Hasbro: Feature males in the packaging of the Easy-Bake Oven

Please sign my petition at http://Change.org/EasyBake

My little brother has always loved cooking. Being in the kitchen is his favorite out of school activity, and he yearns to have the opportunity to cook on his own, or at least with limited help.

Imagine my surprise when I walked into his room to find him "cooking" tortillas by placing them on top of his lamp's light bulb! Obviously, this is not a very safe way for him to be a chef, so when he asked Santa for his very own Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven, produced by the Hasbro company, for me to help him be the cook he's always wanted to be, my parents and I were immediately convinced it was the truly perfect present.

However, we soon found it quite appalling that 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 have always been adamantly against anything that promotes specific roles in society for men and women, and having grown up with toys produced by the Hasbro corporation, it truly saddens me that such a successful business would resort to conforming to society's views on what boys do and what girls do.

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.

Please join me to ask Hasbro to feature males on the packaging and in promotional materials for the Easy-Bake Ultimate Oven, as well as offering the product in different, non gender specific colors, i.e. primary colors. Please, sign this petition, help me in creating gender equality, and help the children of today become what they're destined to be tomorrow.

Please sign my petition at http://Change.org/EasyBake

• Category

  Entertainment

[Liz Quilty]

You go for it! My son loves to cook and always has, he is now 14 and also happens to like wearing pink shirts. He says if girls can wear 'pants' which are supposedly 'boy' clothes, then he can wear pink and not have to be gay.

He is also frustrated with all the toys being gender specific, and would often play with dolls when he was younger. It's about time we let men be whatever they want, and not have to be pushed into a gender stereotype !

[MsAcourtland]

I agree boys love to cook my son is 3 and loves to help me cook they should put boys on the commercial to

[diepiriye]

This is way too cute. I am so excited that an actual young person too the initiative, and have family support to speak up and speak out. Thanks for this encouraging story.

[Julia S]

You go, hon! You and young people like you give me hope for this generation. I am so happy that at such a young age you understand the need for gender equality and acceptance. Thanks for being awesome. i hope you and your little brother have a wonderful christmas!

[MindOfMikey]

Well yeah - Most celebrity chefs/cooks are men...

[joeny1980]

How can you say both: "as well as offering the product in different, non gender specific colors" ... and ... "I have always been adamantly against anything that promotes specific roles in society for men and women".  Gender specific colors? I know what you mean - but your double talking now So now when they market it in white, are boys not supposed to get the purple one now? If the kid likes the oven - buy it - he likes it with no regard to what the commercials show him... end of story.

[Kimberly Chapman]

Absolutely! My daughter wears some "boy" underpants to get the characters she likes, especially from Toy Story, Madagascar, and Shrek. Even Angry Birds only comes in boy underwear. Little girls and boys have a variety of interests and shouldn't be excluded based on gender. I love this petition and I'm really glad Liz posted it on G+! Going to share it all over now!

[Justin M.]

Good luck!