Characteristics of Mr. Potato Head

Mr. Potato Head Features

• The modern Mr. Potato Head toy consists of a brown plastic body roughly the size and shape of a potato. The surface of the body is covered with small holes. A number of plastic parts accompany the main body. These include arms, feet, eyes, noses, mouths and accessories such as hats, glasses or mustaches. Pegs on the body parts fit the holes on the body, allowing children to decorate the body in a variety of ways. A hatch in the rear of the body allows storage of parts.

Origins

• Mr. Potato Head was invented in 1949 by George Lerner. Originally, the toy consisted only of body parts. Children would stick these into a real potato or other vegetable. Hassenfield Brothers, later Hasbro, released the toy in 1952. Toy safety regulations forced Hasbro to dull the points used to attach features to vegetables, leading to the release of the plastic potato head in 1964. The toy went through a number of shape changes over the years before reaching its characteristic wide oval shape in 1980. The first plastic head was long and irregularly shaped, while the 1973 version that replaced it was larger and darker in color. A large, light brown egg shape was introduced in 1983.

Variations

• Throughout the toy's history, Hasbro have manufactured a number of variations on the basic theme. In the 1960s, variants included Pete the Pepper, Katie Carrot, and Frenchy Fry, which were similar toys with the central body in the shape of other food items. Movie tie-in versions of Mr. Potato Head began with the release of "Toy Story" in 1995. Other films have had their own Mr. Potato Head variants, including characters from the "Star Wars" series such as Darth Tater, or the "Iron Man" Potato Head figure, Tony Starch.

Mr. Potato Head in Popular Culture

• Because of the Mr. Potato Head toy's long history, it has become a recognizable symbol in popular culture. As a result, the image of Mr. Potato Head has been used in a number of other contexts. In 1987, Mr. Potato Head, who had been portrayed as a pipe smoker since the earliest 1950s sets, served as a mascot for the American Cancer Society's anti-smoking campaign. In 2011, Hasbro announced a slimmer body for Mr. Potato Head, leading to speculation that the change resulted from a desire to emphasize exercise and physical fitness.