Top chefs join call for gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - Some well-known male chefs are getting behind a New Jersey girl's call for Hasbro to make a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven.
Chefs including Manuel Trevino of TV's "Top Chef" and Michael Lomonaco of Porterhouse New York are featured in a YouTube video applauding McKenna Pope's online petition, which had reached about 40,000 signatures as of Tuesday on the website Change.org.
The 13-year-old 8th-grader from Garfield, N.J., started the petition when she went to buy an Easy-Bake Oven for her 4-year-old-brother, Gavyn Boscio, but discovered it comes only in purple and pink. She wants Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro to feature boys on the box of the toy and to make it in gender-neutral colors.
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay said last week he agreed that Hasbro should make an oven in other colors to appeal to boys, and in the nearly 3-minute-long video posted online Tuesday by Flay's publicist, several chefs from around the country joined in on the call.
A spokesman for Hasbro did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Lomonaco is known for his TV appearances and was executive chef at Windows on the World atop the north tower of the World Trade Center at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In the video, he and other chefs root for McKenna.
"We signed your petition McKenna! You get Hasbro to change that packaging! Little boys and little girls can all be chefs," he says to cheers from the rest of his kitchen.
Laurent Tourondel, who has started restaurants around the world, says cooking is for girls AND boys, while New York chef Spencer Rubin asks: "Hasbro, please make an Easy-Bake for dudes."
Joshua Whigham, of The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Los Angeles, says he supports making an Easy-Bake that's more friendly for boys.
"I can understand not wanting to cook on a pink oven," he says. "Ask Hasbro for a steel, or a black or a something really cool oven."
Brad Spence of Amis Trattoria in Philadelphia says he has young children at home.
"My son, I cook with him every Sunday, so I'd love to see something like that happen," he says.
McKenna's mother, Erica Boscio, told The Associated Press that McKenna is scheduled to meet with Hasbro on Monday.
Chefs including Manuel Trevino of TV's "Top Chef" and Michael Lomonaco of Porterhouse New York are featured in a YouTube video applauding McKenna Pope's online petition, which had reached about 40,000 signatures as of Tuesday on the website Change.org.
The 13-year-old 8th-grader from Garfield, N.J., started the petition when she went to buy an Easy-Bake Oven for her 4-year-old-brother, Gavyn Boscio, but discovered it comes only in purple and pink. She wants Pawtucket, R.I.-based Hasbro to feature boys on the box of the toy and to make it in gender-neutral colors.
Celebrity chef Bobby Flay said last week he agreed that Hasbro should make an oven in other colors to appeal to boys, and in the nearly 3-minute-long video posted online Tuesday by Flay's publicist, several chefs from around the country joined in on the call.
A spokesman for Hasbro did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
Lomonaco is known for his TV appearances and was executive chef at Windows on the World atop the north tower of the World Trade Center at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. In the video, he and other chefs root for McKenna.
"We signed your petition McKenna! You get Hasbro to change that packaging! Little boys and little girls can all be chefs," he says to cheers from the rest of his kitchen.
Laurent Tourondel, who has started restaurants around the world, says cooking is for girls AND boys, while New York chef Spencer Rubin asks: "Hasbro, please make an Easy-Bake for dudes."
Joshua Whigham, of The Bazaar by Jose Andres in Los Angeles, says he supports making an Easy-Bake that's more friendly for boys.
"I can understand not wanting to cook on a pink oven," he says. "Ask Hasbro for a steel, or a black or a something really cool oven."
Brad Spence of Amis Trattoria in Philadelphia says he has young children at home.
"My son, I cook with him every Sunday, so I'd love to see something like that happen," he says.
McKenna's mother, Erica Boscio, told The Associated Press that McKenna is scheduled to meet with Hasbro on Monday.
They do make one, I bought one for my son. It is green and black, and it comes with gummy worms and stuff so you can make monster boy cakes and stuff or just regular things. Good grief where is the reasearch???
 @trulyloved That isn't the same. As you stated... "good grief, where is the research?" Seriously, do some searching before looking foolish.Â
Google about the pink Lionel train fiasco. Toys are targeted to markets, if the market isn't big enough they probably won't change the targeting.
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We never bought one of those for our daughter because it took up a lot of room for something of such limited value; she could make cakes and cookies in the kitchen, with real appliances. Those things are garage sale fodder.
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I had a Mattel Thingmaker which I promptly burned myself with. Didn't get much use out of it, but the slot car track, that got a LOT of use. I don't know if they made one "for girls" but my sisters liked to use mine.
Not that I think it makes the slightest difference, but I remember these things being red (maybe green or turquoise, too?) back in the 60s and 70s. Â Always wanted one, never got one, and, yeah, it still stings. Â My parents thought I'd burn myself or catch something on fire.
I'd be more excited about a petition demanding that goods be manufactured in THIS country rather than overseas.
I wonder if they're going to make them in that ugly Avocado color from the 70's? I also don't think that color is important to kids. They just want to play with the toy.
@Papa983Â
And don't forget "harvest gold" !
@LocalLady lol, that's what color mine was.
 @LocalLady And (puke-y) Pumpkin!  Or, if you had really "with it" taste, a triumvirate of all three.
This is funny because with the banning of the incandescent lightbulb, these ovens will be unusable soon.
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 @localperspective Nope. They use a heating element instead of a lightbulb now because of that.
I wonder if the Chinese have gender neutral ovens, I hope that when they take over they sort all thgis stuff out
 @livinintheNW a fire pit has no gender issues
 @livinintheNW "When"?
Since when did the color of something stop boys from using it. I just can't believe how petty people are getting about so many trivial things.
 @Jatok They aren't being petty. I don't understand all the flak against this. Its just a freaking color addition. Thats all they want. They aren't demanding it, they aren't suing for it, its a simple, democratic, petition.
@IlBrutto13 I guess it's all in how you look at it. When you consider all the kids in this country fighting the battle with cancer, abuse, neglect, homeless, hungry, and without even the basic necessities my thought would be to tell my child that there are lots of kids out there that would gladly trade him places. And I would explain why so that he would come around to realizing that having a gender neutral toy is not that big of a deal after all. Yes, he may be learning about democracy, but he's missing a far bigger picture in reality.
 @Jatok I tried it with my son, he was playing too much XBOX so I bought a pink controller....nope, didn't bother him one bit.
Boys don't like purple? Since when? Doesn't anyone remember the book Harold and the Purple Crayon? Wait...kids probably don't read these days anyway.
I think this is much ado about nothing...please, it's a plastic box and a lightbulb. My brothers had NO problem playing w/ my easy bake oven when we were kids. It was more of a fascination w/ seeing what they could burn under that lightbulb than how many tasty "mini cakes" we made...did you know that mud really can be dried out in them? As well as some more unmentionable types of wet substances usually found in fields...I'm just saying...
 @takncarabizniz Oh! I remember that book!!! Nice childhood flashback - thanks :)
 @takncarabizniz:Â
I LOVE that story! It was also one of my son's favorites when he was young. I still have it - and hope to some day read it to my Grandchildren.
Hasbro should follow the lead of real appliance manufacturers. Offer an Easy-Bake Sport at the current price in a choice of black or white. Purple, pink, and other interesting colors would be reserved for the Easy-Bake Elite, which is basically the same oven but costs 30% more.
I really fail to see why so many people are complaining about this. A young girl wants a product to be made in a version that may attract more people to buy it for there little boys. All they want is a color option. There is no lawsuit, nothing negative at all. Lots of men cook and I don't see a problem with Hasbro making a plain white, or red, or whatever color easy bake oven. Its a simple petition started by a child. Show some respect for the democratic process.
 @IlBrutto13 Agreed. Plus she does have a point - put pictures of girls AND boys on the box! She's a kid who is thinking about her little brother - cut her some slack!
@IlBrutto13 - I absolutely agree with you. What a great way to teach a kid that they CAN make a difference. I would buy my nephew an Easy Bake in a heartbeat if it were a more neutral color. It's about time! And I love that world-class chefs are in support of this too.
I give them credit for just suggesting the idea and gaining supporters. Â At least they are not Suing Hasbro like most idiots would.Â
Dude, buy the purple and spray paint it black. Problem solved. Good grief.Â
 @Bianca Then turn it on and let your child inhale the fresh paint fumes burning off.
Isn't that a bit like handing a jock strap to a girl who wants to play on the boy's team?
The story mentions a video that was posted on YouTube. I can't find it. Â Anybody else find it?
 @Mary Try http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1hB0S7u06U&feature=player_embedded
OMG. REALLY!!!!!!!
Remember people.You have a choice.Don't buy this BSÂ
Gosh.
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Thank heavens someone is reporting on such important news.
I support the Girl for finding something to "fight" for - However -
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The Color is only a prob if YOU make it a Problem....kids DO NOT know to be judge unless shown/told to be - they are born w/o prejudice. Who cares what color it is...they all cook the same, right?? I've gotten my son stuff before that may have not been the 'right' color, I just didnt mention it,...and he didnt care...
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He's a rough and tumble, mohawk wearing, RockNRoll type of kid and he plays with his sissies Barbies in the Tub. Never have I thought it was weird or strange...if you let it "play out"Â it usually ends with them playing with those "items" appropiately - He plays "pirates" with them, and uses his "boy" toys to smash them usually...lol
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I saw an AWESOME article on Huff Post today - yes, I know a rather biased news source but it was still a great article...GOOGLE It!!
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A little boy got dressed for his 1st day of Pre-School....while doing so, chose to wear a pair of pink, Zebra striped shoes one of the girls had in the house...his mom let him wear them, took a pic, posted it on FB, She stated that he came home from school, and NONE of the kids said a single mean thing to him and in fact, complimented him on his cool new shoes....but Facebook however, let her have it...including very harsh posts from her own family...she eventually took the pic down....
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So, at the end of the say she asked the kid why he chose the pink zebra shoes, as she usually lets him pick his own clothes, letting him have control over his own body.....he said the Color never occured to him...It's just that "Zebras are my favorite Animal"....Boom....
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These are the news topics that cause me to lose so much sleep..
 @kbbcoop Then you seriously need to get a real life.
@MaxVonToadenoff @kbbcoop Ummm - you're obviously new here. kbbcoop is abundant with the sarcasm. ;)
Wow, if they are so concerned with promoting gender equality, how about we focus on the big issues? The fact that men are discriminated against in the courts, the fact that men are 13x more likely to die on the job than women, the fact that 90% of the homeless are men, the fact that 80% of suicides are men, the fact that 75% of assault victims are men......any of these are issues worth concerning yourself with. The fact that Suzy gets her pink EZ Bake oven while Jimmy doesn't get his in gunmetal gray? Not so much.......
@dg54321 So what are you doing about it? If you don't like these statistics (and I agree that they are terrible), I hope you are doing more than just writing about them and are you out there affecting change. Are you volunteering at the Union Gospel or someplace similar to help the homeless men get off the street and into job training? Working with legal groups to prevent discrimination in the courts?  Are you working with a suicide prevention group?  Working with an anti-violence group to lower the rates on those 75% of men who are assault victims or working to discourage those who perpetrate violence? Â
 @dg54321 You forgot to mention how the media has run stories asking whether men are still needed. They also seem to run stories every couple months explaining how women are actually better at just about everything. It seems things are changing to where men are actually being discriminated against on an increasing basis.
 @Paddy Congrats. How's that red pill taste? I wasn't trying to give an exhaustive list of the ways men are being turned into second class citizens on a daily basis. I doubt there would be enough room on the page. You are absolutely correct, and it's not just the news; watch any TV show these days and you will find the stereotypical "strong woman who has to show up every male who are bumbling idiots" on TV. Men are shown as stupid fools while women are geniuses who always have to save the day after the dumb husband/boyfriend ruins it all. No matter what the woman is right, man is wrong and dumb.....it's stupid and offensive. The problem is, I go out here in public and see so many whipped men it's not even funny.
 @dg54321 Yet you chose to read and comment on this story. She is learning to affect important things. This is important to a 13-year-old.  She will grow and move on to other things that are important to her. Take a deep breath.
If we spent as much time working harder and trying to improve ourselves as we do railing against or for any number of pointless causes in this country we would be in a lot better shape...just saying. Everyone has to have a "cause" now....its just stupid. In my opinion....
Can't believe all the negative commentary on here directed at a 13 year old who started a petition because she doesn't want her little brother to feel like he is getting a gift that is for a girl. Geez, she's just a kid, lighten up people.
This crap is long out of control and is what is ruining America. If you don't like it then don't buy it.
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Either way, real men wear purple.
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Go Dawgs!
Oh BROTHER! Â It looks like a microwave, are they going to petition Amana to make gender neutral microwaves too? Â Sheesh. Â My original one 40 years ago was sky blue and looked like a real oven. Â Maybe they should buy a vintage one........
@Doxie How are microwaves *not* gender neutral? All of the ones I've been looking at lately seem to be silver/stainless.
 @Silvia  @Doxie The PC-helicopter parents will find a way..........
If you go to hasbro.com they have a green Easy Bake Oven.
I think this is much ago about nothing. The "chefs" making a big deal out of it are the ones being childish.Â
As a leprechaun Iâm insulted