The (likely faked) Cheerios protest

Posted at 10:15 AM on August 6, 2012 by Bob Collins (8 Comments)

This video is getting some traction on the Intertubes today, allegedly a person who is opposed to General Mills' stance opposing the same-sex marriage ban amendment on November's ballot. But there's some indication it might be faked to portray a less-than-flattering image about the supporters of the ban.

By the way the box burns there was obviously some sort of accelerant in the box, otherwise the grass wouldn't have caught on fire, and the box wouldn't have flamed at the top when the blowtorch was applied to the bottom of the box. It also appears there was already some gasoline on the grass, and in the bowl. And why try to blow out the fire in the bowl when that was the intention in the first place?

This bit is probably more satire than protest.

Should've used Lucky Charms.

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Comments (8)

Weren't the Flaming-O's a band some time ago? After my time, but I remeber the name,

Posted by John P. | August 6, 2012 12:03 PM

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Reading one of the comments to the video on YouTube (many of which are insults) would lead me to believe that this is a serious video as it was supposedly traced to someone with multiple accounts which he uses to espouse believes akin to what the proposed message of this video is.

Posted by Steve W. | August 6, 2012 12:58 PM

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It's going to take me awhile just to get my head around the first five words in that sentence. :*)

Posted by Bob Collins | August 6, 2012 1:05 PM

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This looks like one for the Mythbusters.

It might be plausible for a torched box of Cheerios to really burn this way. The cereal itself is no doubt very flammable, being very dry and made of plant matter.

The flare at the beginning could be caused by dust in the box. Dust explosions can be substantial, and there's always a tablespoon or two of Cheerios dust in the bottom of the box. If even a small amount of that dust because airborne it could cause that poof.

The real test, of course, is to try to replicate the video. I'm off to buy a box of Cheerios....

Posted by Peter | August 6, 2012 1:19 PM

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Here's a guy who doused cheerios with charcoal lighter. It didn't exactly light up the joint.

You look at that fire on the grass -- green grass by the way -- and there's no doubt something was dumped on there first.

I'm really quite surprised this video is getting passed around so quickly and nobody has said, "hey, wait a second here!"

Posted by Bob Collins | August 6, 2012 1:51 PM

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Yep, he's a flamer.

Posted by Jay | August 6, 2012 5:52 PM

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Here's a profile on the guy in the video, Michael Leisner:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/buster/cheerios-burning-protest-567341

He's a 65-year-old real estate broker, and has another account on YouTube where he posts screeds against Barney Frank and Pres. Obama, who he says “bent forward to accommodate the sodomites of New York.”

Apparently, this video was posted onto YouTube by his son and he did not check the legality of burning something on someone else's lawn.

*facedesk*

Posted by Harry Underwood | August 6, 2012 8:30 PM

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Firstly: isn't it possible that it was a genuine protest and he added fuel beforehand to ensure they'd burn?

Secondly: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp0tv1xWMqg

Thirdly: Why blow out the bowl? Could be any number of reasons, wanted to try again, instinctive reaction coupled with surprise, panicking about the looming possiblity of being caught and charged with vandalism,

Posted by Peter Houlihan | August 8, 2012 9:05 PM

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