Will A "Fat Tony The Tiger" Toy Get Kids Eating Healthier Cereals?

Artist Ron English is giving sugary cereals his "POPaganda" treatment, with the release of a limited edition vinyl figure of a Fat Tony the Tiger. The guerilla marketing campaign against sugar cereals comes just in time with a new sugar-loaded Kellogg's cereal, too. Serious Eats notes that their Krave cereal is coming to the States from across the pond, which is basically cereal with a chocolate filling (and even a Nutella-like "chocolate hazelnut" filling). But back to Fat Tony—PSFK notes:

In October, English carried out a guerilla campaign by creating a series of parody cereal boxes and covertly placing them on the shelves of grocery stores. These made a statement about sugary cereals by altering the familiar characters and wording seen on the boxes. The Frosted Flakes cereal became “Sugar Frosted Fat” and featured an obese parody of ‘Tony the Tiger.’

While that campaign may have gone unnoticed by the kids, maybe once Fat Tony hits the toy shelves they'll start asking questions.

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By Jen Carlson in Food on January 23, 2012 11:15 AM

Comments [rss]

Rayski_LaRue

where is the article about Nutella covered bacon?

FU Boy

"Mommy, why is the tiger fat?"
"Because he never exercised."

I'm so sick of the "Food makes people fat" arguments. No, it's not the food, it's the lifestyle people live. It is possible to eat frosted flakes and not be obese. Stop blaming food for people's individual failures.

diogene

Here he comes, ignorant boy to the rescue, with, "laziness is why you're fat, and it's your fault you're fat and you have only yourself to blame."

Nevermind that Kelogg is free to stamp all of their products with "HEALTH GOOD FOR KIDS," attack youth with commercials, toys, cartoon characters, and cereal box games, and then claim that they're part of a complete breakfast.

Do you really think that kids become fat overnight by eating Oreos and ice cream? The impoverished are generally obese because there are no safe places for their kids to play outside, because their gyms get shut down due to lack of funding, because the best buck per calorie for their food stamps is for cheese and baloney.

But you spend 90% of your day online with your head stuck up your privileged asshole, so you wouldn't know about any of that, would you?

FU Boy

A) Please show me where, on a box of frosted flakes, there is a stamp saying it's "HEALTH GOOD FOR KIDS". Please. I'd like to know. Yes, it's marketed to kids and it's not the greatest thing in the world for breakfast. Fine. And, really, how weak are the reading skills of all America? "Part of a complete breakfast" does not mean "A complete breakfast".

B) Did you read my post? "No, it's not the food, it's the lifestyle people live." My point was people and children don't exercise. You can say that gyms are closed down and there aren't safe places to play. Fine. That's a reason they don't exercise and should be addressed. But we agree on the "Why people get fat", so why attack me?

Caleb_Grey

How can individuals fail? This is a collective societal failure.

FU Boy

It's society's fault if I gorge myself on McDonalds and chocolate cake and don't go for a walk, ever? It's society's fault if I eat an entire bag of Oreos while watching TV?

Do you believe in personal responsibility for your own health, or that legislators should govern your every choice in life?

And PS - how can individuals fail? Easily. Keep piling on debt with no way to pay it off? Financial failure. Keep eating and ignoring doctor's advice (ahem, Paula Deen), health failure. Blaming obesity on a type of food? Failure to accept responsibility. Either you're a victim your entire life (a failure to act, in my mind), or you actually do something to make your life better.

Caleb_Grey

Sorry FU i was being sarcastic. I believe in personal responsibilty.

FU Boy

Ah, then sorry for the sharp retaliation.

I live without a sarcasm filter. Gets awkward sometimes. *shrug*

diogene

Right, every little child should pull themselves up by their bootstraps, just like you, and get educated on the food they're eating, its caloric and nutritional properties, and weigh its cost per dollar with their mom. Right after they walk home in the snow, help out their pa at the store, and do extra homework.

You should give your sphincter a high five while you're up there, FU Boy.

FU Boy

I never said I pulled myself up from nothing. Good guess though.

You know what the real difference was? I had parents that pushed me to know how to care for myself. Who said "Okay, enough TV, go outside to play". People who cared about my development and taught me that standing on my own was more important than having things handed to me.

Sure, not everyone can have that. Should we work to provide that to others? Yes.

But I find it funny that you think that a sense of self-sufficiency is akin to having my head up my ass. Does it get in the way of your "I'm not going to try, just give me everything I need" lifestyle?