The Untold Truth Of SpaghettiOs



In 1965, moms had a problem: Kids could not eat their spaghetti without making a total mess. If only there was a pasta that came in a smaller, more kid-friendly shape. As luck would have it, executives at Franco-American were looking for something that would target kids and make the product more exciting. With that, the culinary marvel known to the world as SpaghettiOs was born. Calling it "the neat, round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon," SpaghettiOs was an immediate hit. Not only were they tidy, but they were thin enough to withstand the canning and reheating process without becoming gummy. To this day, they remain one of the best selling canned foods in America. However, on the 72nd anniversary of Japan's surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the one that killed more than 2,400 people and launched the U.S. into World War II, Campbell's decided it would be a good idea to trot out its cartoon mascot named TheO onto the official SpaghettiO's Twitter page to encourage their canned pasta-loving followers to share the day with them. "Take a moment to remember #PearlHarbor with us," read the caption, as TheO gleefully hoisted an American flag in the air like an astronaut about to stab it into the moon. Unfortunately for Campbell's, this not-so-thinly-disguised attempt at self-promotion landed with a resounding thud. "Really invokes the warfare and death of that moment," one person tweeted. "Dear @SpaghettiOs:" tweeted comedian Patten Oswald, "Genuinely afraid to scroll back & see what you Tweeted on the 50th anniversary of JFKs assassination." Realizing their mistake, Campbell's deleted it 13 hours later. "We apologize for our recent tweet in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day," they explained. "We meant to pay respect, not to offend." Uh oh, you're a little too late. Campbell’s only saving grace is that you can literally turn a can of SpaghettiOs into delicious cupcakes.