This week, some families have been voicing their concerns to PlayDoh after buying a toy they claim looks like a penis. The object in question is part of a cake-making set (it’s for pretend cakes, meant for play, not for eating) and is designed to pump decorative icing onto cookies, cakes, and other treats. However, many parents on social media feel it looks less like a toy for kids and more like something that should come in plain packaging.
If the backlash over making the toy wasn’t enough, the company is now dealing with a second wave of criticism for removing images and questions from the Play-Doh Facebook page about the penis-shaped toy. After receiving many posts, the company replied, not apologizing for the extruder or stating whether the item is inappropriate, but promising to redesign it for future products and inviting anyone who wants to exchange the piece.
We have heard some consumer feedback about the extruder tool in the Play-Doh Cake Mountain playset and are in the process of updating all future Play-Doh products with a different tool. Should any consumer want a replacement extruder for this item, they can contact Hasbro’s Customer Service Department at 800-327-8264.
The image below, taken from Amazon’s page for the toy (the Play-Doh Sweet Shoppe Cake Mountain Playset), looks innocent enough.
The device alone, as shown in packaging imagery, doesn’t look bad.
However, with the inner piece taken out, and held up in the light, the device takes on a slightly different look.
https://twitter.com/bmance_kingdoms/status/549266546896293888/
Others are saying that the backlash the company is receiving is overblown, and that anyone who sees anything inappropriate in the device should take a step back and consider their own thoughts, rather than blaming Play-Doh.
Whether it’s the design that’s bad or just a crowd of dirty-minded consumers, Play-Doy is promising replacemensts to thos who want them, and that future iterations of the tool will not look like a penis.
[photo credit: dbrekke]