Retro RePost: Lunchbox Snacks of YesterYear

A few years ago, when this site was still pretty new, I got it in my head to do a few corporate studies and biographies on some of the old-time lunchbox snacks that we all had in our lunchboxes at school or work.  

They were pretty lengthy, but I've always been interested in how each company gets gobbled up by another and morphs into a new entity.  Have you ever wondered why there are several soda brands but only two or three companies that make them all?  Coca-Cola alone owns over 200 different brands of sodas, water, and teas.  Most of which, you would never know, was owned by Coke.

That sort of thing really interests me, so I thought I'd do it for the snack brands we all remember, like Hostess, Entenmanns, Drake's, and Little Debbie.  

They went on to be some of the most popular and frequently searched-for articles on the entire website.  

Little Debbie, the one I honestly thought would be everyone's least favorite, proves time and time again that everyone is nostalgic for the snacks Mom used to buy.  As of today, it's still the fifth-most-read article I've written, and "Discontinued Little Debbie Snacks" is the second-most frequent Google search that brings new readers to my little blog. 

This site has come a long way since then, and the articles seem a little outdated to me now, but I'm still very proud of the work and research that went into them.  

Even the Entenmann's article got a look from a major television channel.  I originally planned to include their name here, but after writing it, I edited it to avoid ruffling too many feathers.  You can figure it out pretty easily if you're so inclined.  They used to talk a lot about History, but now, there are a lot of ancient stories about aliens.

In 2021, I was interviewed via phone for one of those "things that built America" programs and was told by one of the producers that my site was the only long-form information they could find on the company.  I was asked if I was interested in being on the show, and of course, I jumped at the opportunity.  When some follow-up questions came along, I thought they liked my answers, but when I told them I'd have to "study up" to prepare for the show, I could tell they were suddenly a little uneasy.  

I reminded them of the length of time since I had written the Entenmann's article and listed the numerous other companies and pop culture topics I had written about since then.  Like I did during summers in high school, I had memory-dumped everything as soon as I moved on to something new. 

I guess I had forgotten Hollywood's number one rule:  Always say you're an expert at anything and figure everything out later AFTER you get the job.

Anyway, the producer said he understood, and they had writers who would help me prepare for the show and not to worry about it, and that I'd hear from them in a day or two.

As I was expecting an email with filming dates and details, a week later, I got an email from the producer telling me the show's "budget had suddenly been cut," and they were going in a different direction without me, but that I should know my website was an "invaluable resource for their writers."  

Budget cuts?  When I told them that (at the time) I lived a quick train ride away from their New York City studio, they were happy they could save on airfare and hotel costs. 

When the episode finally aired, it used a lot of content that seemed like it was lifted from my article.  It was all uncredited, of course, and I can't prove it was EXACTLY mine.  They even had a talking head in a similar role to the one the producer had described for me.  It even had a great title along the lines of "Snack Cake Historian."  

I wouldn't have wanted to be forever known as a "Snack Cake Historian," but you better believe I would have used the hell out of it.  I'd also be sure to remind you in every article that I was "As Seen on TV! or "As Seen On..." 

Oh well.  Obviously, I would have loved to have been on the show, but I suppose things happen for a reason, and for some reason, it just wasn't meant to be.

So, with kids returning to school in September and finding their place in the hierarchy of the cafeteria social structure, I wonder if they (as I did) take some sort of solace in the old familiar snacks Mom packed for me.  Maybe they have the kind of Mom who wrote encouraging notes and left them in their lunch bags?  Maybe they got a nice Little Debbie snack cake?

In any event, please take a look at these articles from 2021 and make me feel a little better about not being on the History Channel, would ya?  Oops!  :)

Hostess

Entenmann's

Drakes

Little Debbie