Taking inspiration from one of America’s beloved breakfast snacks, Jerry Seinfeld’sUnfrosted: The Pop Tart Storychronicled the 1963 battle between two rival companies, Kellogg’s and Post, in Battle Creek, Michigan, as they rushed to create a compact pastry to dominate the breakfast market. Kellogg’s employee Bob Cabana (Jerry Seinfeld) is at the lead of his company’s efforts to create a new breakfast sensation, aided by owner Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan) and scientist Donna Stankowski (Melissa McCarthy). They face off against the owner of Post, Marjorie Post (Amy Schumer), a cabal of milkmen, and a disenfranchised Tony the Tiger (Hugh Grant).
However, despite taking inspiration from actual events,Unfrostedgets more wrong than it does right. We will look at whatUnfrostedactually got right, the true story behind the creation of Pop Tart, and sort through the real and fake characters that pop up inthe Netflix Original comedy.
What Few Facts Jerry Seinfeld’s Unfrosted Got Right about Pop Tarts
WhileUnfrostedwould exaggerate many elements of the origin of pop tarts, there are still many instances based on truth. The most obvious element was that the rivalry between Kellogg’s and Post cereal companies was very real, as the two companies have long been fierce competitors in the breakfast food market.Post and Kellogg’s companies were also based in Battle Creek, Michigan, giving the idea of a town plagued by fierce competition a hint of realism. This meant that the push for innovation in the same market rings true, and the minor detail of “Post Country Square” being developed and released before the development of the Pop-Tart actually happened.
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Unfrosteddrew on historical figures, including Marjorie Post and Thurl Ravenscroft. Marjorie Post, played by Amy Schumer, was the wealthiest woman in the United States during her time. She was the daughter of C.W. Post, the founder of the Postum Cereal Company. Marjorie became the company owner at the age of 27, and outside of her work, she was known as a philanthropist and admirer of art; she also built the now infamous Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida (which is mentioned in the closing sequence).
Hugh Grant’s Thurl Ravenscroft was also the real voice of Tony the Tiger.An accomplished voice actorfor the era, having worked with Disney and other companies. Outside the famous athletic tiger, his voice is most recognizable as the vocalist for the song “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” from the Christmas specialDr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
However, along with other roles in the film that were based on real people — Jack Lalane, Ed McMahon, Debbie McKee-Fowler (Little Debbie), JFK, Rada Adzhubey, Hector Boiardi (Chef Boy Ardee), Tom Carvel — these characters are far from accurate. Moreover, characters like Edsel Kellogg III (Jim Gaffigan) and Bob Cabana (Jerry Seinfeld) are more inspired by than based on actual people; William “Bill” Post, who helped develop the pop-tart, was the inspiration behind Jerry Seinfeld’s Bob Cabana.
What Unfrosted Missed
‘The Pop Tart’ was invented by William “Bill” Post, the plant manager of Hekman Biscuit Co. (later part of Keebler), in the early 1960s. He was approached by executives from Kellogg’s, specifically off the idea of William E. LaMoth, who was pitching a “shelf-stable toaster pastry” product. William Post described the process of making the breakfast treat as; “To get that done, I had to break every rule in the book.”
The product was tested and launched in Cleveland in 1964 in four original flavors — strawberry, blueberry, brown sugar, cinnamon, apple-currant — and was an instant success; the name was also temporarily “Fruit Scones” before its more popular name, unlike the “Trat-Pop” seen in the movie. The inspiration behind the Pop-Tart did, unsurprisingly, not come from eating jam on a biscuit from a dumpster but rather from the efforts of its creator.
Despite taking multiple real-life figures, the various people’s timelines and actual personalities are loosely based at best and,more often, highly inaccurate. A significant example is Thurl Ravenscroft’s character being portrayed as a more classical actor looking to spread the ‘greater’ arts through his voice acting roles. However,Ravenscroft was never a Shakespearean actorand seemed content in the commercial niche he found himself in throughout his career.
The ‘dream team’ brought on by Kellogg’s to help promote the Pop-Tart, besides being cartoonish exaggerations of their public personas, don’t all match up with the timeline of the creation of the Pop-Tart, and, of course, none of them were actually involved with the creation.Unfrostedused real characters, but they are only accurate in name.
Jerry Seinfeld Jokes About Potential for a Kellogg’s Lawsuit: ‘I Want to Be on the Stand on Pop-Tart Charges’
Kellogg’s “couldn’t be happier” with Unfrosted, but Seinfeld still could not resist jesting about going to court “on Pop-Tart charges.”
While the basis ofUnfrostedhas some modicum of realism in location and competition between Post and Kellogg’s, the rest of the movie should be seen as entirely fictional;Milkmen were not run by a ruthless gang, Kellogg’s never bought all the sugar in Cuba to squeeze out Post, no one got blown up at the first tasting of a pop-tart, and Lyndon B. Johnson was President of the United States at the time, not JFK. Every choice is for comedic effect, making the Jerry Seinfeld movie highly inaccurate. It is easier to point out what is wrong than what the movie got right, a fact that Jerry Seinfeld has always been transparent about.
“The real story that we started with (and I think it’s the only real thing in the movie) is that Post came up with this idea, Kellogg’s heard about it very late, and decided to try and catch up.“Jerry Seinfeld via CBS
How to Watch Unfrosted
Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story
Read our ReviewUnfrostedjoins a long line of moviesexploring the origins of popular food. As a Netflix production, you’re able to onlystreamUnfrostedon Netflix. This is also not the first time that Kellogg’s has inspired a film. For those looking for another exaggerated take on the company, exploring its early origins in running the Battle Creek Sanitarium,you can streamThe Road to Wellvilleon Peacock or Tubi.
