Farewell "Monsieur Patate": the cult toy brand will no longer be gendered

Gone is the “Monsieur Patate” brand, a cult toy from the Hasbro group. The manufacturer announced on Thursday February 25 that it was going to market a gender-neutral potato family, although it then insisted that the gendered toys themselves would remain. Only the brand and the logo losing the attribute “Sir”.

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These toys, introduced in 1952 and featured in the “Toy Story” film series, are among the staples of American families. From a plastic potato shape, the children are called upon to create their own character by adding attributes such as eyes - with eyebrows made up for Madame Patate, for example - a mouth, with lipstick for Madame - a mustache for Monsieur, shoes with heels or not, etc...

In a first statement posted on its website Thursday, Hasbro said it now wants to "make sure everyone feels welcome in the world of potato heads by officially abandoning the 'Monsieur Tête de Patate' brand and logo". . With the intention of “promoting gender equality and inclusion”.

But another, shorter press release then replaced it, stating that "the iconic characters of Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head would not disappear", without specifying in what form they would be maintained. The new text also removed any mention of inclusion or gender equality, simply stating that it was about “celebrating the different faces of families”.

Barbie, at the forefront of the subject

In recent years, toy manufacturers have repeatedly reviewed traditional toys - starting with dolls - in response to denunciations of sexist, racist stereotypes, or encouraging traditional "beauty" canons. “Mixed” toys, intended to avoid male or female role stereotypes, in particular, have multiplied.

Mattel, creator of Barbie dolls, was at the forefront, notably with its “creatable world” range, dolls with the body of an 8-10 year old child and short hair. Distributors are not left out, like Target stores, which try to eliminate from their shelves messages reinforcing these stereotypes, such as the pink/blue colors.

[Article originally published on Thursday February 25, 2021, and updated on Saturday February 27]

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