Prominent right-wing commentators have got themselves worked up over another gender kerfluffle again.
But for right-wing people, there may be some relief â at least Hasbro still seems to believe in the nuclear family.Â
The announcement about Potato Head came alongside other news about the Potato Head franchise, including the fact that Hasbro plans to start selling âPotato Headâ family kits in the autumn.
This time, itâs about Mr.Potato Head â yes, the toy thatâs just a plastic potato with a mustache and shoes from Toy Story. Hasbro, the manufacturer, announced that theyâll be dropping the Mr to make it a gender-neutral toy, as part of an update for the modern age.
Seems straightforward, right? It also seems like a lot of kids who would be the target demographic - between 4-10 years old - probably wouldnât care too much. But rightwing commentators are pretty upset about it.
Some of the usual suspects â such as Sean Hannity - took it as a personal affront.
MR POTATO HEAD CANCELED: Hasbro to Drop âGendered Toyâ, Will Release âPotato Headâ This Year https://t.co/42cLjCsXGuâ Sean Hannity (@Sean Hannity) 1614280862
In an article on his website, Hannity wrote that âMr.Potato Head was cancelled.â
Megyn Kelly, a prominent news anchor in right-wing television, asked whether this change meant that no one could have a gender anymore, saying that the âMrâ was what âmade him interesting.â
Wait - so having a gender at all now is offensive? No one gets to have one? The âMr.â is what made him interesting. https://t.co/botoqCxlr7â Megyn Kelly (@Megyn Kelly) 1614286479
Tim Pool, a right-wing Internet personality, pointed out that the whole conversation was a little bizarre.
were they gunna add a potato dick or something how the fuck is mr potato head even gendered? becuase he's called m⦠https://t.co/zHhy4uZj8tâ Tim Pool (@Tim Pool) 1614276118
Ben Shapiro also weighed in, asking why Barbie wasnât ânamed something more gender neutralâ.
Barbie must be renamed something more gender-neutral. This is imperative.â Ben Shapiro (@Ben Shapiro) 1614278363
Erick Erickson added that it was âwoke-o Haramâ, in reference to the terrorist group Boko Haram that has killed hundreds of people in swathes of Africa.
It wasnât just media personalities and right-wing commentators who were annoyed by the news â a lot of people just didnât get the point.
Loony liberals have now ruined Mr. Potato Head. You canât make this shit up. https://t.co/dubmd5IpKMâ Catturd ⢠(@Catturd â¢) 1614274901
But Hasbro has since clarified that Mr.Potato Head and his partner, Ms.Potato Head, will still be keeping their gendered titles â only the brand name and the logo are changing.
Hold that Tot â your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isnât going anywhere! While it was announced today that the POTATO⦠https://t.co/bZqGo9PGVxâ Hasbro (@Hasbro) 1614285437
The Daily Show summed the whole thing up pretty well.
Conservatives seeing the Mr. Potato Head story https://t.co/f6WeDuiLalâ The Daily Show (@The Daily Show) 1614284627
Speaking to the BBC, some people seemed to think it was just a move towards being more progressive.
"There is movement around gender neutrality at the moment," Frederique Tutt, a toy industry analyst for the NPD Group told the BBC. "Itâs something that Hasbro has been addressing, along with inclusivity."Â