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Submitted by: Bob Neary, Feb 16, 2010 Joe Doyle was a stringer/reporter from out on Cape Cod. Joe used to carry a business card that included his company name: "Sawdust Pudding Productions" About six months after I first met him, I mentioned to him that I had seen his card and wondered about the significance of the 'Sawdust Pudding' in his company name. He then proceeded to tell me the story of how Ben Franklin was editor of a newspaper in Philadelphia, and he printed whatever he wanted. He called a spade a spade and didn't worry about who didn't like it. At one point, Mr. Franklin's advertisers were letting it be known that if he wasn't a bit kinder to them in his editorials/news stories, that they might just pull their advertising with his paper. Ben didn't say much at the time, but shortly thereafter invited them all to a big sumptuous dinner. Everyone enjoyed it immensely. Still, no one really understood why Ben was putting on such a feast. After dinner, dessert was served. It was pudding and it looked delicious, but as they began eating the pudding, they immediately started spitting it out..... "Why, it tastes like sawdust!," exclaimed one advertiser in attendance. "That's exactly right," said Ben Franklin, "And I want you to know that I'd be willing to eat sawdust pudding before I'll alter my stories or editorials to suit your taste." After that, Joe Doyle always represented that independent Yankee spirit of New England. I looked forward to and enjoyed his news reports even more after learning the secret behind Sawdust Pudding Productions. |
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