Should Hasbro Release a Boy-Friendly Easy-Bake Oven?

by SodaHead Living Posted 2012/12/15 20:50:18

Related Topics: Family, Pope, Marketing, Kitchen, Careers, Opinion, Entertainment, Career, Celebrity, CNN, Kids, Boys, Holiday, Good Morning America, Package

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488 votes
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	Yes	353 votes	72%
	No	135 votes	28%

A Garfield, NJ girl firmly believes there should be a boy-friendly, as in unisex/gender-neutral, Hasbro Easy-Bake Oven. Now it looks like she may be getting her wish. McKenna Pope put together a petition, which boasts over 42,000 signatures via Change.org, to get Hasbro to feature boys on the Easy-Bake Oven packages so the long-time toy can be marketed to everyone.

Pope wrote "I want my brother to know that it's not 'wrong' for him to want to be a chef, that it's okay to go against what society believes to be appropriate." The young lady has a point, as the marketing for the Easy-Bake Oven, whether intentionally or unintentionally, tells kids that females should be in the kitchen baking, while men should be doing other things. The current marketing also gives the impression that it's not OK for boys to want to pursue careers in culinary fields.

Pope has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, publicly endorsed by celebrity chefs, and now will get the opportunity with her family to meet with Hasbro brass at the company's Pawtucket, RI headquarters to discuss gender-neutral Easy-Bake Ovens.

Should Hasbro Release a Boy Friendly Easy Bake Ove

+11

Add a comment above

johndhutcheson 2012/12/15 20:54:04 (edited)

Yes

+20
Chef is an honourable profession, I don't see why not.
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More polls by SodaHead Living

Liam Manning 2013/03/11 15:13:44
Candice Heyward-Spence 2013/01/13 04:10:18

Yes

Absolutely!

reply
T. James H 2012/12/29 19:56:57
Matthew 2012/12/27 15:39:00

Yes

I was embarrassed when my friends saw that I had an easy bake oven. I bake and cook now because of my love for cooking and praise for how well I do it.

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mae 2012/12/23 03:35:34

Yes

This toy item has been unisex in the homes of consumers for as long as I can remember--my own brothers made more 'cakes' with it than I did, and so did my friends brothers.

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Christopher Kirchen 2012/12/22 19:24:10

Yes

I don't know why not; men cook these days, so I can't see why they shouldn't learn early.

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Matt P. 2012/12/18 23:50:53

Yes

+2
I'm all for gender roles, but cooking is an important life skill!

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Freedom 2012/12/18 23:22:26

Yes

+1
Why not make a gender neutral one? Our kitchen stove isn't hot pink!

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Medulla Oblongata 2012/12/18 23:20:22

Yes

+1
Considering how many male pastry chefs there out there today, on television, no less, I think it's high-time they start including boys into their commercials and using different colors for their ovens.

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shane 2012/12/18 23:16:46

No

+1
There is a perfectly good ,gender-neutral oven in the kitchen.

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Christo... to shane 2012/12/22 19:25:37

+1
But the reason the easy bake oven exists in the first place is to prepare the child for cooking before it's practical for them to use the regular oven.

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shane to Christo... 2012/12/22 22:03:59

+1
That's why some kids eat play-do. When i was a little rug rat granny taught me how to cook on her wood burning cast-iron stove . We ate home-made cinnamon rolls instead of play-do.

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Matthew to shane 2012/12/27 15:43:25

It's much safer for the kids to use the easy bake oven. Unless the oven is electric, the kid could get burnt or catch on fire. It would also expand the market for the product. The average boy from ages 6-12 is taught that pink and flowers are girly and unmanly. This oven would sell if the boys saw that it looked cool and masculine. Appealing to sight is the best thing when trying to sell a product.

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NickieSF 2012/12/18 20:06:08

Yes

+1
Why not?

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SW 2012/12/18 19:37:46 (edited)

Yes

Sure I can put it with my unisex tampons! JK ;)
baking sugary playdough with a lightbulb is a pleasure that crosses gender boundaries!
To be honest, I didn't know it was a gender-specific toy to begin with really.

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Christo... to SW 2012/12/22 19:26:28

It was marketed to girls when I was a kid, when gender roles were more stringent.

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meg 2012/12/18 19:19:23

Yes

+1

Yes baking isn't just a girl thing most guys over girls I know prefer baking and cooking.

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Lily Yacoub 2012/12/18 17:39:50

Yes

+1
Boys are cooking better than girls

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meg to Lily Ya... 2012/12/18 19:19:55

Now why would you think that is true?

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Susanne the Doodle 2012/12/18 17:22:35

Yes

+2
(needs an "Indifferent" choice)
As (physically) a male, with two brothers (both of male gender) we had a Easy-Bake when I was 5, but we didnt care.
I also had a shrinky dink ^_^

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chrystal97 2012/12/18 17:09:14

Yes

Can't they make one in a color that is gender neutral. I agree that there are no solely boy or girl toys. They can play with what they want.

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Alli 2012/12/18 16:37:22

Yes

+2
It's sexist only being geared at girls

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Amber Fredrick 2012/12/18 16:29:04

Yes

+1
It wouldn't hurt to make the toy some unisex primary colors. It shouldn't have to be a huge debate about sexism. Just change the color, who cares. I remember when I was little the girls had easy bake ovens and the boys had the little ovens that made jelly bugs and spiders. It is sad that if a boy wanted an easy bake oven he would probably be called gay or something.... Change the colors; no big deal. Should've done is subtly.

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KeithL 2012/12/18 15:40:40
kitsunejewel 2012/12/18 15:22:08

Yes

+1
or why not a unisex type thing? it would be cool, Im tired of people thinking that cooking and baking is only something for the girls to do, and besides, men can be chefs too ;3

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kgiexec 2012/12/18 14:27:33

No

I don't think it will sell enough units to be profitable. We will soon see.

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CherryPOP 2012/12/18 14:19:57 (edited)

Yes

+1
About time they "thought " about it.

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Redneck 2012/12/18 14:13:53

Yes

+4
It's very important that boys learn how to cook as well as all other domestic chores. Just like little girls need to learn how to do "boys work", i.e. mowing the yard, working in the garden, feeding animals, hauling hay, etc.

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KittΣnclysm 2012/12/18 10:59:44

No

+2
Boys can be chefs with the current easy-bake ovens.

What Hasbro needs to release is an accurate model of my patron Princess.

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kitsune... to KittΣnc... 2012/12/18 15:22:48

she's pretty! <3 I like her

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gnice123 to KittΣnc... 2012/12/18 16:18:17

+4
Overall, you make a good point in that boys shouldn't be "enabled" to fear all things pink and purple. However, there's no reason a toy for cooking should be marginalized to appeal to a female audience exclusively and that's what Hasbro is doing by making the toy pink and purple.

Greg P.

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KittΣnc... to gnice123 2012/12/18 17:19:41

They're free to market to whomever they please.

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gnice123 to KittΣnc... 2012/12/18 17:24:26

?? So is your stance that hasbro can/should market to girls exclusively or that boys can/should ignore the marketing and go for something not intended for them to use?

Greg P.

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KittΣnc... to gnice123 2012/12/18 17:37:59

My stance is that Hasbro can market to whomever they please. How can I be more clear? It doesn't matter to me what gender children they cater to, as long as they continue producing My Little Pony paraphernalia.

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RevBH 2012/12/18 07:47:27

Yes

+2
Why not?

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rolliby 2012/12/18 07:35:52

No

+2
What are they afraid of? That using the one that is already marketed will turn some little boy gay or something? My brother used mine all the time when we were little and he's Mr. Macho - so this is some kind of marketing gimmick. Just sell the thing. People still buy it.

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ivan 2012/12/18 05:40:05

Yes

+10
Men <3 cake

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KilrQueen 2012/12/18 05:27:16

No

+2
What the hell is boy friendly? They can't operate the one already out?

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rolliby to KilrQueen 2012/12/18 07:36:34

+3
I had to LOL at that. I was thinking the same thing.

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rosie.diana.1 2012/12/18 04:53:29

Yes

+3
I think they should be available in different colors & styles for everyone! Who doesn't love an easy bake oven? they are great and a wonderful step to getting kids culinary abilities started :)

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