Life, 1928-11-09 · page 31 of 52
Life — November 9, 1928 — page 31: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **sponsored cartoon by Washburn Crosby Company** (Gold Medal Flour) attacking "food faddists"—people promoting alternative diet theories outside mainstream medicine. The cartoon shows an angry character ("Mr. Bang") confronting what appears to be a "food faddist" spreading dubious nutritional advice. The quote bubble emphasizes keeping "fool ideas about white bread" secret until someone asks—mocking fad dieters' evangelism. The accompanying text warns against following unqualified diet advice, urging reliance on licensed doctors instead. The company then offers a free booklet endorsing bread's nutritional value, positioning themselves as allied with medical authority. This reflects 1920s-30s tensions: rising distrust of processed foods and white bread (seen as less nutritious), versus established food industries defending their products through appeals to "scientific" authority and professional credentialing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
LIFE The Terrible Tempered Mr. Bang : : By Fontaine Fox The TERRIBLE TEMPERED MRK BANG SPEAKS HIS MIND fo THE TowN Feo FAppisT. This cartoon is published in an effort to awaken the public to the danger of following the literature and advice of food faddists or fakers when they should depend on a licensed doctor or dietitian for correct diet information. @ To anyone interested, we shall be glad to mail, without charge, a copy of “Facts About Bread and its Rightful Place in the Diet”—a booklet containing statements by the country’s most eminent nutritional authorities. @ Address Dept. 323, Washburn Crosby Company, millers of Gold Medal Flour, Minneapolis, Minnesota COPYR., MRL, GENERAL MILLS, INC, comicbooks.com