Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Oven Will Now Be Gender Neutral Thanks To 13-Year-Old’s Petition

McKenna Pope is probably a name you don't know, but the Easy-Bake Oven is a name you have known for decades, but how are the two related? Pope is  a 13-year-old from Garfield, N.J.who petitioned Hasbro to make the Easy-Bake Oven more gender neutral because some little boys, her brother included, enjoy baking with it too. Pope posted the petition on Change.org and so far has more than 40,000 signatures and the personal endorsement of some celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay. All Pope wanted to accomplish was to include boys in the ads and make the toy more gender neutral.

Pope wanted to get the iconic toy for her 4-year-old brother and was bothered by the fact they only came in pink and purple. Hasbro in turn, took this very seriously and invited McKenna and her family to Hasbro's headquarters to meet with the Easy-Bake team.

Hasbro showed the family a prototype of the new Easy-Bake Oven that is black, silver and blue. Hasbro agreed that Pope made a valid point and will begin including boys in the ads. Pope's brother by the way, thinks the new look oven is "awesome."

When it first came out in the early 60s, the color was yellow and the toy itself was much taller and more appliance-looking, which was much more gender neutral. I have to admit that when I was 7, my mom gave me one for Christmas. I was hesitant at first, but when my friends wanted to try it, it became pretty cool and we became pretty proficient at making the brownies.

Some might think this is another example of political correctness, but the fact remains that boys have used the Easy-Bake as well as girls for years...and for whatever reason, the oven has become pretty 'girly-looking' over the years. McKenna Pope just wanted something her brother could feel more comfortable playing with.

This is not the first time this issue was tackled where an iconic toy was concerned, earlier this year Lego announced new Lego sets and ads that were geared more at girls. The new look Easy-Bake Oven will be available sometime in 2013. Way to go McKenna!