Next time you're in Target, you may notice a new and somewhat unusual cereal among the the boxes you're used to. It'll be in a light green box that features vibrant, almost neon blue O's in a white bowl surrounded by four square, slightly familiar faces. This is the new Golden Girls-themed cereal. Now, as much as we adore — and we truly do mean adore — Dorothy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia, there are a few things about this themed cereal that struck us as odd upon seeing it. Let's discuss them before the same puzzlement interrupts your next trip to Target.
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First of all, why exactly are our four heroines illustrated in this square-headed manner? And why is Blanche the only one of them that has a mouth? Well, it turns out this Golden Girls cereal is a creation of Funko, a toy company known for making small, similarly square-headed figurines and bobbleheads that look like some of the most beloved characters from pop culture. Okay, so that kind of makes sense. But why has this toy company gotten into the cereal business?
According to a press release on Funko's website, the brand released its very first line of cereals in July. "Inspiring fans to connect with their favorite pop culture moments in a novel and delicious way, the new cereals continue the Funko tradition of developing collectible products with fun and whimsical designs," the press release explains. "Each cereal box will include a corresponding miniature Pocket Pop! figure and the back panel will feature additional themed activities, puzzles, and games." Since it's not totally unheard of to find a toy in your cereal box, perhaps Funko's choice to dabble in cereal makes some sense.
Funko told Refinery29 via email that the Golden Girls cereal is part of a larger retro TV campaign running at Target from September 30 through November 10. The emphasis on nostalgia is reflected in a message on the back of the box which reads, "Hey kids, remember what it was like to sit in front of the TV on Saturday morning and watch cartoons while eating your favorite cereal?! Well, Funko does! So we're bringing back Saturday morning to kids of all ages with our new sugar toasted FunkO's!"
What's strange about this explanation of the cereal is that Golden Girls was not a cartoon, and it was also a primetime show. Even when it was syndicated and reruns were shown during the day, we're not sure many children were watching a show about four post-menopausal women no matter how fabulous it may have been, but we suppose that's why Funko used the nonsensical phrase "kids of all ages."
The final thing that seems odd about this "themed" cereal is that it's hardly themed at all. Yes, cartoon versions of Dorthy, Rose, Blanche, and Sophia are on the box, but that's pretty much it. It's not like the maze on the back of the box is designed to look like the Miami home that the four women shared, and furthermore, what do neon blue sugary loops have to do with our Golden Girls? Literally nothing. And, yet, our love for this show and these ladies is so great, we're still tempted to pick up a box. At just $7.99, we're pretty positive Funko's Golden Girls cereal is going to be one of the many things we don't need but buy anyway the next time we visit Target.