Childhood Has Ended… No More Twinkies!
Who at my age didn’t grow up with Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes? Damn few. Now the Hostess Brand, started by Continental Bakeries in 1925 is vanishing. In 1930, Twinkies sponge cakes were invented by James Dewar as a way to make an inexpensive product during the Depression. These were followed over the next few decades by Sno Balls and Ding Dongs and Ho Hos.
But there was more in their history than snacking on sweet baked goods. Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies were in the camaraderie of the greatest Saturday Morning TV sponsors in the 1950s (along with Ovaltine and Kool Aid and Three Musketeers candy bars). Because of them we had Roy Rogers and Sky King and Rin Tin Tin.
Twinkies became part of American legal history in 1979 when the “Twinkie Defense” was used as the reason why Dan White murdered of San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. He said that the consumption of Twinkies and other sugary snacks caused the depression that led to
the murder.
Now Interstate Bakeries, the current owner of Hostess Brands is going out of business and Twinkies will disappear forever.
Farewell to the memories of my youth (a tear in my eye.)
Posted on January 11, 2012, in Advertising, Art, Business, Corporations, creativity, Family, food, history, News, Opinion, Television, Word from Bill and tagged Dan White, Ding Dong, Hostess, Hostess Brand, James Dewar, Sno Balls, Twinkie, Twinkie Defense. Bookmark the permalink. 3 Comments.
I think I remember Interstate Bakeries filing for Chpt. 11 a few years ago and forcing the union to accept a lesser contract to keep their jobs. I also heard they were having union contract problems again and wonder, “is this is another way of staying in business with less union demands” or just time to pass the snack empire gauntlet on to some newer favorite which may even be something affordable that could be good for or less dangerous than the Hostess line.
R J Bubby B.
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