So, why potatoes? I’m so glad you didn’t actually ask but decided to read this anyway! Potato Squad says that potatoes represent “the simple awesomeness we want to embody, as well as life on Earth.” We are all creatures of Earth, and I think taking the symbol of a potato, unassuming but brilliant, shows that we are not above Earth but defending it in all its facets and flawed (except not really flawed, depending on how you see things) beauty. And also, potatoes are awesome! I mean, aren’t they so cool??? I aspire to be like that, and extend anyone in the world that hope. Climate change is a heavy, huge threat, and I like having the reminder that all is not lost. Simple joys, like potatoes, are still here, and we will stand by and preserve them. Working together to preserve Earth — and being awesome — is the meaning of Potatohood. But beyond the Potato Squad sense, here is more insight into how I use it as a compliment.
Potatoes, for me, are a symbol of goodness and joy. But when I think of a person as a figurative potato, there is more to that.
Typically, before the brilliance of me, the internet, and Potato Squad (I mean, I did start saying potato in 2013 😁), the metaphor of a potato was not a flattering one. Since they’re kind of lumpy and brown and live in the ground, they were and sometimes still are (I am sorry to say!) associated with clumsiness, uselessness, and awkwardness. (Seriously — potatoes are useful!!) But for me, their inauspicious exterior does not take away the symbol of elegance, positive influence, creativity, and kindness. In fact, that’s why I find it so much stronger than a more typical symbol of beauty, such as a rose. It shows that you don’t have to be pretty or of high status or conforming to any standard to be important. A potato can save your life when a rose cannot. And it means you can be anything you want to be. The lack of expectations removes pressure and the need for confidence, and they live in the Earth — not exalted in the sky, but here with us, where any of us can identify with them.
A potato, for me, stands for anyone who takes the title. It stands for being accepted as yourself while being awesome in your own unique way. It stands for not being alone despite your differences. It stands for a beauty beyond society’s standards. And it stands for being the amazing, unique, and truly legendary person you are and want to be.