Just a Suggestion

The other day I was eating Club Crackers, and I noticed that on the back of the box there were pictures of crackers with stuff on top of them: ham, cheese, and mustard; peanut butter and apple; and cream cheese and olive (nasty). At the bottom were the words "Serving suggestions." Now, I know this isn't a new thing, but our society is becoming dumber, and this sort of thing is enabling that. In the case of these crackers, I can understand looking at the box and thinking, "Ham, cheese, and mustard would be good on a Club Cracker; I should try that." But is it really necessary to clarify that this is a serving suggestion? Do people really think that these extra ingredients are inside the box? Are there people who have been disappointed when they open their box of cereal and don't find milk and strawberries included?

There is also another dimension to the stupidity. When Bush Baked Beans has a picture of their beans poured into a bowl, is it really necessary to say that that is a serving suggestion? I know that sometimes I have trouble thinking up ideas for dinner, but are people really that uninspired that they can't come up with the brilliant idea of opening the can and pouring its contents into a bowl? I think things have gotten out of hand with warnings and labels, and I don't remember it being like this when I was growing up.