Just a Spoonful of Fruit Loops, Somewhere USA, 1966
A blue-breasted toucan watches a little pixie girl pose happily while spoon-feeding herself artificially scented, sweetened, and flavored morsels quickly getting soggy in pasteurized, homogenized whole milk. She might as well begin the day with desert. In case her cereal isn’t sweet enough, that’s not a problem; a sugar bowl is close by. If she wants a second cereal course a box of Sugar Smacks is open and waiting to be consumed.
I don’t know her name but I do know his. He’s my favorite spokes-creature-character of all time, Toucan Sam. He must be a big fan of Carmen Miranda because that fruit tower hat he’s wearing looks just like the tutti-frutti headdress that made Ms. Miranda a timeless icon of exotic-Americana. It goes so well with his black-tipped pink, orange and yellow beak. And that box he’s printed on has to be one of the best, if not thee best examples of cereal box graphics ever. That mod black and white positive-negative diagonal divide is nearly hypnotic.
In the background, an electric can opener and CorningWare coffee pot stand out among the old kettle and the two iron skillets asleep on the Caloric stove. The “crushed velvet” Formica tabletop and the chairs are Americana design classics of the highest order. That high-gloss vinyl trimming the backs of the chairs looks just like chocolate milk.
Kellogg’s, of Battle Creek Michigan, was already legendary for their Corn Flakes and Sugar Frosted Flakes when they introduced Fruit Loops in 1963. The original three color-keyed flavors were orange, lemon and cherry.
When I was a kid my mother would never let me have Fruit Loops. She claimed they had too much sugar. But she did let me have Captain Crunch, Apple Jacks and Lucky Charms, which I’m sure, had just as much!
Speaking of Fruit Loops, I hope you can make it to the DooDah Parade in Pasadena, CA. this Sunday morn. This cacophony of costumery and craziness begins at 11:30. I’m honored to be the Grand Marshall! That will be my DooDah Duty. If you want to be in the parade all you have to do is show up and get in line! Come on down! All the info here.
Here’s to eating Fruit Loops, Toucan Sam, and the DooDah Parade!
Yep, I wasn’t allowed these “dessert” cereals either. I was made to eat Granola and Familia (hot Mueslix), which seemed – at the time – as yummy as eating a bowl full of twigs. So as a kid, I would have envied this girl.
Congratulations on being the DooDah Grand Marshall!
What wonderful memories! I was 8 years old in 1966 and I remember “Froot Loops” (notice the spelling, since there probably is no fruit in Froot Loops) and Sugar Smacks, two of my favorite childhood cereals. As if there wasn’t enough sugar in them, we (my brother and I) added more! I tried both cereals now that I have a 10 year old and found that the Froot Loops taste like chemicals and the Sugar Smacks (the name has now changed and I forgot what it is at the moment!) gives me gas! So I will stick with my other childhood favorites: Cocoa Puffs and Frosted Flakes, when I am being bad and Crispix and Honey Nut Cheerios when I am being better. Thanks for the walk down memory lane! Oh, and whoever came up with pixie haircuts should be shaved. My husband put together a photo show for my 50th birthday and the pixie haircuts that I had for about 10 years of my life were horrid! Happy New Year!
Fruit Loops in a chartruse Fiesta bowl! She’s got class!
Fruit Loops in a chartreuse Fiesta bowl! She’s got class!
Charles-You forgot to point out the jazzy curtains{which don’t seem to go with anything}in the photo!Have fun at the parade!
I ate tons of Froot Loops and Lucky Charms and I am still thin. What BS, as a kid in the 60′s we biked, played outside and never sat on our butts in front of a computer so we burned it off.
I’ll never forget when one of my kids barfed a veritable rainbow of fruit loops shortly after breakfast one day.
Charles, did you notice the milk carton was opened on both ends? How many times did we do that when we were kids.
I had that “Pixie” haircut around 1961 (as did my older sister) but I had no idea that little girls were still having their hair whacked off that way into 1966.
At least this little girl doesn’t have ears like milk-jug handles!
I also remember Fruit Loops and Sugar Smacks, and the early-Saturday-morning advertisements for them; prime kid watching time, as Mom and Dad were usually sleeping late. Toucan Sam *was* riveting, wasn’t he?
This particular slide is going to have me nostalgic all day. Thanks so much!
Who’s worried about a sugar death when you put your flammable kitchen suite next to a stove like that!!!
Mmmm. I ate boxes and boxes of it when I was a kid, and I still think milk should be pink and sugary. The art on the box really is Toucan Sam at his finest.
Hope you’re having a Happy DooDah Day!
As MY mother “merely tolerated rather than love me” (sister Sandy & I were nothing more than “the proof” needed to win the “Baby Race” between competing relatives)… I GOT PLENTY OF “TOUCAN SAM’S” DELICIOUS BUT NUTRITIONALLY DEFICIENT CANDY.
Anything to shut the brat’s mouth up while the important news about the lives of movie stars were being carefully studied by MY “Mommy Dearest”. She had a lot in common with Joan Crawford and may have even used her as a role model to replace HER MERCENARY PARENTS.
It’s an ironic blessing though. After Mom dies… I’ll probably miss Toucan Sam more than her.
Are you shocked & “personally offended” now?
Hey! We’ve all met and our soceity & prisons are full of “over sensitive jerks” like me: “NOT THAT THERE’S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT!” LOL!
Signed, Crybaby (no wait. John Water’s already layed claim to that moniker about the children of that period of American history).
The kids in my family were not allowed Fruit Loops either, just Wheaties, Corn Flakes, Rice Crispies; slightly less sugar & considered whole grains! Advertising ruled in the 50′s & 60′s, imagine cereal being fun! That was new. BYW we enjoyed your sparkley pink suited presence @ the Doo Dah today. Spectacular!
I remember Toucan Sam always saying “Follow My Nose. It always knows.” This was in the 80s, though.
Click the heels of your ruby red slippers three times and you’ll be in Olathe, Kansas, which is where our young Pixie Girl is from. Her Froot Loops (and Sugar Smacks) would not taste nearly as sweet without the fine cow juice brought to her by Longwood Farm Dairy (see carton on table). Longwoog delivered fine lactose-chocked products to the citizens of Olathe until the 80′s.
I had that haircut that year too…
We never got sugar cereals, only Cheerios and then Rice Crispies as a special treat. I ate a LOT of Kap’n Krunch when I moved out on my own.
I’m sitting at a table exactly like hers as I type this…wierd.
Am I wrong or is she wearing a plastic bag as a bib/smock?
Lots of us girls sported that haircut! It was known as the “Mother Special” or sometimes “for summer the shorter the better”.
Sometimes it was a repair job after you were the customer/victim when some of the neighborhood girls played “Beauty Parlor”.
wow what a cute baby but fruit loops are just gay cherios haha i probally spelt cherios wrong lol im only 12 hahaha
how CUTE!!!