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Easy-Bake Ovens for All
Published: 12/14/2012 8:46 AM
Last Modified: 12/14/2012 11:14 AM

Hasbro makes the Easy-Bake Oven in purple with a pink spatula.

As a mom of two girls, the Pepto-Bismol pink that denotes girls toys makes me ill. The blatant gender-stereotyping by major toy companies is wrong on so many levels, and it often drives me away from the toy aisles of major retailers.

But for my daughter's 8th birthday this year, I ventured into enemy territory because she was begging for an Easy-Bake Oven. This is a girl who likes to cook with me in the kitchen.

She was thrilled to receive her purple oven, decorated with girly swirls, and she has made us many (microscopic) treats.

But it turns out that I'm not the only one who objects to the packaging of "girl toys." Recently Hasbro, maker of Easy-Bake Ovens, has been the target of an effort to change the toy's packaging to be more gender neutral.

McKenna Pope says she started a petition at Change.org because her little brother loves to cook and wanted an Easy-Bake Oven as a Christmas gift. See her petition and watch a video she made with her brother here.

They think the packaging and promotions should include boys as well as girls, and I completely agree. Why should baking be the exclusive domain of females?

A number of male chefs have jumped in to support McKenna and her brother, Gavyn. In fact, they have posted a YouTube video advocating the change.

"Cooking is for everyone -- boys, girls, no matter what age," chef Manuel Trevino says.

And I am completely on board with chef Joshua Whigham, who tells them: "Ask Hasbro for a steel or a black or something really cool oven."

Now if we could just get a petition for Hasbro to stop charging an arm and a leg for refill packages that make six cookies the size of your thumbnail. (Don't worry, I searched the Internet and found some make-your-own recipes that will keep my daughter in batter.)

Colleen Almeida Smith is a Tulsa World assistant editor and mother of a second-grader and a seventh-grader. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/colleenalmeida.

Written by
Colleen Almeida Smith
Staff Writer

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Tulsa World Scene Editor Ashley Parrish (2 months ago)

My 3-year-old son wanted a tea set last year, and it took going online to find one that wasn't pink. Since then, I've found a few cooking accessories at locally owned toy stores in Tulsa (Kiddlestix is great) and on trips, but it definitely takes searching! Hope Hasbro listens.

Tulsa World Staff Writer Ginnie Graham (2 months ago)

Yes! I'm totally for this. My son loves, loves helping out in the kitchen, but wholly rejects anything girly. Considering culinary arts are still pretty male-dominated when you look at the demographics of head chefs, this call for gender-neutral baking is long overdue.

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Bill Sherman, grandfather of 12

He and his wife have six children and 12 grandchildren and he enjoys running around town on his dorky scooters and watching the Green Bay Packers. He moved to Tulsa in the 1980s to attend Bible school. Sherman is the Tulsa World’s religion writer.

Rod Walton, father of four

He and his wife Laura have been married since 1989. They have four children -- Rachel, 20; Rebecca, 18; Hayley, 15, and Will, 13. Walton is a business writer for the Tulsa World Business section and covers the energy industry.

Colleen Almeida Smith, mother of two

She and her husband have two daughters, ages 7 and 12. She loves reading and anything about food -- cooking it, eating it, and reading and writing about it. Almeida Smith is an assistant editor.

Michael Overall, father of a toddler

His 4-year-old son will introduce himself to people as “Gavin Jared Overall, My Daddy’s Buddy.” Gavin likes model trains, iPads and sleeping late, except on the weekends, when he likes to get up early. Overall is a general assignment reporter for the Tulsa World city desk.

Althea Peterson, mother of an infant

She recently returned to work at the Tulsa World after two months of maternity leave with her daughter. She followed her older brother from rural Wisconsin to the University of Oklahoma. Peterson is a staff writer who also contributes to the Weather World blog.

June Straight, mother of two

With seven years between their daughters, she and her husband split their time between dealing with dirty diapers from one kid and dirty looks from the other. Straight is a designer for the Tulsa World.

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