Potato Head has no brain for politics, nor should they. This progressive 70-year-old’s choice to drop the Mr. from their branding company name showed a probable outreach to the LGBTQ+ community. Whether or not the name worked for the sales of this toy is not exactly the point, the right’s outrage could spur boycotts, the left could rally behind the progressive movement and help sales. If it were not for the Civils Rights Bill of 1964 is in the Senate for an updated debate, this small change by Hasbro wouldn’t have hardly seen the light of day. The debate is on whether or not gender fits into the definition worthy of the same rights of everyone else. For example, right now it is completely legal to either fire or kick somebody out of their house specifically based on how they choose to express their gender. This story garnered quite of bit of media attention specifically from the right-leaning media. Fox News and Business ran 35 stories on this company’s choice. The Civil Rights debate is the only thing that gave this potato legs.
According to Niedt & Richmonds study, updating their relationship with gender is a nod to acceptance of varying gender norms in society (2019). In an interview with Business Insider magazine Kimberly Boyd, a senior vice president and general manager at Hasbro said, "Kids want to be able to represent their own experiences. The way the brand currently exists — with the 'Mr.' and 'Mrs.' — is limiting when it comes to both gender identity and family structure."
Children, in particular, are force-fed gender norms from media to their own role-models. Stripping away what is “normal” when it comes to gender is seen as a good way to promote acceptance of the child’s own gender identity and others.
From an outside practical look though, Potato Head hasn’t really changed anything from the child’s perspective. The doll is still sold with the Mr. and Mrs. pronouns with gendered pieces. Not having “Mr.” on the main branding only takes away the idea of a male dominated society selling a male dominated toy, which should be applauded, but this choice does not begin to talk about gender.
The outreach from the conservative’s response on this non-story is purposely misleading people about the nature of the change. They are exploiting gender panic so they can exploit the population ignorant of transgender issues. The ability to do this on such a scale is indicative of past symbolic annihilation of the entire issue. The populations entire schema is based on very little knowledge of the subject, since the haven’t existed in the media other than stereotypical cross-dressing tropes that have nothing to do with the actual science behind the driving gender ideas. The theme this year at CPAC revolved around cancel culture, ironically talking about the changes in the things that their party likes. The blind-side of this argument is that in order to not be cancelled, these issues usually mean forcing out entire populations from the argument. They leave no room for any kind of acceptance of what they deem to be wrong without any type of real justification. Georgia rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene proved this point by her retaliation to a trangender pride flag put up by Illinois Rep. Marie Newman, and mother of a trans son. Instead of accepting other views, rep. Greene posted a sign on her office stating “There are TWO genders: Male & Female. Trust The Science!” While Greene obviously getting the science wrong, mixing up the difference between sex and gender, this ignorant attack is about othering and contempt since there is no harm in stopping a hateful prejudice.
The right frames this by labeling it with headlines like “The Equality Act Would ‘Potato Head’ All Americans” in The Federalist. In the story it uses statements like “Hasbro reportedly decided on Thursday to neuter its beloved spud toy.” This attack is not only unwarranted (Spud don’t have genitals), it is a scare tactic used to try to say its audience is being neutered by the left. The story continues to suggest that this bill would allow “Your male genitals are welcome anywhere you like,” a scare tactic that has worked to stop several states for not allowing gender neutral bathrooms. This is too disturbing for a college blog.
Senator Mitt Romney, who oddly has been the voice closest to the center of the right has said that he didn’t see any religious carveouts for adding to extend protections to the LGBTQ+ community.
Remarkably his religion didn’t see any religious carveouts for even allowing Black members be priests until 1970, six years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed.
The hypocrisy is palpable. and shame on us.
I had no place to put this, but I thought it was pretty funny
@OhNoSheTwitnt
Caring about the gender of Mister Potato Head is the first time Fox News ever attempted to defend someone who wasn’t white.
https://www.businessinsider.com/hasbro-drops-mr-from-potato-head-toys-sparks-backlash-online-2021-2
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/25/marjorie-taylor-greene-transgender-sign
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/mormons-race-max-perry-mueller/539994/
Niedt, G., Richmond, J.C. (2019) Sex Sells–But Gender Brands. In R.A. Lind (Fourth Edition.), Race/Gender/Class/Media. Routledge.