Gary Pilnick, the CEO of Kellogg’s, began facing controversy when he made a horrid comment about the rise of food prices due to inflation in the United States. Pilnick suggested that people who are struggling to make ends meet by affording dinner-related meals like chicken or pasta should “eat cereal for dinner” during an interview on a segment on CNBC.
“Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect that to continue as consumers are under pressure,” Pilnick said.
The comment made on live TV was poorly received by the general public. Many people went to the internet, whether it was on Instagram, YouTube or TikTok, stating their concerns about Pilnick’s hollow statement.
When it comes to family meals, dinner is usually a special time when families come together over a nice hot dish while talking amongst themselves after a long day. That might not be the case because, due to inflation, many Americans are likely not able to afford a standard meal.
Recently, Kellogg’s added gasoline to an already ongoing fire by publishing a commercial that featured most of their beloved cereal icons, such as Toucan Sam and Tony the Tiger, singing to a family about eating cereal for dinner. The commercial also took a shot at the ideal standard dinner meal when a chicken was rejected by the mother in the commercial.
To make things even worse, the price of Kellogg’s cereal is going up due to the rise of inflation. As the consumer goes to reach these products, the price for them will also go up, creating a supply and demand issue. As we know, inflation has impacted the majority of Americans, specifically the middle and working class. This situation does not make the price of food better for the middle, lower and working classes.
How did the public respond to these events? Most recently, a video on TikTok from a user who goes by @Tallgirl6234 responded that a boycott should start and put out a hashtag saying “#letthemeatcereal.” The boycott has been stated to last for three months, from the beginning of April until July. The result of the boycott is to hopefully cut back on three months worth of spending on Kellogg’s cereal brand. Kellogg’s is the most popular brand among consumers in the United States.
What Pilnick said on live television, followed by creating such a tasteless advertisement and then his actions in raising the price of his products, is taken as a sign of greed to put out products to make more money. Some Americans will have no choice but to eat Kellogg’s products that are processed, loaded with chemicals and high in sugar. In recent history, science claims cereals are linked to many health issues, such as diabetes and heart disease, due to the products being processed from factories.
If you want to learn more about the Kellogg’s boycott, watch @Tallgirl6234’s video on the Kellogg’s boycott.
