Gore charged cereal producers with knowingly marketing their cereals to youngsters-cereals that contain barely concealed violent messages. “You don’t have to be an expert to know that ‘Snap, Crackle, Pop” are a subliminal version of gunfire and explosions," Gore told his audience. “The cereal manufacturers are playing tricks with our children, and I’m here to say, these tricks are not for kids.”
While Gore stopped short of insisting on censorship for the controversial cereals, he did warn the manufacturers that noisy, violent breakfast cereals are not protected by the First Amendment. He also criticized such cereal pitchmen as Tony the Tiger, the Cocoa Puffs Cuckoo and the Lucky Charms Leprechaun for being “poor role models.”
“That leprechaun seems to be saying, it’s perfectly all right to elude law enforcement officials,” Gore told his audience. “And the Cuckoo, rather than indulging in his obsession with Cocoa Puffs, should be seeking some kind of professional treatment.”
Gore urged consumers to boycott the unacceptable cereals and have English muffins for breakfast instead, a strategy that was immediately denounced by his Republican opponent, Texas Governor George Bush.
“The public hasn’t heard the full story about English muffins, and we’re going to get that story out,” Bush told a cheering crowd in the hotly contested battleground state of Michigan. “When we’re through with English muffins, English muffins will be toast.”
