# The end of the Twinkie? Strike threatens Hostess **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 19, 2012, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249 "2012-04-19T05:24:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/21 "2012-04-20T17:03:35Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > It’s not that someone might buy the company. It’s current management stating if there is a union strike management will close the company. Management appears to have no intention to allow anyone to buy the company and keep the Twinkies/Ding Dongs/HoHos going. Even so, if the company goes bankrupt, the creditors will want to recover as much money as possible, including by selling off the products to other food companies. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/22 "2012-04-20T19:22:40Z")
Twinkies will somehow re-emerge from all this, but I fear for Sno-Balls ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/23 "2012-04-21T00:48:47Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Back when I was going to animation school, my roommate and I placed a McDonald’s apple pie in its cardboard package on the kitchen table. And left it there for six months. There was no visible change to the pie. Most foods, except for those with a high water content or unable to easily dry out (such as fruit) will show little change over 6 months, regardless of how it was made; if there isn’t enough moisture (or it dries out quickly enough), it won’t get moldy. McDonald’s hamburgers (which contain nothing other than beef for the meat, and while the bun has a couple preservatives in it, they are widely used in many other foods and even found in “natural” foods) [get nasty and moldy](http://nomsandsciunce.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/why-wont-those-mcdonalds-burgers-go-bad/) if put in a sealed container but not if left out to dry. ---
**Author:** ![Michael63129](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3da27b/32.png) [@Michael63129](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael63129)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/24 "2012-04-21T01:02:42Z")
Oh, and about “plastic” in Twinkies, the partially hydrogenated oil used in them might as well be plastic, [as far as the health effects are concerned](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat#Health_risks), although it still falls far short of actually being plastic. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/25 "2012-11-15T04:04:17Z")
Reviving this thread, because things are starting to happen fast on the Hostess front - there is a wide-spread strike; Hostess has closed 3 plants which they claim is due to the strike, but Mayor Slay of St. Louis [begs to differ](http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/11/13/slay-i-was-told-months-ago-about-hostess-closure/); and now a Daily Kos story that [Hostess is outta here (liquidation/wind-down) next week](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/14/1161766/-Hostess-Brands-Death-Watch). Some of the Hostess brands (list from Wiki): Baker’s Inn Beefsteak Blue Ribbon Bread du Jour Butternut Breads Colombo Cotton’s Di Carlo Drake’s Dolly Madison Dutch Hearth Eddy’s Good Hearth Holsom Home Pride Hostess J.J. Nissen Merita Millbrook Mrs. Cubbison’s Nature’s Pride Parisian Standish Farms Sweetheart Toscana Wonder Bread There’s some well known brands listed there (including Beefstake, which I feel makes a far better Rye bread than Levy’s); if the Daily Kos story is true and Hostess will be shut down, how do people feel the brands will shake out among - crap, except for Little Debbies, Levy’s, Breyers, Pepperidge Farms, and various store brands, not sure what the competition is in the various retail sectors of Hostess. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/26 "2012-11-15T04:19:29Z")
If they’re going into liquidation, that means someone else is going to buy those brand names and continue manufacturing those products. Like I said back in April, Bimbo or Little Debbie’s would no doubt _love_ to get their hands on those product lines and have one less competitor in the baked goods retail market. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/27 "2012-11-15T17:07:48Z")
Phallic shaped and creme filled - so Gay - otherwise Romney would have suggested Bain buy them out. No reason they couldn’t be made in China for cheaper - it’s not like shelf life has ever been a problem. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/28 "2012-11-15T19:01:45Z")
Twinkies come two to a pack. Maybe they can preserve a Breeding Pair and raise them in captivity. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/29 "2012-11-15T19:38:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Worst-case scenario, Hostess gets bought out by Bimbo and they start putting the Twinkies on the same shelf as those tasty Mexican cakes I forget the name of. [¡Sponch!](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4847343746_7f83a6ba0a.jpg) ? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/30 "2012-11-16T00:17:33Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > [¡Sponch!](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4087/4847343746_7f83a6ba0a.jpg) ? Gesundheit. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/31 "2012-11-16T09:29:40Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > No reason they couldn’t be made in China for cheaper - it’s not like shelf life has ever been a problem. Point of order: [Twinkies have a shelf life of 25 days](http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/twinkies.asp), which is lengthy compared to other baked goods, but they’re not eternal. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/32 "2012-11-16T13:53:47Z")
Hostess is [going out](http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2012/11/16/hostess-brands-says-it-will-liquidate/?hp) of business. While their brands may be sold off, Hostess is, well, toastess, and will lay off most of its 18,500 employees, probably before Christmas. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/33 "2012-11-16T14:01:56Z")
While I can work up some sympathy for all the workers to be laid off, I have to confess I won’t miss any of their products. I was always more of a Little Debbie man. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/34 "2012-11-16T14:10:28Z")
I look forward to the swift resurrection of Wonder Bread and those devil’s food cupcakes… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/35 "2012-11-16T14:18:05Z")
Hostess is toast. See my thread in Cafe Society. Or perhaps a mod can merge them. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/36 "2012-11-16T14:22:32Z")
While this is probably the end for the current company, their brands will likely survive and be sold at auction to a large food company, who will continue making the valuable brands. My guess is Twinkies will continue to be made and available. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/37 "2012-11-16T14:22:43Z")
Already a thread on this: > **[The end of the Twinkie? Strike threatens Hostess](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=648871)** > > What will you do if you can’t get a ding dong any more? I haven’t had a Twinkie in a long time so I wouldn’t miss it much, but it would be a shame to see them go. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/38 "2012-11-16T14:22:49Z")
When I was a kid in the '70s and '80s I only knew of Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies through seeing full-page ads in my comics. They were like some unattainable sweet junk-food Nirvana of which, sadly, I felt I would never have a chance to partake; they weren’t available in my neck of the Canadian woods. Once the time in my life finally arrived when I was oh, so fortunately! afforded the opportunity to at last nosh on these, surely, most divine snack-gifts from God, I was disappointed at the Twinkies, found them pretty disgusting, but the Cupcakes were very yummy. ---
**Author:** ![enomaj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@enomaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enomaj)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/39 "2012-11-16T14:28:06Z")
Ding Dong. The company’s dead. Apparently it’s already started. I was just going to buy a honey bun last night. Out. My back up, the Suzy Q? Out. Wonder Bread was out too. Just happened to look. Man, first The Fat Boys break up. Now this! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2012, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249/40 "2012-11-16T14:28:10Z")
I’ve never eaten a Twinkie in my life. Guess I better try one while they last. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-end-of-the-twinkie-strike-threatens-hostess/619249.md?page=3)