Friday 19 September 2008

Farewelling a kiwi icon

There's a general election coming up in New Zealand in November, but there seems to be an incredible apathy about the start of the political campaigns, which so far predominantly consist of personal mudslinging and very little to do with policy or substance at all.

One issue has got the country up and agitated though. Yesterday, it was announced that Cadbury Schweppes would stop producing Pascall Snifters, Tangy Fruits, and Sparkles due to falling demand. The shocked reaction from outraged New Zealanders at the removal of a piece of their collective childhoods was immediate. How will going to movies ever be the same without the clink of tangy fruits in their plastic containers, or the rustle of snifters bags. I didn't realise that sparkles were still available, but remember the rectangular tubes of square boiled lollies in red, orange, yellow, and green from when I was a child. Whatever next - no more jaffas??

Of the three, I have fond memories of sparkles, and was only very rarely allowed to buy tangy fruits (usually to share with my brother at the movies), but will always have a soft spot for snifters.

And so the outrage was instant. The Twitterers were tweeting. Facebook groups such as Save the Tangy Fruits, Snifters and Sparkles Group, Safe the Snifters and Bring Back Snifters popped up instantly. Polls appeared. Will they have any effect? Only time will tell.

3 comments:

Random Thoughts said...

Glad to see that politics in other parts of the world also include mudslinging. The USA is not alone on that one - phew!

Sab said...

I'm so sick of the mudslinging that goes on in politics. We have it in Canada too... and it's stupid... completely. 'What does some of this stuff have to do with the election?' I find myself asking.

As for the candies, I've never heard ofthem here! Maybe we have similar things with different names?

Kelly said...

I've been staying at my parents farm for the last week and just about fell off my chair when my friend text to tell me about the demise of snifters etc. She craved tangy fruits during her pregnancy and easily got through a tub a day! It's a sad end of an era but I don't mind too much - just as long as they leave pineapple lumps alone!