Mr. Potato Head is an American toy consisting of a plastic model of a potato which can be decorated with a variety of plastic parts that can attach to the main body. These parts usually include ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth. The toy was invented and developed by George Lerner in 1949, and first manufactured and distributed by Hasbro in 1952.^[1] Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on television^[2][3] and has remained in production since its debut. The toy was originally produced as separate plastic parts with pushpins that could be stuck into a real potato or other vegetable. However, due to complaints regarding rotting vegetables and new government safety regulations, Hasbro began including a plastic potato body within the toy set.^[4]

Over the years, the original toy was joined by Mrs. Potato Head and supplemented with accessories such as a car and a boat trailer. Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head may be best known for their appearances in the Toy Story franchise. Additionally, in 1998 The Mr. Potato Head Show aired, but was short lived with only one season being produced.^[5] As one of the prominent marks of Hasbro, a Mr. Potato Head balloon has also joined others in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.^[6] Today, Mr. Potato Head can still be seen adorning hats, shirts, and ties. Toy Story Midway Mania at California Adventure Park in Disneyland California also features a large talking Mr. Potato Head.^[7]

History[link]

In the early 1950s, Brooklyn-born toy inventor George Lerner came up with the idea of inserting small, pronged body and face parts into fruits and vegetables to create a "funny face man".^[2] Lerner would often take potatoes from his mother's garden and, using various other fruits and vegetables as facial features, he would make dolls with which his younger sisters could play. The grape-eyed, carrot-nosed, potato-headed dolls became the principal idea behind the plastic toy which would later be manufactured.

In the beginning, Lerner's toy proved controversial. With the war and food rationing a recent memory for most Americans, the use of fruits and vegetables to make toys was considered irresponsible and wasteful. Toy companies rejected Lerner's creation.^[2] After several years of trying to sell the toy, Lerner finally convinced a food company to distribute the plastic parts as premiums in breakfast cereal boxes. He sold the idea for $5,000. But in 1951, Lerner showed the idea to textile manufacturers Henry and Merrill Hassenfeld, who conducted a small school supply and toy business called Hassenfeld Brothers (later changed to Hasbro). Realizing the toy was quite unlike anything in their line; they paid the cereal company $2,000 to stop production and bought the rights for $5,000. Lerner was offered an advance of $500 and a 5% royalty on every kit sold. The toy was dubbed Mr. Potato Head and went into production.^[2]

Mr. Potato Head was born on May 1, 1952. The original toy cost $0.98, and contained hands, feet, ears, two mouths, two pairs of eyes, four noses, three hats, eyeglasses, a pipe, and eight felt pieces resembling facial hair. The original Mr. Potato Head kit did not come with a potato "body", so parents had to provide their own potato into which children could stick the various pieces. Shortly after the toy's initial release, an order form for 50 additional pieces was enclosed in every kit.^[2]

On April 30, 1952, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy advertised on television. The campaign was also the first to be aimed directly at children; before this, commercials were only targeted at adults, so toy adverts had always been pitched to parents.^[8] This commercial revolutionized marketing, and caused an industrial boom. Over one million kits were sold in the first year.^[2] In 1953, Mrs. Potato Head was added, and soon after, Brother Spud and Sister Yam completed the Potato Head family with accessories reflecting the affluence of the fifties that included a car, a boat trailer,^[9] a kitchen set, a stroller, and pets called Spud-ettes. Although originally produced as separate plastic parts to be stuck into a real potato or other vegetable, a plastic potato was added to the kit in 1964.^[1]

In the 1960s, government regulations forced the Potato Head parts to be less sharp, leaving them unable to puncture vegetables easily. By 1964, the company was therefore forced to include a plastic potato "body" in its kit. Little children were also choking on the small pieces and cutting themselves with the sharp pieces.^[10] About this time, Hasbro introduced Oscar the Orange and Pete the Pepper, a plastic orange and green pepper with attachable face parts similar to Mr. Potato Head's. Each came with Mr. Potato Head in a separate kit. Female characters Katie Carrot and Cookie Cucumber also made an appearance. Hasbro also made a fast food based line called Mr. Potato Head's Picnic Pals. Some characters where Mr. Soda Pop Head and Franky Franky Frank. The friends and pals were later discontinued, but Funko revived Oscar and Pete as bobbleheads (along with a Mr. Potato Head bobblehead) in 2002.

In 1975, the main potato part of the toy doubled in size and the dimensions of its accessories were similarly increased. This was done mainly because of new toy child safety regulations that were introduced by the U.S. government. This change in size also increased the market to younger children, enabling them to play and attach the facial pieces easily. Hasbro also replaced the holes with flat slats, which made it impossible for users to put the face pieces and other body parts the wrong way around. In the 1980s, Hasbro reduced the range of accessories for Mr. Potato Head to one set of parts. The company did, however, reintroduce round holes in the main potato body, and once again parts were able to go onto the toy in the wrong locations.

In 1986, Mr. Potato Head became "Spokespud" for the annual Great American Smokeout and surrendered his pipe to Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in Washington, D.C.^[1]

In 1995, Mr. Potato Head made his debut in Hollywood with a leading role in the Disney/Pixar animated feature Toy Story.^[1]

In 2000, Mr. Potato Head was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame at The Strong in Rochester, NY.

In 2006, Hasbro also began selling sets of pieces without bodies for customers to add to their collections. Some of these themed sets included Mermaid, Rockstar, Pirate, King, Princess, Firefighter, Construction Worker, Halloween, Santa Claus, Chef, and Police Officer. In the same year, Hasbro introduced a line called "Sports Spuds"^[11] with a generic plastic potato (smaller than the standard size) customized to a wide variety of professional and collegiate teams.

In 2011, Mr. Potato Head got his first new look in nearly 30 years.^[12]

Versions[link]

In recent years, Hasbro has produced Potato Head sets based on media properties that Hasbro produces toys for under license.

These include the Star Wars-themed "Darth Tater",^[13][14] "Spud Trooper"^[15] and "R2-POTATOO",^[1][16] a 2007 Transformers film-themed "Optimash Prime",^[17] a pair of Spider-Man (red suit and black suit)-themed "Spider-Spud/Peter Tater", a Indiana Jones-themed "Taters of the Lost Ark" set ^[18] (which, despite the title, was released as a tie-in to 2008's Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull), an Iron Man 2-themed "Tony Starch" and a "Trick or Tater" version for Halloween in October 2008. An additional five Star Wars-themed potato heads were sold exclusively through Disney theme parks including "Luke Frywalker," "Yam Solo," "Spuda Fett," "Princess Tater," and "Darth Mash."

In 2009 "Bumble Spud"^[19] was produced based on the movie Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. A Kiss version of Mr. Potato Head was produced recently. Disney, in cooperation with Hasbro, also released "Chipbacca", "Mashter Yoda", and "C-3PotatO" in October 2009 at Disney Parks. To celebrate Toy Story 3, five new Mr. Potato Heads were unveiled including Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Mrs. Potato Head, and the classic Mr. Potato Head.^[20] To promote The Looney Tunes Show, Hasbro unveiled Bugs Bunny-, Daffy Duck- and Tasmanian Devil-themed Mr. Potato Head dolls.

In 2011 it was announced at the New York Toy fair that a second Elvis Mr. Potato Head (based on his 1968 TV special) would be released, as well as sets for The Wizard of Oz (Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Lion), the Three Stooges, and Star Trek (Kirk and Kor). These will all be released through PPW toys. From Hasbro, there will be a SpongeBob SquarePants release as well.

Since 2011, new models of the Mr. Potato Head toys have been produced which are commonly referred to as Jason. The Mrs. Potato Head version of the toy was also brought out in early 2012, this is commonly known as Rachel, and has a bean-like head to represent the likeness that she has to a baked bean.

In 2012 Hasbro and PPW Toys have a plan to release Mr Potato Head in his Batman forum for the upcoming Christopher Nolan movie The Dark Knight Rises which comes out on July 20th, 2012, They are working together and are doing a tie-in to the upcoming movie, They are going to be making the toy and it's in development, The toy itself will be called The Dark Spud and will have Mr Potato Head dressed up as the Caped Crusader for the movie, He will include a cape, A mask, A utility belt, And of course a batarang to hold in his left hand, But also he was unveiled at the New York 2012 Toy Fair and was on display!

Optimash Prime[link]

Optimash Prime is a hybrid of two children's characters, Optimus Prime of the Transformers toy line and Mr. Potato Head.^[21]

Made to tie in with the live-action film Transformers (2007), it is the fifth product tie-in Hasbro has done with its Mr. Potato Head brand.

The toy takes on the look of the original Optimus Prime from The Transformers (1984–1987), an animated television series, instead of his new updated look seen in the film.

Impact on popular culture[link]

Mr. Potato Head's popularity has led him to some appearances in films and television. In 1985, Mr Potato Head played a supporting role in Potato Head Kids, his first dramatic television appearance. In 1995, Mr. Potato Head appeared in the Disney/Pixar film Toy Story, voiced by Don Rickles. He returned between 1999 and 2010 in Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3 alongside Mrs. Potato Head. In 1998-99, he had his own short-lived Fox Kids series, The Mr. Potato Head Show. In addition to film and television, the character has been the subject of a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Cartoonist Gary Larson included the character in several of his The Far Side cartoons. In commercial for Bridgestone tires during Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, Mr. Potato Head is driving a car and Mrs. Potato Head is nagging him.

Mr Potato Head has also acted as spokesperson for several causes. In 1987, Mr Potato Head surrendered his pipe to become the spokesperson for the American Cancer Society's annual "Great American Smokeout" campaign. He performed the role for several years. In 1992, he received a special award from the President's Council for Physical Fitness. In 1996, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head joined the League of Women Voters and their "Get Out the Vote" campaign. Mr. Potato Head is also the inspiration/main character of an upcoming fan film, Potato Headed.

The famous toy has made other appearances. In 1997 Burger King brought him aboard for the introduction of their new French fry and their "Try the Fry" campaign. In Britain, Walkers crisps has a line of crisps called Potato Heads, featuring a Potato Head rendition of Gary Lineker on the packet.^[22] An interactive Audio-Animatronic version appears in the queue for the Toy Story Midway Mania! attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure Park.

Bill Bryson briefly talked about the character (its early incarnation) in The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, calling it amongst the most pointless toys of his childhood—it let kids confirm the harsh truth that even with eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hat, etc. it is still only a middle-class tuber.

Page 44 of Earth (The Book) is dedicated to Mr. Potato Head, and he is described as a "popular children's toy whose sensory organs could be quickly removed and stored in" an unfortunate location. Mr. Potato Head is also the host of the video game, Hasbro Family Game Night and it's sequels.

In the English language, "potato-head" is a slang term used to describe either a person with a potato-like shape to their head, or someone who lacks intelligence. It's in reference to this, and not the toy, that Louis Armstrong recorded Potato Head Blues in 1927.^[23]

In the pilot episode of the sitcom Friends, Jennifer Aniston's character, Rachel Green explains to the gang how her ex-fiance looked just like Mr. Potato Head

Games[link]

Mr. Potato Head has appeared in the popular Wii/DS games "Hasbro Family Game Night 1, 2, and upcoming 3 as he hosts your Family Game night in 2. He has appeared in several Toy Story based video games along with Toy Story Activity Center.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Mr. Potato Head

• Hasbro - Mr Potato Head Official website
• Original Mr. Potato Head commercial

Potato head may refer to:

• Mr. Potato Head, a popular children's doll, consisting of a plastic model of a potato
• Potato Head Blues, a 1927 jazz recording by Louis Armstrong

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