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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts) Mon Dec 3, 2012, 05:10 PM Dec 2012

13-Year-Old Girl Asks Easy Bake Oven To End Sexist Ads: [View all]

13-Year-Old Girl Asks Easy Bake Oven To End Sexist Ads: ‘I Want My Brother To Know That It’s Not Wrong’ To Cook

Thirteen year old Mckenna Pope’s little brother loves to cook. But when he watches the commercials for a product he’s hoping to get for Christmas — the Easy Bake Oven — he only sees girls playing with the toy. Because of that, he believes that “only girls play with it.”

Pope is hoping to change that perception with a video and a petition. She is asking Hasboro — maker of the Easy Bake Oven — to start putting boys in their commercials, so that her little brother sees it’s okay for boys to cook:

Boys are not featured in packaging or promotional materials for Easy Bake Ovens — this toy my brother’s always dreamed about. And the oven comes in gender-specific hues: purple and pink.

I feel that this sends a clear message: women cook, men work.

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. There are, as a matter of fact, a multitude of very talented and successful male culinary geniuses, i.e. Emeril, Gordon Ramsey, etc. Unfortunately, Hasbro has made going against the societal norm that girls are the ones in the kitchen even more difficult.

Watch her appeal:

http://thinkprogress.org/media/2012/12/03/1274581/easy-bake-oven/

114 replies

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Highlight:

13-Year-Old Girl Asks Easy Bake Oven To End Sexist Ads: [View all] The Straight Story Dec 2012 OP

My daughter wanted sarisataka Dec 2012 #1

Kudos to you, ma'am. AverageJoe90 Dec 2012 #46

Actually it would be sarisataka Dec 2012 #54

Heh, sorry. AverageJoe90 Dec 2012 #57

I found this article very interesting SummerSnow Dec 2012 #2

I have noticed that almost invariably men are called "chefs", women are called "cooks". Odin2005 Dec 2012 #39

In Little House on the Prairie XemaSab Dec 2012 #48

That's pretty neat. AverageJoe90 Dec 2012 #51

Is that from the TV show? Because that's not what happened in the books. Brickbat Dec 2012 #71

? Separation Dec 2012 #56

Not on the serious cooking competitions hifiguy Dec 2012 #87

It's sexist but you're not quite there yet jmowreader Dec 2012 #95

:) Democracyinkind Dec 2012 #104

Here is a link to the petition. FedUpWithIt All Dec 2012 #3

when I was a kid my sister had an easybake oven. it was blue Kali Dec 2012 #4

I had a creepy crawler edible machine when I was a kid. I loved it! Dont call me Shirley Dec 2012 #20

I had Go Vols Dec 2012 #22

Incredible Edibles, remember them! TheBlackAdder Dec 2012 #27

yeah but I had to buy those with my own money Kali Dec 2012 #58

oh yeah - I remember that Kali Dec 2012 #28

Have to agree treestar Dec 2012 #53

Uber-pinkness can be traced to Disney and the popularity of princesses in the late 90's early 00's.. Moonwalk Dec 2012 #59

Wow, you're right. I remember when Easybake ovens were blue too. Gormy Cuss Dec 2012 #85

YouTube video is very sweet Enrique Dec 2012 #5

Excellent!!! one_voice Dec 2012 #6

What a great sister! texshelters Dec 2012 #7

I never understood why the Easy Bake Oven was frowned upon as toy for boys... Javaman Dec 2012 #8

I was my dorm's cook as well dsc Dec 2012 #9

This is what cornstarch is for jmowreader Dec 2012 #97

Because peer pressure acts to maintain sexist gender norms. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #38

They still make Easy Bake Ovens? Warren DeMontague Dec 2012 #10

I bought my son an Easy Bake Oven when he was 7 because sufrommich Dec 2012 #11

If you expose boys to cooking, they can get a distorted idea of what a man is supposed to be. Warren DeMontague Dec 2012 #12

How about the Cake Boss? blueamy66 Dec 2012 #75

He just opened a restaurant in NYC hifiguy Dec 2012 #88

Have you ever seem him actually cook? blueamy66 Dec 2012 #91

I've seen him EAT. But, you're right. Warren DeMontague Dec 2012 #94

He won the second season of the show Food Network Star.... Little Star Dec 2012 #99

I never knew that. blueamy66 Dec 2012 #101

The show he won was a cooking competition. So yes he can cook. Little Star Dec 2012 #103

Cooking show or TV show star? blueamy66 Dec 2012 #109

I knew you were asking a serious question and.. Little Star Dec 2012 #110

No problem blueamy66 Dec 2012 #111

I think it's disgusting nearly everything targeted to girls is either pink or purple. gkhouston Dec 2012 #13

"the pink avalanche" woo me with science Dec 2012 #15

Same here! Fawke Em Dec 2012 #17

I have a granddaughter Freddie Dec 2012 #30

LOL, my mom had two girls and then a boy Mariana Dec 2012 #112

You would hate the thrift store I work at. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #42

Not surprising. It can be difficult to find clothes for girls that aren't pink/purple, gkhouston Dec 2012 #44

Not to hijack this thread but WolverineDG Dec 2012 #70

I never buy the pink version of things. I actually like the color, and wear it gkhouston Dec 2012 #72

But.... James48 Dec 2012 #14

Couple of things. First, Aldo Leopold Dec 2012 #16

My sister had one and I used it more than her Canuckistanian Dec 2012 #18

Same here... I wanted snacks! So, I made my own! nt TheBlackAdder Dec 2012 #29

I remember the ads for them in the Sears catalogs with the yummy chocolate cake! Quixote1818 Dec 2012 #19

I loved my easy bake oven as a kid Liberal_in_LA Dec 2012 #21

Easy fix to this jmowreader Dec 2012 #23

where were you when my squids were young? Kali Dec 2012 #25

a toaster oven and Iron Chef on DVD KurtNYC Dec 2012 #31

+1 Heywood J Dec 2012 #67

My brother and I always wanted an easy bake oven Victor_c3 Dec 2012 #24

I sewed with my mom and wanted an easy-bake oven....and turned out totally gay DonRedwood Dec 2012 #35

Yup, that was a close one :) Victor_c3 Dec 2012 #66

I'm thinking your daughters will turn out DonRedwood Dec 2012 #83

Your daughters are lucky to have such a cool dad. hifiguy Dec 2012 #90

You sir, are indeed a man of real integrity. AverageJoe90 Dec 2012 #50

To copy my post from another thread about a similar topic... Victor_c3 Dec 2012 #79

Yes, indeed. Very good point & post! AverageJoe90 Dec 2012 #98

It's too bad you didn't know about all the usually male-dominated professions kentauros Dec 2012 #62

Actually, before I became an officer in the Army, I enlisted as a medic n/t Victor_c3 Dec 2012 #78

Cool! kentauros Dec 2012 #84

There is nothing sexier than a man who can cook. juajen Dec 2012 #74

Of the people I work and associate with, I'm the only guy who can cook Victor_c3 Dec 2012 #77

when I was a kid maindawg Dec 2012 #26

I'm a dude and was SOOOOOOOOO jealous of my neighbors easy-bake oven DonRedwood Dec 2012 #32

My 13 year old nephew wouldn't know what to do with one..... whistler162 Dec 2012 #33

Good for her. My nephew likes cooking, beads, etc. and it's annoying that the Politicub Dec 2012 #34

At age 6, I learned the hard way that plastic pans don't make good baking dishes when my catbyte Dec 2012 #36

I think it is about time to end sex-based color-coding, as well. Odin2005 Dec 2012 #37

I don't cook.. HipChick Dec 2012 #40

You sound like my girlfriend! kentauros Dec 2012 #63

Tell it, McKenna! Ken Burch Dec 2012 #41

How to tell if a toy is for a girl or a boy Paulie Dec 2012 #43

Back when I was a kid I think the Easy Bake ovens were all beige? LeftyMom Dec 2012 #45

Yay 13 year old girl! Matariki Dec 2012 #47

This message was self-deleted by its author Dems50State Dec 2012 #49

A boy in my family wanted one! treestar Dec 2012 #52

I wanted one! deutsey Dec 2012 #69

They are part of the set! treestar Dec 2012 #82

I think it is actually harder for boys then girls to blur the gender lines these days. Jennicut Dec 2012 #73

So true. treestar Dec 2012 #81

I think your absolutely right. There has to be a reason for that. Little Star Dec 2012 #107

A friend's son was told recently that he couldn't play with something because it was pink, LeftyMom Dec 2012 #55

I'm glad she's doing that. kentauros Dec 2012 #60

As a chef i support this 100% Arcanetrance Dec 2012 #61

I bought one for my son hardluck Dec 2012 #64

I'm sure at some point I will end up buying my son liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #65

Gender targeting in advertising usually sucks jmowreader Dec 2012 #100

I agree with this girl 100% unreadierLizard Dec 2012 #68

many toys for little girls are to "play" raising babies, "play" cook, even "play" keeping house stuntcat Dec 2012 #76

It's stupid for girls to play with what they want to play with?? cbdo2007 Dec 2012 #93

This is silly... vilify Dec 2012 #80

What do you mean because it's for girls? The Straight Story Dec 2012 #86

I started to cook when I was 12-13 years old hifiguy Dec 2012 #89

I'm reminded of a certain Seinfeld episode. progressoid Dec 2012 #92

Forget the Easy Bake oven LittleBlue Dec 2012 #96

4 daughters here, all very close in age. I bought them Little Star Dec 2012 #102

Children ARE allowed to play with any type of toy they want....your post is proof of that.... cbdo2007 Dec 2012 #106

I don't think all children are allowed. And until all are allowed there is a problem.... Little Star Dec 2012 #108

It took a long time for my husband to evolve liberal_at_heart Dec 2012 #113

Oddly enough, I've been cooking since I was younger than 10. Xyzse Dec 2012 #105

This gives me hope for our future. Le Taz Hot Dec 2012 #114