Just like others of the generation before me and the generations after me, I’m a child of mass culture, spawned by television. Even though we didn’t have a television when I was young, and my parents were rather fussy about what was allowed in the house, other relatives didn’t suffer under the same restrictions, and neither did most of my friends. Thus I grew up knowing the joys (or should that be miseries?) of Wonder Bread, the cartoons and children’s shows of the 60’s and 70’s (our generation was blessed– we had programs that were actual programming, not advertisements masquerading as cartoons), and knowing exactly who Sonny the Cuckoo Bird was and what he hawked, and what Snap, Crackle, & Pop looked like, and what the original Jack in the Box toy/character looked like [I’ve tried in vain to find a picture of one of the toys, but it’s not happening… I found this wrapper, which shows a picture, though. I *did* find this one of his nemesis (and in Australia too!), whose name escapes me. I’ve since found a clue… it may be “Secret Sauce Agent.” There’s also these cups.], before he became a corporate raider hiding behind a huge white ping-pong globe with a scary, painted-on smiley face.

But the days when we had cartoon characters hawking breakfast cereal on Saturday mornings may be over. According to this article, Kellogg’s decided to deep-six Toucan Sam and Dig’Em, at least in media such as TV. I think it’s a fantastic move; at a time when childhood obesity is on the rise, and the specter of obesity-related illnesses such as diabetes also increasing, it’s time corporations started stepping up and doing their part. Social responsibility isn’t just making a donation to a charity, then pushing stuff like you always do. Marketing is a powerful tool, and the companies know it. It’s why they state that they’ll be keeping Tony the Tiger and his pals, regardless of the new limitations. But there’s only so much that can be done– in the end, it’ll be up to parents to help regulate what their kids eat and drink. It’ll also be interesting to see what the companies do instead, in their new marketing campaigns.

Adieu, Silly Rabbit. I wonder if they’ll do a final commercial, and let him have his bowl of Trix at long last.