Mr. Potato Head was first introduced in 1949 and is one of the most recognizable toys in the world. It originally came with ears, eyes, shoes, a hat, a nose, and a mouth, yet no plastic potato! Children used to use an actual potato and simply arrange the pieces however they wished. Today it remains in production, yet Hasbro received so many complaints about using an actual vegetable that they began creating an artificial one.
Parents hated the toy because their children would decorate a potato and leave it for days or weeks, causing it to rot and smell. Eventually, the government became uncomfortable with children constantly handling rotten vegetables so they implemented safety regulations, resulting in the Mr. Potato Head that we have today!