Rumors and Speculation

I remember hearing about the Hostess bankruptcy (here and here) back in 2012 – the year I started my blog.  I’d written down some ideas and had collected some pictures to go with a post that never got posted.  I would miss the delicious cream-filled treats.  I would not be able to make “Twinkie” trains with Jenna

https://www.somewhatsimple.com/how-to-make-a-train-cake/  © 2019 SOMEWHAT SIMPLE, DESIGN BY LINDSAY HUMES.

But as I was working on my post, it was announced that Twinkie would stay (here) and so I never posted it (as the title was "No More Twinkie Trains").

or purchased Ding Dongs or Hostess Cupcakes again.

In 2016 Hostess announced a rebirth for their products (here and here).  However, the icons no longer appear on the box (eg Captain Cupcake, King Ding Dong, and Twinkie the Kid)

and the snacks are about a third of the size from what I remember (for example, the foiled ding dong covered my palm and didn’t appear to be lost in it;  and keep in mind that I really do have small hands)

 

The ding dong no longer comes in foil

But hey, what a great marketing strategy.  Disappear for four years and come back smaller and perhaps the public will be so grateful that they might not notice the decrease in size – and maybe even taste.

  

The only snack that appears to have gone up in size is the Hostess Zinger which was a parent company to then Dolly Madison (here and here). 

Not much difference in size when comparing the twinkie side by side the zinger.  There was a vast difference in size when the zinger was marketed under Dolly Madison.  

Lots of parent companies that seemingly own everybody else.  Too many hands in the pot if you ask me.