Anti-New Sweethearts Movement
Feb. 11th, 2010 09:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tabular_rasaSo, as promised, I have composed a letter to Necco company regarding the new Sweethearts. For those of you who also dislike the new flavors, I recommend you do the same thing. It's astoundingly easy, just go to this page on the website and it sends them an email from there.
Or, you can just check my grammar/offer suggestion to the letter I wrote below (I'll send it sometime this weekend) even though one well-written letter isn't as effective as twelve letters, even if they just say "UR NEW CANDYS TEH SUCK!!!!!!1"
Necco Sweethearts conversation hearts have always been a beloved Valentine's Day tradition for me. Whether dating or single during Valentine's Day, I have always enjoyed the holiday with a box of Sweethearts, beginning with when I handed out a box to each classmate during elementary school Valentine parties. I am currently working as an English teacher in Japan, so I had several boxes sent from home because I wanted to share an American tradition with my students-- and, of course, enjoy some for myself!
However, I am disappointed to find that this year's Sweethearts are not the tradition I know and love. While I found the new box design to be refreshing, I was not pleased with the contents. The presence of the new blue heart intrigued me, but curiosity turned to dismay when I realized it had replaced my favorite Sweetheart flavor, the white heart. This may have been the least favorite flavor for many Sweethearts consumers, but for some of us, including myself and several friends, it was the highlight of the box. The blue raspberry flavor is welcome to stay, but the white heart is beloved by enough Sweethearts consumers that I do not believe it deserves to be replaced entirely.
Furthermore, I find the new texture to be wholly unappealing. Rather than being more fun to eat, I find the softness to be reminiscent of staleness and quite unpalatable. There are other brands that produce similarly soft conversation hearts, but I have always specifically chosen Necco because I prefer the original texture.
Necco prides itself on its updates to the popular candy, and indeed I have enjoyed seeing the Sweetheart phrases change over time, but there are some elements that have never necessitated a change. There's a reason Necco Sweethearts have been a Valentine's favorite for over a century. They were loved as the classic candy they were! I hope that Necco reconsiders its changed recipe or, at the very least, makes a "classic edition" of Sweethearts available in the future for those of us who love the original. Otherwise, as much as it pains me to eliminate a holiday tradition and break my loyalty to Necco, I will cease to purchase Sweethearts candies.
I kind of want to add a PS: I'm only fucking 22, here because I think I sound like a crotchety old lady who only hates the change because it's change (I mean, i rited with like gud grammer n stuff-- what 22-year-old does that?), and allegedly Necco made the changes in the first place because they are attempting to appeal to a *new demographic.* I'm their fucking demographic, dammit. I've got more than seventy years of Sweethearts buying potential here, and I would use if they don't make the recipe change permanent. My sob story about Sweethearts as a Valentine's Day tradition isn't just a histrionic sob story to prove my point. I do consider Sweethearts a sacred Valentine's Day tradition, and I do get them every year.
I could also get really snotty and mention how my great-great-grandfather used to work for Necco (though, sadly, not own or anything, lol) and he'd be appalled or something like that. But my great-great-grandfather also worked there before Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle" and the FDA passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. You know, when they still put rat feces in the candy. (He used to warn my grama not to eat the licorice). Not sure if they'd take anything he said (or I, erm, said on behalf of him?) seriously.
Some searching around on the Internet indicates that original Sweethearts are still in production, but only stocked on the shelves of dollar shops as a novelty candy. (WTF?). Great, if, you know, I could access a dollar store. Hopefully at least they'll stay there, and aren't just going to be phased out over time, so I can alert Mom for next year and continue to purchase them when I get back to the States.
Internet also indicates some people also like these new hearts. Fuck them. They're probably the dipshits who actually buy Twilight hearts. (And, of course, because they're buying them, Necco will listen to them over me).
In the meantime, enjoy a nostalgic Sweetheart poll:
[Poll #1524159]
Or, you can just check my grammar/offer suggestion to the letter I wrote below (I'll send it sometime this weekend) even though one well-written letter isn't as effective as twelve letters, even if they just say "UR NEW CANDYS TEH SUCK!!!!!!1"
Necco Sweethearts conversation hearts have always been a beloved Valentine's Day tradition for me. Whether dating or single during Valentine's Day, I have always enjoyed the holiday with a box of Sweethearts, beginning with when I handed out a box to each classmate during elementary school Valentine parties. I am currently working as an English teacher in Japan, so I had several boxes sent from home because I wanted to share an American tradition with my students-- and, of course, enjoy some for myself!
However, I am disappointed to find that this year's Sweethearts are not the tradition I know and love. While I found the new box design to be refreshing, I was not pleased with the contents. The presence of the new blue heart intrigued me, but curiosity turned to dismay when I realized it had replaced my favorite Sweetheart flavor, the white heart. This may have been the least favorite flavor for many Sweethearts consumers, but for some of us, including myself and several friends, it was the highlight of the box. The blue raspberry flavor is welcome to stay, but the white heart is beloved by enough Sweethearts consumers that I do not believe it deserves to be replaced entirely.
Furthermore, I find the new texture to be wholly unappealing. Rather than being more fun to eat, I find the softness to be reminiscent of staleness and quite unpalatable. There are other brands that produce similarly soft conversation hearts, but I have always specifically chosen Necco because I prefer the original texture.
Necco prides itself on its updates to the popular candy, and indeed I have enjoyed seeing the Sweetheart phrases change over time, but there are some elements that have never necessitated a change. There's a reason Necco Sweethearts have been a Valentine's favorite for over a century. They were loved as the classic candy they were! I hope that Necco reconsiders its changed recipe or, at the very least, makes a "classic edition" of Sweethearts available in the future for those of us who love the original. Otherwise, as much as it pains me to eliminate a holiday tradition and break my loyalty to Necco, I will cease to purchase Sweethearts candies.
I kind of want to add a PS: I'm only fucking 22, here because I think I sound like a crotchety old lady who only hates the change because it's change (I mean, i rited with like gud grammer n stuff-- what 22-year-old does that?), and allegedly Necco made the changes in the first place because they are attempting to appeal to a *new demographic.* I'm their fucking demographic, dammit. I've got more than seventy years of Sweethearts buying potential here, and I would use if they don't make the recipe change permanent. My sob story about Sweethearts as a Valentine's Day tradition isn't just a histrionic sob story to prove my point. I do consider Sweethearts a sacred Valentine's Day tradition, and I do get them every year.
I could also get really snotty and mention how my great-great-grandfather used to work for Necco (though, sadly, not own or anything, lol) and he'd be appalled or something like that. But my great-great-grandfather also worked there before Upton Sinclair published "The Jungle" and the FDA passed the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. You know, when they still put rat feces in the candy. (He used to warn my grama not to eat the licorice). Not sure if they'd take anything he said (or I, erm, said on behalf of him?) seriously.
Some searching around on the Internet indicates that original Sweethearts are still in production, but only stocked on the shelves of dollar shops as a novelty candy. (WTF?). Great, if, you know, I could access a dollar store. Hopefully at least they'll stay there, and aren't just going to be phased out over time, so I can alert Mom for next year and continue to purchase them when I get back to the States.
Internet also indicates some people also like these new hearts. Fuck them. They're probably the dipshits who actually buy Twilight hearts. (And, of course, because they're buying them, Necco will listen to them over me).
In the meantime, enjoy a nostalgic Sweetheart poll:
[Poll #1524159]
