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4. Nuts to You, Senator:

Never underestimate the political clout of a 7-foot-tall nut. When Mr. Peanut goes to Washington, politicians have no choice but to embrace the lovable legume — or else.

"As much as we appreciate Mr. Peanut and the production of peanuts, were it not for the fact that the Planters plant was a mainstay of the economy in Suffolk [Virginia], I would not be posing with a peanut," then-Sen. Charles Robb of Virginia told The Washington Post in 1991, at a Capitol Hill event celebrating the Planters mascot's 75th birthday.

"Is this going to be in the paper tomorrow?" he asked. And, of course, it was.

These days, Mr. Peanut is heavily courting the NASCAR vote, cruising the country in his Nut Mobile.

5. Quakers Flaked-Out by Oats:

Quakers are famously committed to pacifism, but they've been so angry over the Quaker Oats man, they've sued to have him removed from cereal boxes.

Contrary to popular belief, Quakers never ran the cereal company. In 1877, company founders created the logo in honor of the early American settlers who belonged to this Christian sect, also known as the Society of Friends.

Feeling exploited in the name of breakfast cereal, some Quakers petitioned Congress to ban using the name of a religious denomination in a product — but to no avail.

"If you'd like to sell Methodist Waffles or Catholic Bran Flakes, you're free to do so," says author Laura Lee in The Name's Familiar.

The Frito Bandito came under similar fire in the 1960s, with some Hispanics complaining that the mustachioed, singing corn chip bandit was an ethnic stereotype.