UPDATE: Many is the petition that makes the news and then quickly fades into obscurity, never to change the world as it valiantly hoped. But that's not the case here. Mckenna Pope got over 45,000 signatures on her petition to Hasbro requesting a more gender-neutral version of its famous Easy-Bake Oven in the name of equality — and wouldn't you know, Hasbro actually responded!
The Miami Herald reports that Pope and her family met with Hasbro execs, who had been working on a new design for months. Mckenna and her little brother Gavyn were pleased to see a silver and blue prototype, and that the company plans to re-think its marketing campaign to include boys. Gavyn called the new Easy-Bake "awesome," and we totally agree. Hasbro claims they've been working on this for 18 months, which is great, but the coincidence is a teeny bit suspect. Not that we care — in fact, we sincerely hope they were influenced by Mckenna's thoughtful petition.
Read up on the backstory on the next page...then enjoy the rest of the day with the knowledge that yes, one person can make a difference.
