Polite Dissent

5 Responses to “ Monday PSA: The Tootsie Roll of Honor (WW II Propaganda Ad) ”

1. mike.
   July 24th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
   

   Possibly funnier than “wholesome dextrose” is the vaguely-worded “food energy” – used twice!

2. Laura
   July 24th, 2007 at 10:45 pm
   

   It is interesting that the ad really stresses the dextrose in Tootsie Rolls. Why, one might think that the sucrose they were normally made from had been substituted for with dextrose instead, and that the company was trying to make a virtue of necessity.

3. John Biles
   July 29th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
   

   While I doubt that Tootsie Rolls can claim the credit, speaking as a historian, I can tell you that this ad reflects things which were actually happening during WWII. Americans of all ages did work hard to support the war effort, from collecting aluminum and newspapers to rolling bandages to buying war bonds. (I’ve never heard of ‘defense stamps’, though….ahh, the power of google tells me that defense stamps were bought in 10 cent denominations. Fill a book with them and you could trade it in for a war bond, thus allowing people of small means to still contribute towards funding the war.)

   Two big things help to explain why Americans did so much for WWII and not for later wars.

   1) The US was in serious danger. The attack on Pearl Harbor energized Americans in a way that the Korean, Vietnam, etc wars could not. Only 9/11 has provided anything equivalent since then, really. The government then channeled this outrage into productive acivities instead of just leaving Americans to simmer in fear and anger. US citizens will make huge sacrifices, if they see a point to it.

   But also…

   2) The Depression had taught Americans to scrimp and save, to recycle goods as much as possible, etc. For most Americans, even with all the rationing, bond drives asking for money, etc, they were living FAR better than in the 1930s. Rationing was not a big burden when you were used to not being able to buy enough food at all. Now you had full time employment, higher wages, and in general, your ration allotment exceeded 1930s food budgets. The sacrifices of WWII were all of things that the vast majority of Americans hadn’t had for years, anyway.

4. Kathy
   September 20th, 2007 at 3:41 am
   

   Fun, Fun, Fun,

   My grandaughter loves these, it was the first candy she could have on her own. :O)

5. Anonymous
   March 11th, 2008 at 8:46 am
   

   I LIKE TOOTSY ROLLS

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