Our little state has been in turmoil for years.  Bankruptcy, federal takeover of the largest school district, Speakers of the House ending up in prison (as have a mayor and a handful of state representatives).  Summer and fall protests, looting, burning, attacking diners on Federal Hill.  The list goes on and on, but I’ll spare you the rest.  Let’s just say the FBI keeps busy here in the smallest state of the union.

And of course Covid.  Or Corona, as it was known as a year ago.  The previous weeks have been rough, as the vaccine rollout was barely a trickle and no one appeared to be in charge to address the problems.  Our governor is leaving for DC.  Amidst the screaming from mayors and state reps, this week the Covid vaccine began to be available to those 65 and older.  Now that CVS, local senior centers and a state-run mega site are distributing the vaccine, people are beginning to schedule their shots.  A sigh of relief was heard o’er the land.

But the real issue?  The reason people in this state were in an uproar this week?

Mr. Potato Head has dropped the “Mr.” in order to be “gender neutral”.  He will now be sold as Potato Head.

Which is hilarious, especially because Rhode Islanders are so miffed.  If there was a State Toy, this would be ours.  In other words, don’t mess with our potato.

He began in here in 1952.  Are you old enough to remember that originally the toy was sold as only the little decorative pieces?  We supplied our own potatoes.

And yes, I used a real potato.  I am that old.  

He was the first toy to be advertised on television, in 1952.

In 1964 he was sold with the plastic body.  Those plastic pieces had been declared dangerous, as their sharp ends pierced little fingers and also could be swallowed.  So the ends were blunted, the pieces enlarged and a plastic potato body was born.

A line of Potato Head friends and family developed.  He had all sorts of outfits.  He was a star on Toy Story.  Somewhere along the line he quit smoking and lost his pipe.

And now he is woke.  The world has a gender-neutral potato.

I cannot stop laughing.