Easy-Bake Ovens for boys is goal of petition
BY COLLEEN ALMEIDA SMITH World Associate Editor
Monday, December 17, 2012
12/17/12 at 6:26 AM
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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 eighth 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 at change.org/petitions.
They think the packaging and promotions should include boys as well as girls, and I completely agree.
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 918-581-8481
colleen.smith@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
The Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven is a new model that launched here last year.
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