thought that Freddie Mercury Moustache was suspicious. pic.twitter.com/U5DQyhYKZA
— The Sting (@TheSting17) February 25, 2021
Mrs. Potato Head has also been killed off. She will be replaced by an asexual can of Pringles.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2021
However, as passions ran high in social media, the company behind the potato toy, Hasbro, weighed in to cool everybody down. It appeared that no one was actually encroaching on Mr Potato Head's gender, and the name change only applied to the toy brand that included both Mr and Mrs Potato Head.
"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", the company tweeted.
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
The 1952 Hasbro toy that suddenly reappeared in the spotlight in 2021 was first developed by George Lerner in 1949. One can spot cameos of Mr and Mrs Potato Head in the famous Pixar animated movie franchise "Toy Story".
