Conservatives Are Very Angry That Potato Head, A Plastic Toy, Rebranded To Be Gender Neutral
"Why do people think a gender neutral potato head is weird? He is a potato who stores his facial features in his ass."
Over the weekend Mr Potato Head came out as gender neutral, with Hasbro announcing that the toy would go forward being known simply as Potato Head. And, as expected, conservatives lost their damn minds over the news.
Despite early commercials for the toy explicitly stating that Potato Head could be turned into a woman with the different accessories included, and the fact that the character is literally a toy potato, conservatives were outraged.
Hasbro shared that dropping the “Mr” was done to promote more inclusivity beyond the “traditional” family structure, which will allow children to have full creativity when playing.
“Culture has evolved,” Kimberly Boyd, SVP and GM of Hasbro, told Fast Company. “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.”
Naturally after hearing that Hasbro wanted to shift away from traditional family structures, conservatives absolutely lost their minds. However it was very clear that right-wing nuts didn’t bother to actually read any articles beyond the headline because Hasbro literally shared that both Mr and Mrs Potato Head’s would actually still be sold under the umbrella brand of ‘Potato Head’.
For example, everyone’s least favourite right-wing troll, Ben Shapiro, of course had a lot of thoughts about the change. Poking fun at Hasbro’s decision, Shapiro sarcastically claimed that bigotry had been “ANNIHILATED” with the change and now other toys like Barbie also needed to become “more gender-neutral” to satisfy society.
“What if Potato Head identifies as squash though?,” he continued to tweet.
Bigotry ANNIHILATED https://t.co/FaogDQlL7A
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 25, 2021
Meanwhile, republican politician Lauren Boebert called for the phrase “come on, man” to be cancelled in favour of “come on, person” in the name of inclusivity, totally misunderstanding the reasoning behind the Potato Head rebrand.
Equally terrible, Piers Morgan weighed in by criticising the name change for being done in the middle of the pandemic to pacify “a few wokies”… as if Potato Head was holding the COVID-19 vaccine hostage or something.
Then there was the literal US House Judiciary Committee trying to use a clip from Toy Story, where Potato Head, a fictional potato, tells Woody, a fictional cowboy, that it’s “Mr Potato Head to you, you backstabbing murderer” to try and fight the Hasbro rebrand.
Mr. Potato Head has now been renamed to be gender inclusive.
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!”
— Lauren Boebert (@laurenboebert) February 25, 2021
Imagine thinking in the middle of a global pandemic: 'What's really important is dropping the 'Mr' from Mr Potato Head & making him gender-neutral in case we upset a few wokies.'
— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) February 25, 2021
"That's Mr. Potato Head to you." (he/his/him) pic.twitter.com/Hs9RICal44
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) February 26, 2021
Most confusingly, however, was CBN News Chief Political Analyst, David Brody, and his take on the whole thing.
Citing the bible as his reference point, Brody tried to claim that there are only two genders, and if you “crack open a bible… it’s right there in black and white”, as if the Bible had regularly touched on potatoes with click on moustaches and handbags throughout its teachings.
Even stranger was Brody stating that Potato Head was male because he “has a moustache” and identifies as “Mr”, happily accepting what the plastic toy had identified and presented itself as, without need to discuss biology.
There are only two genders. Male and female. That’s it. If you have an issue with that, just crack open a Bible. It’s right there in black and white. #MrPotatoHead
— David Brody (@DavidBrodyCBN) February 27, 2021
Naturally Brody, was absolutely dunked on for just how badly he contradicted his own arguments about gender and identity the more he spoke.
So how do we know Mr. Potato Head’s gender is male? Is it because he has a penis? Is it because he has xy chromosomes? Or is it because he calls himself “Mr” and so we should all respect his stated identity? https://t.co/8xoSS1VxN1
— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) February 27, 2021
So, let me get this right: because the potato toy presents and identities as male, you respect his decision and need no supposed scientific validation? 🤔
— Charlotte Clymer 🏳️🌈 (@cmclymer) February 27, 2021
Conservatives: Gender is a BIOLOGICAL BINARY. It is based on GENES
Also conservatives: that plastic potato is a MAN
— Kyle 🌱 (@KylePlantEmoji) February 26, 2021
“Mr. Potato head is a boy!! Not non-binary!!! I’m sick of these snowflakes!!”
But it’s a potato… it has no genitals.
“No!!! He has a mustache and looks like a man so he is a MAN!”
So you agree? Gender is a matter of expression and presentation, not biology pic.twitter.com/TygSBao9WQ
— nat (@SnowNatalie) February 27, 2021
Oh, and of course for his terrible use of the bible as justification for his plea to keep the potato toy male.
Exactly! Everyone knows that the Potato Heads in the Bible all had penises and vaginas!
With you all the way, David!
— Sleeping Giants (@slpng_giants) February 27, 2021
Since potatoes do not have ribs how did God make Mrs Potato Head.
— Austin Gilkeson (@osutein) February 28, 2021
In what book do I find the verse about potato genders
— DogDadBod (@DogsDadBod) February 27, 2021
In conclusion, can someone PLEASE check on conservatives? The overreactions are all coming off as a little bit “snowflake-ish” right now.
Conservatives: Lefties are such snowflakes, offended by everything, always overreacting
Also conservatives: MR POTATO HEAD SHOULD HAVE A HUGE DICK
— TechnicallyRon (@TechnicallyRon) February 25, 2021
Why do people think a gender neutral potato head is weird. He is a potato who stores his facial features in his ass.
— …….slime man (@KatyScar) February 28, 2021