Hasbro to meet with girl camapigner

PAWTUCKET, R.I., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Hasbro officials said they will meet with a 13-year-old New Jersey girl who campaigned for the toymaker to make a boy-friendly Easy-Bake Oven for her brother.

McKenna Pope, 13, of Bergen County gained 42,000 signatures on her Change.org petition to have Hasbro feature boys as well as girls on the packaging for the toy oven to stop reinforcing gender stereotypes and let boys like her younger brother know it's OK to want to cook, NJ.com reported Thursday.

"I want my brother to know that it's not 'wrong' for him to want to be a chef, that it's okay to go against what society believes to be appropriate," the girl wrote.

Pope's petition, which includes a YouTube video of her explaining to her brother that he can play with the oven despite it having only girls on the packaging, has led to appearances on CNN and "Good Morning America."

Hasbro said Pope and her family have been invited to the company's Pawtucket, R.I., headquarters to meet with officials.

"Through the years, based on both market research and buying patterns, we have seen that the primary interest in the Easy-Bake Oven comes from girls," the company said in a statement. "Clearly we believe it is a great product that can provide lots of enjoyment for both girls and boys ages 8 and up."