Gregory Freeman: If Mr. Potato Head Falls, What Will Be Fate Of Mr. Whipple? StL PD 10/3/2000

Headline: IF MR. POTATO HEAD FALLS, WHAT WILL BE FATE OF MR. WHIPPLE?
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Tue., Oct. 3, 2000
Section: METRO, Page: C1, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT

Politically incorrect icons

Perhaps you missed the story over the weekend:

"WARWICK, R.I. -- A 6-foot Mr. Potato Head statue, one of dozens dotting Rhode Island as part of a tourism campaign, will be taken down because of complaints that the grinning, brown-skinned figure appeared racist. "The 'Tourist Tater' was painted dark brown to appear suntanned and wore an ill-fitting Hawaiian shirt, glasses and a hat. The fiberglass figure had been on display since May. Kathy Szarko, the artist who designed 'Tourist Tater, ' said that she meant no offense and that several other spud statues are a similar color.
" 'He's a potato. That's why he's brown, ' " Szarko said.

Actually, it's only surprising that someone hadn't been offended by Mr. Potato Head before now.
After all, in an era when a prominent minister criticizes Tinky Winky of the Teletubbies because he thinks the character is gay, artists, product manufacturers and even cartoonists will have to take better steps to avoid being politically incorrect.

If not, before long, we may see some of the following news stories:

"MIAMI -- Charmin, the maker of toilet paper in America for dozens of years, has agreed to pull Mr. Whipple from its ad campaign after complaints that the character makes fun of senior citizens.
"Mary O'Fuddy of the Senior Respect League argued that Whipple made fun of older Americans by making them appear to be fussy.
" 'Every time he yells at someone about squeezing the toilet paper, we have nightmares, ' O'Fuddy said. 'And then, to add insult to injury, he forgets his own rule -- stereotyping older Americans as forgetful as well -- by squeezing the paper himself.' "

"SAN FRANCISCO -- Vegans United, an organization of people who eat no meat, is in an uproar today over Star-Kist tuna's mascot, Charlie the Tuna.
   "Leaders of the group are upset about the fish's trademark comment, 'Star-Kist doesn't want tuna with good taste. Star-Kist wants tuna that tastes good.'
   " 'To eschew good taste -- something we could all use in today's society -- not only suggests to impressionable young people that good taste is not important, it encourages the public to eat tuna, a fish that has been a friend to humans for centuries, ' said Stanley Nocarney, the group's spokesman.
   "Nocarney urged the public to put on their cars bumper stickers that read, 'It's a tuna, not a choice.' "

"CHICAGO -- Quaker Oats Co., which has been making oatmeal for America's breakfast tables for a century, is under attack today by a group that says the company is pushing a particular religious affiliation.
" 'This country was built on freedom of religion, and our ancestors came to this nation to get away from forced religion, ' said Don Beleef, chairman of Atheists Inc. 'For this cereal, or any cereal, to suggest that what is wholesome is for us to become Quakers, really frosts my cookies. Whether I choose to believe in God is my business, not that of a breakfast cereal.' "

"MINNEAPOLIS -- The firm that owns the Green Giant label is giving serious consideration to removing the company's icon because of renewed complaints from some consumers.
   " 'The Green Giant has represented our company for nearly 100 years, ' said a statement issued by Pillsbury Co., which owns the vegetable manufacturer. 'We have never meant to be offensive, and we don't mean to be now.'
   "But George Gigante, chairman of Above the Clouds, an organization of people who are at least 7 feet tall, disagreed.
   " 'I can't believe that in the year 2000, this company would continue to use the name Green Giant, ' he said. 'We prefer being called tall people.' "

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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