DAILY DIRT: Next time you unwrap a Pop-Tart, remember Bill

Daily Dirt for Thursday, Feb. 15 2024

If ever a particular was born to play a specific part, it seems Jerry Seinfeld is perfect to play Bill Post  … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 865 of The Daily Dirt.

1. I first fell in love with Pop-Tarts when I was a wee lad.

In particular, the frosted cinnamon kind, and it’s been an ongoing love affair that has spanned parts of two centuries.

That’s why I was legitimately saddened when I read of the recent passing of William “Bill” Post. He was the man who invented the Pop-Tart more than 60 years ago.

Post died at age 96 in Michigan.

The popular pastry was originally named “Fruit Scones” before being retooled.

The story behind Post’s invention has been chronicled in the upcoming Netflix comedy movie “Unfrosted: The Pop-Tart Story”. The film stars Jerry Seinfeld and is set to be released on May 3.

Rest in peace, Bill. You’ll never realize the impact you’ve had on the breakfast/snack industry.

2. We’re getting close to Academy Awards time in Hollywood.

Here are a few oddities about the beloved Oscars you might never have heard:

• The first sequel to ever win an Oscar was “The Godfather: Part II” in 1975: “Let’s be honest; movie sequels are rarely better than the original movies,” writes Lauren Christina for wackojaco.com. “Oftentimes, there’s too much pressure to be perfect, and they often flop as a result.” This film, however, was a total slam dunk. As well as winning the Oscar for Best Picture, it also took home six other awards and proved that sequels could be just as good — if not better — than the original.
• The longest acceptance speech: When Greer Garson won the Best Actress award in 1943 for “Mrs. Miniver,” she started off her speech by saying, “I’m practically unprepared.” But in the end, her speech was a whopping seven minutes long.
• The most nominated actor never to win: Peter O’Toole received an incredible eight nominations, but never won a single time. In 2003, the Oscar Awards gave O’Toole an honorary award, apparently to “make up” for all of his previous disappointments. He gladly accepted.
• The longest Best Picture winner: Lasting a whopping 3 hours and 58 minutes, “Gone with the Wind” (1939) certainly is not the longest movie ever made, but it’s the longest film ever to take home the Oscar. In 2023, the average length of a new movie was 2 hours, 23 minutes.
• The oldest actor to win: In 2021, Anthony Hopkins officially became the oldest actor in history to win an Oscar. He was 83 when honored for his role in “The Father.”

3. Here are the MLB teams that spent the most money on free agents in the offseason:

• 1. Los Angeles Dodgers, $1.1 billion.
• 2. San Francisco, $207.3 million.
• 3. Philadelphia, $175 million.
• 4. Arizona, $134.5 million.
• 5. Cincinnati, $106.2 million.
• 5. Kansas City, $109.5 million.
• 7. St. Louis, $99 million.

No other club has spent more than $45 million.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Shouldn’t Pop-Tarts be considered one of the basic food groups?

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News? The Royals and Cardinals spent more than the Yankees or Mets this offseason?