Death of the Ding-Dong, Twinkie, Wonder Bread: End of an Era?
Reports are that Hostess is starting to close down after a labor dispute. End of a beloved era, or good riddance to junk food heaven?
Twinkies. Hostess Cupcakes. Wonder Bread. Ding-dongs.
They could be gone forever, with reports that Hostess Brands, Inc., said today that it will sell off or close down its 82-year old business. Done in, says the CEO, by labor union action.
Hostess filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.
The company has been challenged by not only by snarly labor relations, and a national strike by its second-largest labor union, but also, posits the Wall Street Journal, by consumers switching to healthier foods and high ingredient costs.
But the Journal says that Hostess has threatened liquidation before, and not followed through.
But if it does liquidate, what do you think about this end to a junk-food kingdom? Will you buy some Ding-dongs and Twinkies just for old times' sake? Stock up on them for the future? Watch the beginning of the move 'Wall-E' for the Twinkie-and-cockroach scene one more time? Is it the end of a beloved era? Or is it 'good riddance,' that the world would be better off without so much junk food? Or do you think someone else will buy them up, and we'll have an unending supply of Twinkies? Tell us what you think in the comments section below.
Jay K.
11:55 am on Friday, November 16, 2012
Oh no, the profiteering has already begun!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hostess-Twinkies-Box-of-10-however-I-got-into-them-this-morning-/160923655597?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2577cc1dad
David Ertischek
12:17 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Never forget the Twinkie Defense...
Mark B Cleveland
4:35 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
As long as there is a demand.... there will be a twinkie!
Art Brown
10:28 pm on Friday, November 16, 2012
Good riddance to bad nutrition!
Michael
7:07 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
I think Brookline banned Twinkies a while ago anyway.
Kathy G
7:50 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
End of an era. I grew up on this stuff. Twinkies for lunch in junior high school (before there were "middle" schools). Hostess cupcakes with cocoa and mini-marshmallows after school.
yogasong
7:52 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Don't worry-another company will buy the rights to Twinkies and produce them using the original recipe. Same thing happened with Cracker Jacks and other famous food items.
Basically the owners of Hostess decided they'd rather not pay their employees and decided to cash in. They're going to make a lot of money off of rights to their products. Corporate greed strikes again.
Michael
9:41 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Agreed, there's lot of brand equity to bank on, so you hit it spot on. The owners are simply cashing in and sticking it to the trade unions. They clearly don't care about anything but money, (witness the quality of the "food" they produced), and certainly not the 18,000 workers that will be put out.
I haven't eaten their junk food for 30+ years, and after the Twinkie, etc., is made in another factory, which it most certainly will, I still won't. Garbage in, garbage out.
Just a person!
8:24 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Michael,
It was the other American favorite they banned, "fluff"
If they do close I will certainly miss the chocolate hostess cupcake with the squiggles on them, my favorite!
Bob Samson
7:43 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
Somebody will buy the brands and be on the market shortly, The name and the ingredients are valuable. Acquiring company WILL NOT add to staff. Unions are stupid.
John D
11:00 pm on Saturday, November 17, 2012
yet another business killed by greedy unions. 18,500 out of work. they should have been grateful for their jobs in this economy.
paul
9:23 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
Your right John pure greed but not on the part of the workers read the facts or just take the uninformed route and blame the unions
Linda Roach
1:54 am on Sunday, November 18, 2012
I hope this is not the end of an era! I grew up on twinkies and cupcakes etc and want my grandchildren to experience them(in moderation of course).
hongfeng
4:51 am on Monday, January 7, 2013
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