Candy and Stuff That I Miss

[mark_asphodel]

Still "indisposed," in the sense that I would like to dig the blockage out of my right ear with a spork.

It's been two flipping weeks.  I haven't finished the initial course of antibiotics yet, but if that shit is working for me I'd hate to see the state I'd be in without them.

Anyway, since I have no attention span at present, here's some random junk food and crap that I'd like right now that isn't made anymore:

Nestle Alpine White Chocolate Bar: I realize that "white chocolate" peaked and died as an '80s trend, but we have white chocolate Reese cups now for fuck's sake.  Can't this come back on the market? It was good and the white PB cups are awful. 

Screaming Yellow Zonkers: Fuck that Cracker Jack kid and his dog and his cheap shitty toys.  These were way better and didn't have those damn nuts.  Plus the box art rocked, even if I was three and didn't understand any of it.

Jell-o Pudding Pops.  All of them.

Bonkers!  Especially chocolate Bonkers.  I got in trouble once in second grade 'cause I had some in my lunch and some little future Mean Girl decided to report them to the lunch monitors as gum.  They weren't gum, but they were were awesome.

Pizzarias chips.  I ate these in my lunch every day in seventh grade, and they were the best fake-pizza flavored thing ever.  I still can taste the green-pepper flavor in one of the varieties.

Dr. Pepper Gum.  With the gooey center.  This was a super-special treat when I was, like, four.

See, the 80s were a great time to be a kid.  Cable TV spawned a whole bunch of TV shows designed to prime kiddies as rabid consumers of toys and junk food, bolstered by a Wall Street mentality designed to brainwash your mom 'n' dad into believing they were shitty parents if they didn't let you watch TV and stuff you with junk food and toys... and we were too young to have moral qualms about any of it.  I mean, seriously-- Strawberry Shortcake's message was that cake and pie and cookies are all that is good and pure and that vegetables and the skeezy old men who want you to eat them are evil.

And we still got to play with bronze metal cap guns without fear of reprisal from the local police. Sorry you young'uns missed it.

Comments

[amielleon]

I had an ear infection once. It was probably one of the worst medical ailments I've ever experienced. (I am not among the unfortunate members of our fandom who have had CRPS, which I think sounds much worse.) I think the worst part is that it's somewhere where you can't touch it -- like, usually touching the site of an infection is a bad idea and all, but there's something distressing about being unable to make contact with the part of your body that's bothering you.

[mark_asphodel]

I had an infection in my left ear in '01 that damn near killed me. I didn't have health insurance when I was out of school for the summer, so of course that's when I got sick, and whatever antibiotics the cheapo clinic gave me didn't do the job, and by the time I got back to university I basically stumbled into my dorm room and didn't go out for meals or water because, well, walking was hard. I ended up extremely dehydrated with a blood pressure in the 60/40 range. Fortunately the RAs were able to drive to the hospital on-campus, and since now I was covered under the college health plan I was able to get what I needed.

This time it's the right ear. Go figure.

but there's something distressing about being unable to make contact with the part of your body that's bothering you

Yes. See also: internal abscesses. Talk about wanting to take a spork to yourself...

[amielleon]

Geez. That blows.

[blankspectrum]

I was born in the 80s, but late enough ('86) that by the time my consciousness developed most of the good parts had gone by the wayside. Most of the stuff I remember about it is trends that stuck around through the early/mid 90s which I experienced secondhand.

I do remember seeing those pizza chips around, but I'm not sure if I ever ate them. And pudding pops. I'm also not entirely sure if I ever ate the brand-name ones, because I mostly just remember my mom making them a lot when I was a kid. I can't say if homemade ones taste like the manufactured variety, but they're pretty awesome and easy to make. (I have a set of popsicle molds I bought not too long ago. I'm tempted to make some myself later today. :-P)

Hope you feel better soon too! I know all too well that even the most minor of ear infections are painful, and bad ones that stick around like that can be downright awful. :-/

[mark_asphodel]

Today I feel like someone pumped shaving cream into my ear. :/

My course of antibiotics is almost done, so I guess it's back to the doctor before long to see wtf is going on.

I have a set of popsicle molds I bought not too long ago. I'm tempted to make some myself later today. :-P

I never made pudding pops but I recall, but I did have some molds back in the 80s and I made actual Jell-o gelatine pops often, and they were much better than the store-bought version. The texture was great.

[samuraiter]

I'll always wonder why ear infections persist as long as they do. I think I had an ear full of fluid for most of 2010, and I still have no idea why.

As for candy, well, my '80s sweet tooth is alive and well. Always wondered what happened to Dr. Pepper Gum. (Loved that stuff.) And white chocolate is still a favorite of mine. I'm especially partial to Zero bars.

The good thing about having Jungle Jim's International Market around here is that many of those "old" candies never quite went away. There's a whole retro candy section, in fact. ... Maybe they have that gum? Hmm! Might have to see.

I do agree that the '80s were the best time to be a kid. Granted, cynical marketing may have been a motivator behind a lot of it, but ... those cartoons, toys, and (especially!) video games fired my imagination, and they still do. :-)

[mark_asphodel]

I'm especially partial to Zero bars.

Yeah, I love those too.

Maybe they have that gum? Hmm! Might have to see.

Nope. To the best of my research capabilities, that gum and everything else I listed is truly gone. :(

but ... those cartoons, toys, and (especially!) video games fired my imagination, and they still do. :-)

I agree there 100%. Granted, 1970s kiddie fare looks surreal and nightmarish in retrospect. I have to wonder what growing up on that shit would've been like.

[samuraiter]

1970s kiddie fare looks surreal and nightmarish in retrospect.

Boy, Does It Ever!

(Sadly, I couldn't find the original version, but the song here is close enough.)

[myaru]

Oooh, the Alpine White Chocolate bar. I was sad when it disappeared from my life. Pizzarias were also awesome.

This is all reminding me of the Rainbow Brite cereal. Talk about short-lived, TV show marketing bullshit - but it tasted great when I was five.