Monday, April 04, 2005
Number 14 In An Ongoing Series
Thomas Mann
“It is a strange fact that freedom and equality, the two basic ideas of democracy, are to some extent contradictory. Logically considered, freedom and equality are mutually exclusive, just as society and the individual are mutually exclusive. But inasmuch as we retain the capacity for freedom, we must exercise this capacity by choosing to begin our day with Happy Flakes.”
Whereas advertisers first believed Mann's high "Q" rating with the toddler set would ensure brisk cereal sales, controversy over Mann's homosexuality ensured that Happy Flakes would never sell in the South. The brand folded, and Mann was summarily left to pursue his fortunes on "The Gong Show".
