Saturday, November 17, 2012

The Twinkie Defense!

It has been a long time since I have had a Twinkie.  I remember my grade school days when we used to bring our own lunch to school.  Oh how envious I was of the kids who had "Twinkies" stashed in their lunch boxes!  On a lucky day I might have raisins, normally an apple and once a week a home made cookie!  My mom was like that, health conscious and we didn't have money for store bought goodies.  In high school sometimes I would sneak out and buy my own.  They last forever I am told.
"Best Before Aug. 2075",Can you believe that?
   I have been self employed for over forty years and always thought that if I could just cut the labor costs, to like, almost nothing, then I could have made a lot of money!  That is a way some business people think, you know.  Or if I could avoid the taxes, cut the government out of the picture.  Make up something.  Put my money overseas.  Worker's Compensation was a huge expense.  I always told my employees that if they fell then they were fired before they hit the ground.
   The CEO's of Twinkie were making $375,000 to $600,000 per year.  Each.  There were times I could have done that but I would have had the feeling that I was stealing.  I don't think one gets that kind of money from working.
   Of course if the Twinkie people had had their eyes open they would have realized that their sales were down.  They had already filed bankruptcy just a few years ago.  Why they thought that if they could cut wages and benefits 30% and raise CEO's pay 300 % then all would be alright is beyond my thinking.  But that is what they did.
   The truth is Twinkie lost to little home grown bakeries.  Even in my little town we have several of these Mom and Pop (and kids and cousins!) operations and they are great!  We have a Mexican Bakery and a French, of course!, some super specialized bakeries and health conscious one's. Really, "Wonder Bread"?  when you could have a fresh baggette?  Russian Rye or sour dough made at 4 AM this morning?
   Times change and Twinkies are gone.  We can go exploring in the neighborhood now.  See what we have been missing.
   I learned the other day that Coca Cola was a nickle for over 70 years!!! from the 1880's until 1957.
That is pretty cool and pretty cool marketing.

5 comments:

Rama Ananth said...

Jerry, I remember having Coke and Fanta in my school days and college days and they used to cost so less, and they tasted better. But now you get them in huge plastic bottles, and somehow the fun has fizzled out of it. Now I hardly ever have Coke or Fanta, though they still come in bottles too, but they don't taste the same. I really miss the good old days when we could eat anything with thinking whether it is healthy or not, for we never fell sick those days.

Jerry Carlin said...

Isn't that the truth, Rama! Youth is young and tough and indestructible!
A gallon of Coca Cola is the same price as a gallon of gasoline here!

Dionne said...

I think it's great that people have become more health conscience because we now have all these specialty shops like your talking about that have real food that taste so much better than the manufactured stuff. Use to be u had to make it yourself to have the real thing and the plus is the real food biodegrades unlike the twinkie.

Jerry Carlin said...

Yes, Dionne, I don't think Twinkies biodegrade even after eaten! Love the Specialty Shops myself! Maybe a little more effort to get to but always worth the extra effort! Like all things good.

Dan Kent said...

I think what has happened is that all moms have become your mom. :)