• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, Yesterday

A tin filled with Russell Stover chocolates and shaped like a traditional snowman was referred to as a “snowperson” the other day on QVC.

And just like that, snowmen are now gender-fluid. The TV Blog acknowledges that snowmen have no visible genitalia, but they have been known as snowmen since at least the 1820s, according to a Google search.

But this is a different world -- and the poor, defenseless snowman is now to be stripped of his -- sorry, their -- gender. Are we still doing the pronoun thing?

For a while, I have wondered if the conversion from singular, gender-specific pronouns to plural ones that nevertheless refer to a single person was really just a fad that would eventually fade away, like the Macarena or Beanie Babies. 

I thought it was already fading away, but apparently, it is not -- at least, not yet. Who’s next? Frosty the Snowperson?

This startling neutering of snowmen occurred on a segment Tuesday night on QVC as the home-shopping channel was featuring a series of segments offering food products geared to the November-December holiday season.

It was easy to become hooked. The products were all very attractive, especially when presented by QVC’s superlative salespeople.

The treats ranged from sweet to savory -- including blueberry and apple pies from Breezy Hill Orchard in upstate New York, top-of-the-line Angus steaks from New Jersey-based meat purveyor Rastelli’s, and Russell Stover.

All of the foods were impeccably displayed and pitched as only QVC can do. The Russell Stover segment featured venerable QVC personality David Venable with Russell Stover’s Russell Heigl.

It was Heigl who referred to the Russell Stover snowman tin -- seen at left in the photo above -- as a “snowperson.”

This is not meant to single him out. Like everyone else who appears on QVC, Heigl is a very, skilled, upbeat, enthusiastic pitchman (or is it pitchperson?). 

I formed the impression that he has appeared before on QVC and may even be a recurring guest representing the candymaker.

But still. Is there really any question about the gender of a snowman? No there is not, especially when you consider his corncob pipe, eyes made out of coal and his trademark top hat -- all traditionally male, especially the coal eyes.

At the same time, I will concede that a button nose is gender-neutral. And some women have been known to smoke corn cob pipes and wear stovepipe hats, but not very many of them.

This particular effort to gender-neutralize the word “snowman” as we approach the holiday season seems unnecessary.

Who’s next? Superperson?