logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
12m 31s

The Controversial Birth of Corn Flakes

The Retrospectors
About this episode

Rerun. John Harvey Kellogg believed his corn flakes had a future as a sexual suppressant when he filed a patent for "Flaked Cereals and Process of Preparing Same" on 31st May, 1895.


What the Seventh Day Adventist and eugenicist hadn’t counted on was his brother Will - who combined his discovery with sugar; effectively creating the Kellogg company that still exists to this day. 


In this episode, Olly, Rebecca and Arion reveal the origins of the word ‘Sanitarium’, explain what Dr. Kellogg got up to on honeymoon; and revisit his alarming prescription for yoghurt...


Content Warning: references to eugenics, masturbation, sexual content


Further Reading:

• ‘John Harvey Kellogg, MD: Health Reformer and Antismoking Crusader’ at the U.S. National Library of Medicine: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1447485/

• NPR’s Fresh Air on ‘How The 'Battling' Kellogg Brothers Revolutionized American Breakfast’ (2017): https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/08/08/542145177/how-the-battling-kellogg-brothers-revolutionized-american-breakfast?t=1621942499296

• Discovery’s ‘How It’s Made’ visits a cereal factory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPpMV_vcVEg


‘Why am I hearing a rerun?’

Each Thursday and Friday we repeat stories from our archive of 800+ episodes, so we can maintain the quality of our independent podcast and bring you fresh, free content every Monday-Wednesday… 


… But 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴members get an additional full-length episode each Sunday! Join now with a free trial on Apple Podcasts or Patreon and support our show ❤️


The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Emma Corsham

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2024.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
Governing Outer Space
On 10th October, 1967 a treaty went into force that has gone on to become the backbone for all international space law – a United Nations-approved agreement known as the The Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, includi ... Show More
13 m
Yesterday
When Sumo Came To London
The Royal Albert Hall was the unlikely venue for the biggest Sumo wrestling tournament ever staged outside of Japan on 9th October, 1991. Around forty wrestlers, described in the press as “bouncing like fat Buddhas,” thundered across a ring on clay sourced from a field near Heath ... Show More
12m 28s
Oct 8
The Permanent Wave
Hairdressers descended upon Oxford Street on October 8th, 1906 to witness Karl Nessler’s first public demonstration of his pioneering new ‘perm’ - a style which didn’t have its heyday until some eighty years later. Creating a long-lasting curl had been a goal for many stylists ov ... Show More
11m 24s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2019
Corn Flakes | The Brothers of Battle Creek | S19-E1
For the first 150 years of American history, American citizens were plagued by gastrointestinal issues. Diarrhea, gastritis and dysentery were pretty much a way of life. Indigestion was such an immense problem, the poet Walt Whitman called it “the Great American Evil.” All these ... Show More
40m 36s
Aug 2022
Kellogg's et l'invention du petit déjeuner
Dans cet épisode, je vous raconte l'histoire de deux frères américains et comment ils ont réussi à dominer le business du petit déjeuner dans le monde entier avec des céréales jusqu'à imposer l'idée qu'il était le repas le plus important de la journée. Je suis Alexia Duchêne, et ... Show More
19m 36s
Oct 2023
224: Sebastian Kalinowski
In August, 2021, detectives in Huddersfield, United Kingdom, were investigating a case where a teenage boy reportedly fell unconscious while in the bathtub. As they initiated their inquiry within the family residence, a peculiar discovery awaited them: surveillance cameras strate ... Show More
52m 29s
Jun 2021
Corn Flakes
"Are y’all n****s about to ruin corn flakes for me?”—Dave Chappelle Featuring, in order of appearance: Questlove, Jon Hamm Featuring music for SALT by Ryland Blackinton Recorded in Ohio, Summer 2020. Originally published in 2021. Executive Produced by Talib Kweli, yasiin bey, Dav ... Show More
2m 29s
May 2023
Ep409 - Cereal Killers
On this episode we check out a show made by adults. The reason I wrote that is because you wouldn't know otherwise. They get very excited about breakfast cereal and they can't wait to tell you, the listener, which cereals they recommend. I swear, if they actually have listeners t ... Show More
1h 59m
Mar 2020
Marc Maron's Tumeric
When veteran stand-up Marc Maron recorded his latest hour special, End Times Fun, back in October 2019, he had no idea how topical it would be. Seven months later, End Times Fun has proven to be bizarrely, morosely timely, as it deals with themes of uncertainty, fear, and isolati ... Show More
1h 20m
Aug 2023
HELEN SLATER: Pressure of Supergirl, Christopher Reeve Training, Mythology & Smallville Memories
Helen Slater (Supergirl, The Legend of Billie Jean) joins us this week to talk about her experience being thrust into the iconic role of Supergirl at 18 years old and the many different pressures and difficulties that came along with it. Helen was so open this week - she gets can ... Show More
1h 21m
Dec 2023
The Amish: Origins and Society
Simple living, plain dress and pacifism. This is not a lifestyle typical of the United States. So how did the Amish come to be in America? Where did this religion come from? And how has their society changed with modernisation? In this episode, Don and Dr Joseph Donnermeyer journ ... Show More
39m 7s