Even Peeps Haters Will Love This
I was in Walmart this week and noticed Peeps Cereal in at least different three places around the store. Peeps are everywhere! And they're a sign that we're nearing the end of the pandemic. Let me explain.
There has never been a more controversial marshmallow. Peeps haters find no use for them and are annoyed by peeps-loving friends who try to push them. And, if you love Peeps, well, spring is your favorite time of year and a graham cracker has never tasted better.
Like most people in Texas, Peeps had a rough year in 2020. The parent company, Just Born Candy Confections, went on hiatus last year because of the pandemic and didn't produce any Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine’s Day sweet treats. The company also suspended production of its candies last spring because of the pandemic and came back a few weeks later on a limited basis, but they didn't get up to full speed until recently. Easter is the season with the highest demand, and they ramped up to meet it this spring. I mean, really ramped up.
If you're looking for a sign that the pandemic could be ending (besides shelves being packed full of toilet paper again at most stores), Peeps are it. Peeps were canceled, Peeps came back, and now Peeps are taking over every nook, cranny, and end cap at your favorite store with baking kits, cereal, and plain ole marshmallow chicks. Peeps are alive and well, and they're a sign that life is getting good again. Even if you never eat one, it's hard to be a Peep hater when they are a sign that things are perking up. Peeps are like the ding sound at the end of a Zoom meeting when everyone starts dropping off and scurries off to their regular lives.
I know there's no magic switch that will turn off the pandemic, but we've been through a lot and we might as well celebrate the small victories. Like Peeps!
I have a friend that loves Peeps and buys them by the case in the spring so she can eat them all year, and then tries to push them on non-Peeps-loving friends. If those friends refuse the yellow chick she offers a blue one, and if they pass on the blue chick she'll offer a bunny. It's all the same marshmallow, dang it! Peeps fans are very committed to their team.
This time last March we were headed into lockdown, and one year later we have an abundance of Peeps and toilet paper. Things are getting better all the time.