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No Longer Mister: Hasbro's Mr. Potato Head Brand Is Getting A Gender Neutral Name

PAWTUCKET, R.I. (CBS/AP) -- The Mr. Potato Head brand is no longer a mister. Hasbro, the company that makes the potato-shaped plastic toy, is giving the line of spuds a gender neutral brand name: Potato Head. The change will appear on boxes this year.

Toy makers have been updating their classic brands to appeal to kids today. Barbie has shed its blonde image and now comes in multiple skin tones and body shapes. Thomas the Tank Engine added more girl characters. And American Girl is now selling a boy doll.

Hasbro said Mr. Potato Head, which has been around for about 70 years, needed a modern makeover.

"Culture has evolved," Hasbro's Kimberly Boyd 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."

Hasbro, which is headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, later clarified that Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head figures would still be available. The change is to the overall brand name.

(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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