“Hasbro is helping kids to simply see toys as toys, which encourages them to be their authentic selves outside of the pressures of traditional gender norms,” said Rich Ferraro, GLAAD’s chief communications officer, in a statement. GLAAD, an LGBTQ advocacy group, applauded the genderless toy potato. “It’s setting this new standard,” Mierzejewski said. Potato Head is one of the biggest brands to do so. Barbie maker Mattel released a gender-neutral doll line in 2019. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.ĭropping the “Mr.” from its brand name could encourage other companies to stop assigning genders to its toys, a trend that has already been happening, said Mierzejewski. The Thomas the Tank Engine toy line added more girl characters. “But kids like to see themselves in the toys they are playing with.”īarbie, for example, has tried to shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes. “It’s a potato,” said Ali Mierzejewski, editor in chief at toy review site The Toy Insider. Many toymakers have been updating their classic brands in recent years, hoping to relate to today’s kids and reflect more modern families.

Assigning gender of mr potato head