# Cereal Crimes **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 10, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148 "2007-07-10T02:06:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![BlinkingDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eada6e/32.png) [@BlinkingDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlinkingDuck)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/81 "2007-07-10T19:46:06Z")
What I want to know…is where does Toucan Sam fit in all this? ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/82 "2007-07-10T20:04:03Z")
[QUOTE=BlinkingDuck] What I want to know…is where does Toucan Sam fit in all this? [/QUOTE] Why?. . . are you related? Are ducks and toucans in the same family? As far as I know, Toucan Sam is the kingpin. The rabbit and the elf answer to him. Going back to the original OP, in a well, not that serious manner. . .but anyway. If your complaint is that it’s cheaper to make puffs instead of those abominable shapes, are you saying that they’re making more money because of it? If you are, you haven’t given enough information to support that. First, it’s obvious without the gross margin numbers to know that it doesn’t cost $4 per box to fill a box with sugar and filler. But I’d suspect that their biggest expense is marketing. I’d be interested to see the percentage of marketing expense to their revenue. I’m not $599 worth of interested, but if you had access to the numbers, that would be helpful. My contention is that any gains in gross margin by changing the shapes back to puffs is lost in marketing expense since they need to change their brand identity back. So if the Pitting is that they’re making more money by this move, I doubt it. If you’re Pitting that you liked the old shapes better, well. . . that’s just crazy-talk. ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/83 "2007-07-10T20:13:15Z")
…so the physicist says “let’s assume each Trix is a sphere…” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/84 "2007-07-10T20:19:02Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Thats the Fruit Loop Garoo. [/QUOTE] You win the internets. Always wondered: are Kix for trids? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/85 "2007-07-10T20:20:56Z")
Silly Dopers. Trix are for kids. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/86 "2007-07-10T20:24:51Z")
[QUOTE=BlinkingDuck] What I want to know…is where does Toucan Sam fit in all this? [/QUOTE] He’s part of the “every cereal mascot must have a different schtick” conglomerate. Observe: [ul][li] **Trix:** Kids have the cereal, mascot tries to steal it.[/li][li] **Lucky Charms:** Mascot has the cereal, kids try to steal it.[/li][li] **Fruity Pebbles:** Mascot has cereal, other mascot successfully steals it.[/li][li] **Cookie Crisp:** Mascot has cereal, other mascot is unsuccessful in stealing it.[/li][li] **Smacks:** Mascot has cereal, has a hard time getting a chance to eat it.[/li][li] **Cocoa Puffs:** Kids have the cereal, mascot tries to _avoid_ it.[/li][li] **Cap’n Crunch:** Mascot and kids have cereal, other mascots try to _destroy_ it.[/li][li] **Honeycomb:** Kids have the cereal, give it freely to a series of hostile invaders.[/li][li] **Honey Nut Cheerios:** Mascot has the cereal, gives it freely to various sad sacks.[/li][li] **Froot Loops:** No one has the cereal, mascot leads everyone to it.[/li][/ul] Anyway. I’m sure I could think of more if I could think of more cereal mascots. The interesting thing is, they’re all very vaguely similar, and yet none of them quite follow the exact same pattern. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/87 "2007-07-10T20:44:57Z")
You guys are lucky. I never had sugar cereal growing up. It was Grape Nuts with an occasional foray into Golden Grahams. I am horrified to this day when Ivylad picks up Cocoa Puffs or Fruity Pebbles…why not just pour yourself a nice bowl of sugar drenched with honey and be done with it? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/88 "2007-07-10T21:00:16Z")
[QUOTE=RedSwinglineOne] …so the physicist says “let’s assume each Trix is a sphere…” [/QUOTE] Is ‘Trix’ singular? The ad says “Trix \*are \* for kids” so it is nominally plural. Is one Trix a Trik? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/89 "2007-07-10T21:19:53Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Is ‘Trix’ singular? The ad says “Trix \*are \* for kids” so it is nominally plural. Is one Trix a Trik? [/QUOTE] Trik? I think you’ve stumbled on an idea for a new cereal for adults. Whoreos. ---
**Author:** ![dwc1970](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a183cd/32.png) [@dwc1970](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwc1970)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/90 "2007-07-10T21:27:08Z")
[QUOTE=Fear Itself] Is ‘Trix’ singular? The ad says “Trix \*are \* for kids” so it is nominally plural. Is one Trix a Trik? [/QUOTE] I always called a piece of Chex cereal a _Chek_, so yeah, I’d call it a _Trik_. A singular piece of Crispix would be a _Crispik_, Mueslix would be a _Mueslik_. Come to think of it, a lot of cereal names end with the letter X. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/91 "2007-07-10T21:40:51Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] Thats the Fruit Loop Garoo. [/QUOTE] Damn you! Everytime my internet crush starts to fade you come up with something like that. I remember not too long ago when they took “Sugar” out of cereal names, _Super Sugar Crisp_ became _Super Golden Crisp_, _Sugar Pops_ became _Corn Pops_ and _Sugar Smacks_ became … I don’t remember, _Something Smacks_ I guess. Never saw much of the bear or the frog after that either. Where was all the ire and rantyness then? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/92 "2007-07-10T22:50:24Z")
[QUOTE=Wile E] Grapity purple? Grapity? What kind of thing is that to teach kids? We’re lucky that kids since 1980 haven’t all become Grapists. [/QUOTE] Feeding it to kids can get you arrested for statutory grape. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/93 "2007-07-10T22:57:11Z")
All I know is I haven’t enjoyed breakfast cereal anywhere near as much since they stopped making [Crazy Cow](http://theimaginaryworld.com/box720.jpg). The picture is strawberry, but chocolate was better… ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/94 "2007-07-10T23:04:18Z")
[QUOTE=Scylla] I can’t beleive you all disagree with me on this. Trix are puffs because puffs are cheaper. You’re getting less for your money. Post cereal can’t be bothered to maintain standards and you’re all happy about it. [/QUOTE] **Scylla Habit; Trix are for Kids…!** ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/95 "2007-07-10T23:04:46Z")
[QUOTE=jayjay] All I know is I haven’t enjoyed breakfast cereal anywhere near as much since they stopped making [Crazy Cow](http://theimaginaryworld.com/box720.jpg). The picture is strawberry, but chocolate was better… [/QUOTE] That’s hilarious. The slogan is “The Frosted Corn Cereal that makes artificially flavored strawberry milk. . . just add milk.” So basically the whole think was just artificial strawberry flavoring. And you bought it. That’s pure marketing genius. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/96 "2007-07-10T23:28:42Z")
[QUOTE=Heffalump and Roo] That’s hilarious. The slogan is “The Frosted Corn Cereal that makes artificially flavored strawberry milk. . . just add milk.” So basically the whole think was just artificial strawberry flavoring. And you bought it. That’s pure marketing genius. [/QUOTE] Correction. I didn’t buy it. I nagged my mother into buying it. 🙂 And I was 8. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/97 "2007-07-10T23:28:56Z")
[QUOTE=Spavined Gelding] I sometimes think that my life started down the wrong path when during the waning days of the Truman Administration I uncritically accepted the idea that somewhere behind the Quaker Oats factory in Cedar Rapids, Gabby Hayes was blowing bushel after bushel of oats and wheat out of a muzzle loading 12 pounder gun to produce Quaker Puffed Oats and Quaker Puffed Wheat – it’s shot from guns. But then it may have been the Ovaltine thing, too. Any of you SOBs who deny knowledge of Gabby Hayes, the ultimate old fart cowboy sidekick, has just lost any feeling of respect for you I may ever have had. [/QUOTE] Truman?!? Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/98 "2007-07-10T23:33:39Z")
Apparently somewhere in the world they still make the clown-skull-shaped **Kaboom** –you can even order it through Amazon. I bet it isn’t the same as it was in the 60s, when its selling point was its vitamin content–it tasted like a vitamin pill and was so intensely colored that it turned your milk into Jackson Pollack soup. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/99 "2007-07-10T23:40:57Z")
[And lest anyone forget what the original colours of Lucky Charms were…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=6447101&postcount=4) ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2007, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148/100 "2007-07-10T23:41:28Z")
[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew] Apparently somewhere in the world they still make the clown-skull-shaped **Kaboom** –you can even order it through Amazon. I bet it isn’t the same as it was in the 60s, when its selling point was its vitamin content–it tasted like a vitamin pill and was so intensely colored that it turned your milk into Jackson Pollack soup. [/QUOTE] Appetizing! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cereal-crimes/411148.md?page=6)