Idaho played a role in the development of a very dangerous toy

Not that potato farmers harmed your children, but the original Mr. Potato Head used real potatoes. Because Idaho leads the nation in production, many Idaho potatoes became toys for my childhood. The problem wasn’t the tubers. It was the sharp accessories we used – ears, eyes, noses, mouths and arms. Finally someone got the message and a safer plastic potato toy was developed. I’m sure some environmentalists rail against plastic, but the change has blinded fewer children.

This issue came up on television when I spoke with Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. The state GOP partners with Toys for Tots, collecting items for children in need. Dorothy and I are from the same generation and she remembered the real potatoes. She also reminded me of a toy called Jarts, heavy, oversized arrows with sharp ends that we threw in our backyards.

The era was satirized in an early episode of Saturday Night Live. Candace Bergen played a reporter who interviews the president of a toy company that sells bags made of sharp glass. He was played by Dan Aykroyd. It remains one of the most iconic sketches ever to air on the program and is frequently repeated in holiday specials.

Do you have memories of toys that were considered dangerous? Dorothy commented that it was amazing that we all survived. After numerous stunts I’ve tried while riding my bike, I can still (barely) walk. It was a different time and there were very few helicopter parents.

One day I was playing hockey on my porch because it was raining on the street. A friend checked on me and I walked through the large living room window. It cut off my shirt and didn’t touch my skin. I had to use my paper trail money for the new window.