In 2012 Hostess Brands–baker of Wonder Bread and Twinkies–ceased production. But wait! After a buyout Twinkies returned on July 15, 2013. Whew, that was close.
Twinkies moist, crème-filled cake was the perfect food. So good, we’d lick the cardboard for the last morsel. And easier to handle than those sloppy Suzy Q’s. This all goes back a way.
1930 Twinkies were invented in Illinois.
1955 I used my lunch money to buy cigarettes. Survived on Twinkies and surplus Illinois chocolate milk at only a penny per carton.
1956-60 During high school in California I never once ate lunch in the cafeteria. Instead, bought BBQ chips, chocolate milk and Twinkies and walked the halls. I ate over 1,000 Twinkies, which doubtless explains my current youthful appearance.
1964 At my college Hostess Twinkies were known as “white man soul food.”
Late 60’s Nothing like a dozen Twinkies to cure The Munchies. Bolder girls seductively pretended to "smoke" their Twinkies, like fat stubby cigars or something.
1971 When San Francisco Columnist Herb Caen asked for ethnic WASP traditions, I wrote him that “Hostess Twinkies are WASP soul food.” He published that along with my name.
1972 Dialogue when Sammy Davis Jr. visited All in The Family.
[Season 2, Episode 21, First aired 2/19/72]
Archie: (speaking to Edith) Open up a fresh box of Twinkies for Mr. Davis.
Sammy Davis, Jr.: Twinkies?
Michael: Yeah. Kind of a WASP soul food.
1978 Deranged ex-SF cop and baked potato vendor Dan White murdered SF mayor George Moscone and gay supervisor Harvey Milk. White claimed diminished capacity due to gorging on sugary snack foods. Thus, was born the “Twinkie Defense.”
19?? Jerry Garcia–famed lead guitarist for The Grateful Dead:
“Hey, my chest feels kinda tight. F**k it, pass me a Twinkie”
1995 Rice University tests Twinkies and publish results as The Twinkies Project.
1995 Jerry Garcia died in drug rehab. One of his addictions was said to be Twinkies.
2010 Twinkie diet. College professor Mark Haub went on a diet consisting mainly of Twinkies, Oreos, and Doritos in an attempt to demonstrate to his students "for weight loss, pure calorie counting is what matters–not the nutritional value of the food". He lost 27 pounds in 2 months but did not shoot anyone.
Finally, Deep-fried Twinkies. A deep-fried Twinkie involves freezing the cake, dipping it into batter, and deep-frying it to create a variation on the traditional snack cake. "Something magical occurs when the pastry hits the hot oil. The creamy white vegetable shortening filling liquefies, impregnating the sponge cake with its luscious vanilla flavor. The cake itself softens and warms, nearly melting, contrasting with the crisp, deep-fried crust in a buttery and suave way. The pièce de résistance, however, is a ruby-hued berry sauce, adding a tart sophistication to all that airy sugary goodness." [NY Times] Fried Twinkies are sold at fairs as well as ball games.
I need some, now.How to Survive Your College Reunion
By Chuck Carroll
Most of us approach our college reunions with a mixture of curiosity and dread. We want to learn what happened to everyone else, but we are concerned about measuring up. Did we accomplish enough? Are we still witty and pretty, etc.?
The experience can be quite pleasant if you develop a Game Plan. Let us segment the task into Expectation Setting, Pre-Reunion Communication and Handling the Event itself.
Expectation Setting. Reunion reality dictates that at least one classmate will have earned serious money, one will be really famous, one will look like Richard Gere and/or Britney on a really good day. You cannot compete with this, so lower your expectations.
Pre-Reunion communications are best handled electronically. First, put up a simple web site. It has three parts, your picture, a list of your undergraduate activities and your Cause Celêbre.
Use a PC tool to make your face look wider. Then, during the reunion, you will get complements on “how much better you look in person.” Write a page on your unique experiences at school. Spin your story. Turn hiding out in the Chess Club into “Mittyesque adventures with team of fellow intellectuals.” Clotheshorse behavior in the sorority becomes “developed lifelong love of costume and design.” Put it all in there.
Your pet cause can be real, or one adopted for the occasion. Select one with cute pictures. Save the Ducks is superior to Save the Rats. Advise classmates that this ‘saving’ should be a class project.
Do NOT post on your web site: your resume, pictures of grandchildren, dog or boat, pleas for financial assistance, or anything you have done since college. Remember reunions are all about surviving a few days of looking backwards.
Once your web site is done, mass email the URL to all your classmates. Tell them how thrilled they might be to check your site and see if they are mentioned.
Handling the Event. Go on time, leave early and take plenty of Time Outs. If you cannot stay in the expensive hotel at the corner of campus, take micro-naps in bathroom stalls.
Drinking seems to be the principal pastime at reunions. Practice at home as often as possible. Learn to tell short, self-deprecating stories.
At the event greet people by simultaneously deciphering their nametag and asking, “Did you see my web site?” Regardless of their answer, ask their position on Saving the Ducks. They will ignore you and yammer on about their grandchildren.
You have just survived the Ideal Reunion Encounter. Repeat as needed.
There will be meetings. These are great chances to make witty remarks to a captive, if hungover, audience. The first meeting will deal with the Middle East. Professors and other experts will round table an articulate game of Ain’t It Awful. These folks will bring back fond memories of sitting in class when you could have been on a road trip. About halfway through you will realize that behind their eloquent phrases they haven’t got a clue. Start a whispering contest in the audience with funny comments about their hand-wringing platitudes.
Skip all other meetings. Their only purpose will be to honor seven figure contributors to the Alumni Fund.
Fill your time with campus explorations. If you have gray hair, you can go anywhere. Go right into the President’s house. Even if he/she calls the campus police, you will be treated with kid gloves. No one wants to bruise a potential contributor to the Alumni Fund.
As you pack to leave early, you will have many fond memories. People you thought were Snobs are only chronically depressed at not getting into Harvard. The still-employed are jealous of the Idle Retirees. The retired folks obsess over which stores have Double Coupon Days and when. The Frat Boys are still fratting. The Sorority Sisters are still gloating. You have survived with your own Reunion Game Plan.
Why Trump Got Elected
A few years back I found the government weirdly self-serving. So I wrote a satirical
summary, “Understanding Your New Government”. Now it seems I stumbled onto the
problems Trump has begun to fix. Here it is:
Understanding Your New Government
Your government is new and improved for 2010. A child or grandchildren may ask you
to explain our wonderful new system. Here is a primer.
The Federal Government has three official branches:
1. Executive. This is the Office of Symbolism and Rhetoric. It is tailored to the
Twitterific voters, who can only handle fleeting pictures and micro-factoids. Since this
group is easily confused, all decisions are made behind closed doors. This is called
Transparency. The Chief Executive lives in a symbolically pure “White” House. He has
changed his anthem from Hail to the Chief to The Great Pretender. He was an adequate
law school professor.
2. Legislative. There are two bodies. The first is the House of Union Supporters. Their
task is to rubber stamp the cow-towing to labor unions done by the Office of Symbolism
and Rhetoric. Most members are failed businesspeople.
The second body is the Senate of Trial Lawyer Obsequiousness. It is charged with
protecting trial lawyers from any and all income reductions. All members in this Senate
are failed trial lawyers.
3. Judicial. This branch is the repository of Politically Correct Appointments. Their most
important duty is to pose for a group picture each October. All members are judges who
previously got appointed somewhere else.
4. The unofficial fourth branch of government is The Media. Extremely powerful, this is
CNN and iTunes.
There are several sub-branches worth noting:
> Department of Military Reaction. Its job is never-ending combat against a handful of
Muslim Jihadists, who--in turn--derive auto-erotic pleasure from reliving the Crusades on
their Game Boys.
> Department of Military Procurement. Its job is letting huge contracts for weapons
systems no one wants but that are manufactured in states whose incumbents are behind in
the polls.
> Department of New World Order. Made up of the kindest and gentlest State
Department veterans, its sole function is supporting every whim of the United Nations.
> Department of the Treasury. Its job is keeping our major lender happy. That is why the
current Treasury Secretary majored in Chinese Culture and even speaks Mandarin. Way
to go!
> Department of Dependency. This secret department has agents throughout the
government. Its charter is to annually increase the percentage of American citizens who
depend on government programs to survive. This department has enhanced its results by
importing “clients” (their name for non-working humans) from poor countries south of
the United States.
There you have it. This should help any young relative or friend comprehend our Brave
New World.
Chuck Carroll 2010