The toy manufacturer Hasbro has announced that both Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head are dropping the "Mr" and "Mrs" titles from the iconic toys' names.
In a statement made on Thursday, February 25, the US-based company announced that the popular product - which features prominently in Disney and Pixar's Toy Story franchise - will be dropping the "Mr" appellation from its name so as to "better reflect the full line".
However, despite this, the company has reassured its fans that the individual Mr. Potato Head and Mrs. Potato Head characters will still be available to buy.
In the statement in question, a spokesperson for the company wrote:
"Hasbro is officially renaming the MR. POTATO HEAD brand to POTATO HEAD to better reflect the full line.
"But rest assured the iconic MR. and MRS. POTATO HEAD characters aren’t going anywhere and will remain MR. and MRS. POTATO HEAD. [sic]"
The spokesperson went on to announce the upcoming release of its new so-called toy line 'Create Your Own Potato Family' - which is gives kids two large potato bodies, a small potato body, and 42 accessories to build their own spud-themed family with.
Despite many news outlets and social media users assuming this was a move to make the toy more "gender-neutral", Hasbro clarified its decision in a later tweet posted to its official Twitter account that read:
"Hold that Tot – your main spud, MR. POTATO HEAD isn’t going anywhere!
"While it was announced today that the POTATO HEAD brand name & logo are dropping the ‘MR.’ I am proud to confirm that MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD aren't going anywhere and will remain MR. & MRS. POTATO HEAD. [sic]"
Commenting on the rebranding in a recent interview with BBC News, NPD Group toy industry analyst Frederique Tutt stated: "There is movement around gender neutrality at the moment.
"It's something that Hasbro has been addressing, along with inclusivity... So I guess that's where Mr. Potato Head is going as well."
Meanwhile, conservative media commentator Ben Shapiro appeared to criticize the decision, writing in a sarcastic tweet to his 3.3 million Twitter followers: "Barbie must be renamed something more gender-neutral. This is imperative."
BBC News reports that the first Mr. Potato Head toy was first released in stores way back in 1953, with the female variant, Mrs. Potato Head, following shortly thereafter due to public demand.
According to Hasbro's old website, the product also boasts the distinction of being the first-ever children's toy ever advertised on television, and originally consisted simply of spiked plastic facial features that were intended to be embedded into a real vegetable.