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Business

In Wake of Gender-Neutral Petition, Easy Bake Ovens Will Be Available for Boys In 2013

Dec. 18, 2012 8:06am Mike Opelka

Less than two weeks ago, TheBlaze reported on a 13-yr-old NJ girl’s efforts to convince Hasbro Toys to make ovens in gender-neutral colors and to include boys in their advertising for the Easy-Bake Oven.

Easy Bake Oven Announces New Gender Netutral Ovens, Colors Targeting Boys

Image: AP

The survey attached to our first report may have offered the folks at Hasbro some powerful insight. Our Blaze poll showed more than three quarters of respondents thought the ads for Easy-Bake ovens should be changed to include boys.

77% approve changing the ads to include boys.

This morning, there is news of a shift in the toy oven world. The Associated Press reports Hasbro says it will soon reveal a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven after meeting with the young girl, 13-year-old McKenna Pope, who started the campaign calling on the toy maker to make one that appeals to all kids.

Pope, of Garfield, N.J., got more than 40,000 signatures on her online petition at Change.org and the support of celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay.

Image: AP

She was prompted to start the petition after shopping for an Easy-Bake as a Christmas present for her 4-year-old brother, Gavyn Boscio, and finding them only in purple and pink.

Hasbro invited McKenna and her family to its Pawtucket, R.I., headquarters to meet with its Easy-Bake team, and on Monday, they drove to Rhode Island from New Jersey. During the meeting, Hasbro executives showed off a prototype of their newest Easy-Bake: one that’s black, silver and blue.

Hasbro has been working on the new color scheme and design for about 18 months, and decided to invite McKenna to see it and offer her thoughts, said John Frascotti, Hasbro’s chief marketing officer.

McKenna said the company is doing everything she asked, including putting boys in the ads.

“I think that they really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me,” she said, adding that Gavyn thought the new design was “awesome.”

Frascotti pointed out that the classic toy has had about a dozen different color schemes, from yellow to green to teal to silver, since first being introduced in 1963. The most recent iteration, introduced in 2011, is mostly purple with pink accents.

He said it’s sold well since then, and that prompted the company to look for a way to update it and to broaden the consumer base by doing it in different colors.

“It’s actually a product that’s played with by both boys and girls,” he said. “We will continue to offer the existing product too because it’s so popular.”

Hasbro plans to introduce the new color scheme at the industry’s Toy Fair in New York in February. Frascotti said people are likely to see it on store shelves next summer.

As for McKenna’s Christmas present for her brother, she said the TV show “Inside Edition” gave the family an Easy-Bake Oven after learning of her campaign. For Christmas, she said, she’ll probably buy him some mixes to bake in it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Comments (84)

Lemacs
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:44am
This is pretty cool don’t know why they waited so long to do it. Pretty neat that a 13 year old took the time to help get it to add it. They should make them look like BBQ pit and no men will have a problem with it. I love my easy bake over in my back yard i cook a really mean brisket.

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markgl
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:38am
This isn’t about boys acting like girls and vice versa. There are a ton of great chef’s and bakers that are male. Hello! If a boy wants to bake or cook all the stuff is gear towards girls and girl colors. She wanted boy colors for him to play on. So at first I thought oh boy gender neutral, trying to make boys like girls but really it’s about having dude colors for a dude to bake on. Dude’s bake. Ever watch cake boss on TV???

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- 702TruthSeeker
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:02pm
  its just another jerk trying to cash in on division. people are already getting tons of money and power from division of race, age, ethnicity, social status, economic class, why not add sex to the list. at some point in our history those who united people were looked up to. today, it’s the exact opposite. just look at our leader. divisiveness rules
  
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- 702TruthSeeker
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 12:42pm
  i want to end gender stereotypes by making sure that this toy is available in colors other than pink. this is because, you know, only girls like things that are pink. dumba$s
  
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DNT Tread On Me
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:36am
I have two boys, about 4-5 yrs ago we bought a easy bake for them, it was green and black and had bug shaped cookie tins and was very much geared toward boys. They loved it, and now both are in HIgh School and can make their way around the kitchen just fine. I am not sure if learning how to cook has anything to do with “gender” or any agenda, but it made for some good family time and togetherness at home.

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- naughtycal
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:46am
  Cooking time is one thing,gearing girly item towards boys is another. I would never get my son an easy bake oven and I have to admit I’ld look at him a little different if he asked for one. That said he sometimes helps his mother bake cookies and cakes not for the experience of baking he just wants some snacks. He doesn’t see it but I see it as he and his mother are bonding working together. He also helps me grill and make chili(his favorite)sometimes. If he grows up to be a chef I’ll be proud but playing easy bake oven is one step from barbies.
  
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- CanadaRocks
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 1:40pm
  @naughtycal. Parents like you who allude to disowning a child based on them being “girly” for baking in an easy bake oven are a disgrace and should not be allowed to have kids. Im pretty sure gordon ramsey, wolfgang puck, aron sanchez and alan roux parents are quite happy they were girly enought to bake. Disgraceful. Ever wonder why kids feel so insecure about themselves? It is a learned behaviour.
  
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- naughtycal
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 3:14pm
  canadasucks,
  Maybe you should read what I wrote I’ld have no problem if my son wants to be a chef. I would however have concern if my 11 year old wants an easy bake oven. It’s so suck it canada and blow it out youyr feminized socialist bunghole. Here in America we’re trying to raise men not the femenized version of what you lefties think men should be. FYI my kids wants a bike and a new football NO WORRIES IN MY HOUSE
  
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- CanadaRocks
  Posted on December 19, 2012 at 10:14am
  Thank you for proving my point naughtycal. My deepest sympathies to your child having to grow up with you as his role model. Some kids are just born with one strike against them.
  
  Report this comment
- naughtycal
  Posted on December 20, 2012 at 8:45am
  you raise your little qu33ra55 canada transgender offspring …..Canada the rock you’re doing is obvious a crack rock.
  This is America I’ll raise a leader you can go ahead a raise a loser.
  
  Report this comment
Bloodline14
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:21am
I played with my sister’s easy-bake oven when I was little.. I was never ashamed of it; in fact, I probably even bragged to my friends about how awesome it was. I don’t see the huge deal, people seem to overthink this kind of thing all the time. It’s neither good or bad, I suppose, but whatever works.

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- Walkabout
  Posted on December 19, 2012 at 1:53pm
  I cannot remember if I used one or not. My fiend’s sister had one. All I know is that we spent most if not all out time making creepy crawlies with another toy which baked them but it was not that particular oven.
  
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65Mustang
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:58am
I really don’t give a rat’s azz about this story and his big sister will be the next Democrat, Sandra Fluke spouting off about her needs, her desires as if she thinks anyone cares.

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- Zipit
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:44am
  Fluke lives here on The Blaze! Her name if SENDTHEMETEORS! And this is just another example of a bunch of weenies caving in to the wacko progressives!
  
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The End Is Here
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:56am
deer santa , i will like too git a easy bake oven four Christmas. all so please ask thee elfs if they can make me a G.I. Joe aktion figure adam and steve the non combat dollys. i will knot bee able too bake n leave you any kookies until i git my oven : from Billy

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mrunner
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:54am
My easy bake oven doesn’t work well at all now that I have switched to the CFL Bulbs that the government wants us to use! :(

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Dismayed Veteran
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:50am
Many great chefs are men. All the cooks I ever saw in the Army (1970-1974) were men. I don’t think cooking makes a man gay. I also think there will not be a great demand for the cook set. My middle son is a double journeyman electrician and a former Ranger. He loves to cook for my daughter in law.
This is not the erosion of our culture.

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RaydocX
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:44am
Someone still doesn’t understand boys are boys and girls are girls…. Except where parents indoctrinate their kids even as infants…

A left of center frend started out horrified that my then 4 year old had a cap gun. Her 3 year old would ‘never play with guns’

Our next visit, I noticed toy guns, and politely asked about it.

She somewhat sheepishly told us after he had cut his pancake into the shape of a gun and ran around the kitchen playing cowboys and indians she finally understood some things boys like even though she didn’t

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ForMyKidsVA
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:41am
My daughter loved using her Easy Bake Oven. My son loved eating what came out of that oven but didn’t want to bother making it.

Now that they are a bit older, they are both using the real stove and whatnot because I want them both to learn how to cook and bake so they can feed themselves when they are adults. My daughter loves doing all the domestic things around the house. My son, not so much. But if learning the skill will get him a nice girl (which I keep telling him it will) then he is eager to learn.

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vaman
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:40am
A story like this is great. It gets the beckerheads all fired up. A toy will turn your children gay! LOL. Men make up the majority of the bests chef’s on earth. So this just gets a few of them started early.

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:44am
  You seem to be motivated by bitterness and anger.
  
  Why would anybody get fired up over this, it is true that men are the best chefs?
  
  That said, this toy will have 5 sales, with three of them being promotional sales to corporate clients.
  
  *shrug*
  
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- piper60
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:57am
  Nobody thinks that having your son play with an Easy Bake Oven will make him gay. That’s just leftist propaganda. Giving him life skills, such as cooking, is an advantage.
  
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- moderateliberal
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 2:44pm
  wrong. 90% of the people who frequent this site think you can pray the gay away and that gay comes from contact with girly things. You’re all a bunch of radical idiots and you should get the F out of my country.
  
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TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:39am
HAS[BRO] needs to change it’s name to HAS[BI]…

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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:47am
  TIME, They need to go back to making the best toy ever for boys, GI Joe.
  
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- TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:55am
  You’ve got THAT right RJJ. The original GI Joe… not the cheaper “knock-off” versions that came out later either, lol.
  
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dublinthewagons
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:38am
How will the government set regulations on it.
Never mind Barney Franks is retired. He’ll take care of it.

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SaturdaysWarrior76
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:36am
Oh for crying out loud!

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- GhostOfJefferson
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:44am
  Nothing wrong with cooking and baking. Every son needs to know how to be self sufficient.
  
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GuruMeditation
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:36am
mega silly.

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mj10cl
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:35am
Let’s do something crazy… If you’re a boy and want to bake, learn how to do it over an open fire. Great survivor skill and will still yield great food.

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SpankDaMonkey
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:32am
.
It might be OK if it were Camo and you could bake “Road Kill” cookies or something butch in it……

But it will be used to gay-up another generation of young boys………..

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- Keatonc33
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:37am
  how is cooking gay? you guys are ridiculous!
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:54am
  KEATONC33, There is nothing wrong with a boy cooking. I am the cook in our household. It just sounds as though you are defending your ownership of the pink one.
  
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- SpankDaMonkey
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:13am
  .
  I’m the best cook in our house just ask my wife. All this equal gender crap just drives me crazy…….
  
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- Zipit
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:57am
  RJJ! Got a couple of Christmas rum cakes in the oven as we speak!
  
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Eastinfection
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:29am
This would be cool if the boy’s version was capable of slow cooking a 20lb pig.

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- GuruMeditation
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:37am
  Now your talking. It should also come with a .22 cal semi-auto rifle and a knife set to butcher the pig.
  
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- dublinthewagons
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:43am
  That put the iceing on the cake. ( so to speak)
  
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- Zipit
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 9:48am
  Gonna need some lipstick for that pig! In gender neutral colors of course! That’ll make it look better on the spit!
  
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EqualJustice
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:21am
This doesn’t bother me. I knew a lot of boys who liked to weave those pot holders, too. No biggie if they like to cook. The kind of guy you want to marry, ladies!
p.s.: spell check please.

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ProgressiveDeist267
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:21am
I never understood why people want boys to act more like girls and vice versa. Even though I’m supportive of LGBT rights and same-sex marriage. I don’t agree with making kids act like something their not. Boys should learn how to cook. However, they shouldn’t try to be girls and buy cheaply made toys marketed to girls. Girls should be encouraged to play sports. However, they shouldn’t force to look like boys. This is just my stupid rant. The world has gone insane!

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- Xiccarph
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:37am
  Its easy, its called the feminization of society, This gal I’m quite sure got her impetus from her feminist mom and feminized dad to bring “equality” to children’s gender. Equality means remove/discourage male tendencies and compromise toward feminine tendencies.
  
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- Keatonc33
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:38am
  Its isn’t making kids do anything though. It is however giving them an option to get an easy bake oven that isn’t pink if they want one.
  
  Report this comment
- inxy
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:50am
  So where is the Easy Bake on rainbow colors for gays ?
  
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chucksue351
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:20am
we bought a house in athens michigan that was built in the 1920′s, it had a range with built in oven that was made in the 1950′s, it looked just like a cromed out car of the 50′s, with grill and knobs and controls like from a dashboard, if they have one like that maybe even i would want to play with it

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ArmedAndReallyPissed
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:19am
Thank God the people of this Kountry are focused on the IMPORTANT issues !!!!

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RJJinGadsden
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:16am
I expect gender neutral sales to reach an astounding couple of dozen or so.

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- biohazard23
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:30am
  Ha ha ha!!! True that.
  
  Good morning, RJ!
  
  Report this comment
- Fubared
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:40am
  Troll monger will finally feel accepted and bake fly and ant cookies for his hood buds.
  
  Report this comment
- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:40am
  BIOHAZARD, Good morning, and Merry Christmas!
  
  Report this comment
- biohazard23
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:48am
  @Fubared, I thought he would be more of a tuile or a souffle kind of guy…
  
  Merry Christmas, RJ, to you and yours. God bless!
  
  Merry Christmas to you, too, Fubared. :)
  
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- RJJinGadsden
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:52am
  FUBARED, LOL, I still think that TROLLMONGER will just continue to stick with the pink one. Goes with his Emo music on YouTube.
  
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kickagrandma
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:15am
Anyone remember the Scripture that says it would be better to be thrown into a lake with a millstone tied around your neck than to lead a child astray? I also include the child who has been USED to get this agenda passed. BARF!

“Change.org”? whose could that be???????? Oh, that’s right. It belongs to satan.

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- XaviorOnassis
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:46am
  Are you out of your mind? It is a TOY OVEN. No one is being “lead astray” and no one is being “used to push an agenda.”
  
  I will never buy one of these toys for my kids, male or female, but that is because I teach them to cook real food with real ingredients in a real oven. When my son was a toddler I looked high and low for a toy kitchen that was more gender neutral–not because I have any insecurity about my son playing with something pink, but because I wanted to support a company that understood that these toys appeal to boys also. I am more disturbed about the messages sent to young girls–if you walk through a toy store, you will find toys marketed to boys to be action, construction and science-oriented. If you look at toys marketed to girls you find that aside from crafts, toys are almost all about boys, makeup, skimpy clothing, friends, shopping and fame. This Christmas while I was looking for a set of Legos for my daughter, I came upon an entire display of “What a Girl Wants” makeup and cr@p.
  
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ZAP
Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:10am
Should come with a blue dress…..

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- kickagrandma
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:13am
  high heels, jewelry….
  
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- Welcome Black Carter
  Posted on December 18, 2012 at 8:37am
  Look, we all know guys are better cooks than women. Let’s just rest in that knowledge without the chickification…
  
  Report this comment

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