Twinkie The Kid, a sweet, golden, creme-filled wrangler made of cake thought by some to have an infinite expiration date, is dead. He was 85.
Twinkie's death was confirmed by his caretaker, Hostess Brands Inc.
Born in 1930 to James Alexander Dewar of the Continental Baking Company, Twinkie, as he was known then, was the child of stuffed beginnings in Schiller Park, Ill. His manufacturer switched to vanilla filling as World War II forced the United States to ration bananas, a move that would ultimately prove fruitful for the pubescent pastry.
In 1971, Twinkie made his advertising debut as Twinkie The Kid. Dressed in a 10-gallon hat, kerchief and cowboy boots, "The Kid" would often be seen "with his confectionary comrades, Captain Cupcake and Fruit Pie the Magician," Retroland recalls.
He had exceptional skills with a lasso. In one instance, Twinkie The Kid saved Twinkie Town from a pair of bakery burglars, roping them in without letting the delicious loot hit the ground. His willingness to share treats made him popular with children.
Many believed he could -- and would -- live forever. A popular urban myth holds that the cake's chemical structure affords it a shelf life measured in decades and capable of surviving nuclear war. The reputation for longevity was reinforced in the film "Zombieland", featuring outspoken pastry fanatic Woody Harrelson embarking on a kamikaze mission for the last Twinkie on earth.
During his golden years, Twinkie The Kid's legacy was an issue of national importance.
"In 1999, President Bill Clinton and the White House Millennium Council selected the Twinkie to be preserved in the nation's millennium time capsule, calling it an enduring American icon," according to the Washington Post.
In recent years, Twinkie The Kid's critics lambasted the once respected treat, who went as low as deep frying himself to attract the ever-sweetening tooth of his fans.
Reports indicate that Hostess could sell Twinkie The Kids' remains to the highest bidder, opening the possibility that another baker will stuff and sell him again, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Twinkie is survived by his competitor, the Drake's Coffee Cake.
Readers are encouraged to leave thoughts and memories of Twinkie The Kid in the comment section, below.
Besides when was the last time you bought a Twinkie?
Unions are like horses. At one time we needed them for transport, labour, and companionship. If you have a horse today, you have a money pit that lets you play sometimes and hits you with suprise expenses. Unions are no different.
Unions cost money, force strikes, and kill companies. On strike your husband will have no job, no pay increase, and no school. If you are lucky you will still have health/life insurance when you are done. A one or 2 year union employee gets nothing out of a strike.
I have family members who have been part of a union including my wife. I never have. I have a degree I paid for my self, not a certificate which a million+ people hold. I used my non-union, steady paying job with pay increases, health insurance, and life insurance to pay for my degree and earn experience that led to me opening my own company.
I can definitely say that the day a union becomes involved with my company is the day I close my company doors. It's easier to build a new company than deal with the garbage and games brought on by a Union.
Unions are dinosaurs that need to go into extinction as they do nothing but demand wages and benefits that are out of line and prop up under performing workers.
Unions represent socialism and feel that everyone should make the same salary and benefits no matter ones stature within the organization. Management or middle management got their positions because of their the education and previous work experience. This same group of people work double the hours of an hourly worker and don't get paid for it. These same people are under immense stress because these are the people who keep the business up and running day after day so that the company is making money thus making sure hourly workers have a job. The two are symbiotic in essence because they both need each other to keep the product rolling out the door. However, lets not be confused, an assembly line worker is not worth more than $10 - $15 an hour and a skilled worker is not worth more than $16 - $20
Also, a company should not have to flip the entire cost for health insurance and should be in line with what other company's of comparable size are offering.
This was union thuggery at its best. Thanks a lot you selfish low down over paid.
Merry Christmas