Petition Results In Hasbro Introducing Gender-Neutral Easy-Bake Oven

Image courtesy of The purple Easy-Bake Oven that inspired the petition.

The purple Easy-Bake Oven that inspired the petition.

The purple Easy-Bake Oven that inspired the petition.

We know you’ve all been following the saga of one teen’s attempt to convince Hasbro to make a less-purple version of its famous Easy Bake Oven that her brother wouldn’t be embarrassed to use. It looks like her meeting with the toy company went well, as we’ll soon see a new version of the toy oven on the market.

The folks from Change.org, where the 13-year-old’s petition to Hasbro garnered more than 44,000 signatures and the attention of worldwide media, the teen met with Hasbro today at the company’s secret lair in Rhode Island (okay, it’s not a secret, but we like to imagine that it’s something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) where Hasbro showed off a black-and-silver prototype.

In her petition, the teen had told Hasbro that though the Easy-Bake had long been a favorite toy of hers, it “promotes gender roles in society. Your packaging for the product and it’s promotional materials advertise baking and cooking as a solely girls hobby. Also, it’s ‘girls’ coloration of purple and pink make it seem as though cooking is ‘girly’, which it is not by any means.”

The new, “boy-friendly” (though we’re sure there are plenty of young females who will also opt for the black-and-silver oven) Easy-Bake is expected to go on sale some time in February.

“I’m very excited that Hasbro is introducing an Easy Bake Oven that will appeal to both boys and girls,” said the young woman who petitioned the U.S. Toy-Industrial Complex. “The Hasbro executives told me that my petition was inspiring.”

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.