Bye Bye Twinkies and Hostess Cupcakes

                           

The Hostess company has filed for bankruptcy so kids say goodbye to those Ring Dings, Hostess Cupcakes, and Twinkies. While I can never say I have ever had a Ring Ding or a Twinkie, I have had a Hostess cupcake and those treats were amazing. However, after having my friend's home-made "Hostess" cupcake, the packaged one does not compare. The company is in debt by millions of dollars and because of this, they want to change their labor agreements with their 19,000 employees. This means more job losses and more people back on the search for the low amount of employment. One different component of Hostess from many modern day food production companies is that they don't try and advertise the "healthy" or "no sugar" or even "organic" approach. At least their honest that their food is terrible for consumers's health. But, one things for sure. A company that owes millions of dollars, sells food full of pure sugar, and not provide worthwhile employment is not needed in the current economy of the United States.

"Twinkies, the Undead Snack" by Mark Bittman uses some nice comparisons, pathos, and expresses his opinion with direct diction. One of Bittman's techniques was the comparison he used for the Hostess company. Bittman writes, "In fact the story of Hostess, as much a fixture as Chevy when I was a kid, is the common tale of extreme debt, real obligations to real live workers and an inability to change with the times," (Bittman 1). This comparison can help audiences closer to age to Bittman compare with the current situation of the Hostess company. The pathos technique used in this article is Bittman's personal experiences with the products of Hostess and how he describes their wonderful tastes and flavors. Bittman also expresses his opinion without doubt, especially when he says,
               "While I would never wish a cut in the standard of living of any worker, and few
                working-class people have control over which job they wind up in, the companies
                that deserve to survive are the ones that produce things we need and provide
                gainful employment.," (Bittman 1).
With that statement, I couldn't agree more with Bittman and he makes a valid, convincing point.

Source: Bittman, Mark. "Twinkies, the Undead Snack." The New York Times 17 Jan. 2012, sec. Opinion: n. pag. The New York Times. Web. 18 Jan. 2012.

Click here to read the article