Cereal Is Criminal

Cereal. That favorite morning staple for every youngster including us middle age youngsters. Darlings, may I say to you that it is not the cereal that is criminal. Rather the prices of cereal are the culprit.

After my morning paper, coffee and kitty divebombs, I went to the pantry and pulled out a box of Corn Flakes. I don't know what got my mind back into cereal history, but the first thing that came to mind was the cereal prices of old. I distinctly recall when I was young, the average price of a box of cereal ranged from $.59-$.89. (that price is so old I do not have a "cent" symbol on my keyboard). Today, the average price for a box of cereal ranges from $3.00-$5.00 and this does not include a prize. This is outrageous! Darlings, the last I checked commodities in Preble County, the price per bushel of corn, wheat, and soy beans, the ingredients for cereal, was about the same range per box of cereal. No wonder farmers feel the need to get out of farming.

Personally, I am partial to Cocoa Pebbles and Count Chocula. These are definitely expensive and because this I do not buy them often. I may try to cut a corner and buy Cocoa Pebbles for $3.50 at the nearby Dollar Store. I will not buy these cereals at regular stores as they are simply too high. So I have learned to treat cereals as a luxury and purchase it sparingly.

With these prices as high as they are, darlings, I want some answers that you and I have been asking for years; Where are the dern prizes that we used to get inside the cereal box? We older folks demand to know. For goodness sake, Cracker Jack is still putting prizes in their product. I miss fussing with my brothers as to who gets the prize next. You can bet your mouse pad that as kids, we kept track of who got that cereal prize last so we would know who is in line for the next prize. Today, prize offers require postage and a billion UPC's. Give me a break!

I have another question; why is cereal no longer advertised on television? I see more and more drugs, beer, doctors and lawyers doing their sales pitch in the early evening hours. Why not pitch cereal? It is harmless. Could it be that the prices are so outrageous that the only way for cereal to sale is to have a crying little kid standing in front of it begging mommy to get that cereal? Has cereal become a liabilty like the cigarette industry? I would love to know why cereal is not advertised any longer. If the reader knows the answer to this, by all means contact me with the skinny.