‘Unfrosted’ Movie Makes Battle Creek Look Far More Extravagant Than It Actually Is

The Jerry Seinfeld-led movie "Unfrosted" came out on Netflix this week, and by all accounts, it's pretty fun. Basically, it follows the creation of the Pop-Tart, and Kellogg's Competition with cross-town rivals Post, and does so in a fantastical, almost child-like fashion.

But one thing stood out to me as someone who lives in southwest Michigan, and has visited Battle Creek a fair amount of times... this is NOT what Battle Creek looks like, or feels like at all. And I question if it ever did.

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For context, the movie is told from the standpoint of Jerry Seinfeld's character, Bob Cabana, explaining how the Pop-Tart was created to a child who sat next to him at the local ice cream shop. So the child-like element of this movie is meant to feel more like how a child would interpret this amazing story.

In reality, the story was pretty boring. Post announced early they had a shelf-stable fruit pastry they were going to distribute - Country Squares - and Kellogg's beat them to the punch after finding out. They played on Andy Warhol's movement of "Pop Art," added a "T" to "Art," and the rest was history.

But this movie turns everything up to 11 on the dial, INCLUDING the city of Battle Creek.

This is NOT What Battle Creek is Really Like

Yes, the city of Battle Creek is heavily featured in the film, noting that both Edsel Kellogg III, and Marjorie Post own... or rather INHERITED... the city.

In the film, at least once, the 1960's skyline of Battle Creek can be seen that SEEMs to be relatively accurate, minus the looming giant skyscrapers of both Kellogg's and Post Cereal's headquarters, which appear more as monstrous monoliths than a company headquarters.

Not to mention, as characters are driving around town, Battle Creek is seen as a an almost pastel-palette town with a hint of Las Vegas' glitz and glamour surrounding the two cereal companies.

In all honesty, Battle Creek comes out smelling like roses, which is great. Any good publicity on cities in southwest Michigan is excellent. But I fear tourists who get false pretenses based on the movie will soon show up, THINKING Battle Creek has this almost Vegas Entertainment vibe to it, only to find out the closest thing to that would be Kellogg Arena, or The Music Factory.

Don't get it twisted, Battle Creek is an excellent city in southwest Michigan, and has contributed so much to the entire country over, nearly, the past century. But I just hope people don't get the wrong impression of this blue-collar town that is NOTHING like what the movie portrays it to be.

That being said, if anyone who has lived in Battle Creek since the 1960s can verify the great Mascot uprising of 1964, then I will gladly rescind what I've known to be true about the community.

Unfrosted is now playing on Netflix, and is a TON of fun if you haven't seen it yet.