On Friday morning, I woke up and discovered that The Hostess Corporation was going out of business. This was the saddest news I could have ever heard. Besides the fact that 18,000 hard working employees were losing their jobs, it marked the end of an era for America. Most Americans are still in disbelief that there will be no more Twinkies, no more Ding Dongs or Ho Ho's, no more Snowballs, and above all else, no more Hostess Cupcakes! What a truly tragic day for the American consumer.
So many of you are probably wondering why a travel blog is devoting an article to a snack foods? Because, they are more than just sweet treats. For my generation, they were a pivotal piece of American culture. People my age grew up on these delicious munchies. In the Norman Rockwell era of the 1950's, apple pie and baseball were synonyms with America, the same could be true for Ding Dongs, Ho Ho's and video games for the 1990's. They were a quintessential part of everyday life. For me, these treats are reminiscent of my childhood. When I was little, my father used to take me and my brother every Saturday morning to the convenience store to visit my mom. She was unfortunately stuck working the weekends to make ends meet. So as we would hang out there with her, my brother and me would always get to choose a snack. For me, it was always the same, a two pack of the best tasting chocolate cupcakes ever made and a chocolate milk to wash it all down with. Looking back, it is amazing that I don't weigh at least 400 pounds, but these were the days when junk food reigned supreme. This weekly tradition has over the years became one of my many cherished childhood memories.
As the day went along, I started to talk to several of my friends about this untimely and tragic loss, and was quick to discover that many of them also had similar and heartfelt memories of these decadent and beloved snack cakes. I never quite realized how such a small and seemingly inconsequential thing could contribute in our daily lives and help to identify our experiences as being truly American. In fact, this odd phenomena of American culture was felt throughout my home town of Denver. As soon as The Hostess Corporation decided to close there doors to the public after 83 years, people immediately started to buy up the last few precious packs that remained on the selves. Within three hours, there was not even a crumb left for us devoted chocolate lovers and sweet tooth addicts to find. Some did it to horde these treasures, others to make a profit. World famous tennis player, Maria Sharapova, who's guilty pleasure is to consume the iconic and cream filled Twinkie, immediately bought up a life time supply of them. For those of you who are unfamiliar to Twinkies, they are so full of preservatives that they can easily last a hundred years and still be as good as the day they rolled off of the assembly line. Where as others have placed them on EBay and are now selling a box of them for as much as $500 a piece. These used to retail for around $3 a box. Can you believe it! Who knows, maybe in 80 years, someone will bring out a Twinkie on Antique Roadshow and it will be worth a small fortune. Stranger things have happened. I know America will move on to other obsessions that will define what life is for us. We always do, but for future generations, who may not get to experience the guilty pleasure of devouring these delicious and truly iconic treats, I feel immense regret. I couldn't imagine what life would be like without these wonderful junk foods. For me, this marks the end of an era in American culture. Thanks to my dear readers for tolerating this twist in topics but I simply had to say goodbye to my dear friend the Twinkie!
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If you were as devastated by the closing of the hostess factory as I was please chime in, I would love to hear about your experiences with these iconic treats or let us know which of the amazing treats you are going to miss the most.
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