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Monday, January 26, 2009

Year of the Tiger

Here's what it's like to be me. It's Chinese New Year today. Year of the Ox. Twelve such years. Next year is the Year of the Tiger. And I am reminded of the year of the tiger in the 70s, during which Kellogg's Sugar Frosted Flakes launched an ad campaign -- it was the Year of Tony the Tiger, you see.

What, this?


No, not 1973 ... was that Mikey? 1974.



Yep, that's it. Very wholesome. Tony was voiced by Fred Flintstone, and the guy who sang the Grinch Song. You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch... Thurl Ravenscroft. Died in '05.

No, not wholesome. Annoying. I remember that horrible commercial from the distance of 35 years. Brrr. Scarred for life. That's the explanation. Are Sugar Frosted Flakes cursed? Consider the Frosties Kid:



The boy was bludgeoned to death by hoodlums, because of this commercial. Or he killed himself because of the merciless teasing, or he was shot by a family member. Or he died of cancer. Or his image was spliced together out of bits of extant film by his grieving father, as an homage to an earlier death, which explains his odd movements and flat tones. Or he is a CGI creation. Kellogg's says he is alive and well living in his native South Africa. But the hostility remains.



Yep. That's what it's like inside my head.


J

2 comments:

nanc said...

jack - get away from the sugar cereals. get away from sugar.

wonder why they NEVER do anything for year of the monkey - my year?

Jack H said...

Madam. I have not eaten sugar since Reagan's first term.

The very idea. Ridiculous.

I'm afraid I'm going to have to lodge a complaint against you with the new National Offendedness Board. It's a new Cabinet department. You have been warned.

J