Hostess’s problem, as the ­bakers point out in bankruptcy filings printed in legible English, and as Hostess management has pointed out in its own equally readable filings, is that Hostess’s valuable parts are held back by Hostess’s high-cost, Teamster-staffed system for moving Twinkies and other delights from production facility to store shelf.

So it was all the Teamster’ fault? Since the Teamsters were willing to make concessions set up by the court, why wouldn’t the bakers then go along? Why would the bakers union choose to use voice vote? If one union undercuts another, where is the animus, on either side?

Companies showing interest in the Hostess brand are are not necessarily going to retain workers. The most valuable parts are often the shelf space in the supermarket, not the factories. Less competition on the shelves funnels customers to the next (equally lousy) brand.

The author doesn’t blame the product. Once the first choice in junk food, Hostess has lost market to other brands not only because of delivery and shelf location. Hostess changed recipes. Usurpers have followed suit and dropped quality as they gained market, and you can measure the change in desirability at checkout. It ain’t your daddy’s Twinkie. I know. My grandmother kept a cake dish full of them for visitors.

Most of the Hostess news coverage was notalgia, people remembering how they used to love Hostess

People crave junk food and they seek brands for reliable satisfaction. Low fat junk foods do not satisfy hunger, and also lead to high/low blood sugar surges and more craving. Cutting the fat is part of the Hostess fall. A bad shelf spot is bad only for weak product.

The company rode a wave and everyone was in on it. I can’t imagine the big shots at Hostess thought they had products so good its all they ate at home. Doubt the union guys thought they had the best goods either, but everyone wanted the big bucks

But, bless his heart, he tried.

Fallon on November 28, 2012 at 12:40 PM

Participation Trophy!

/will miss ding dongs

Weird article. Even if the author had a point, he meandered around it. What exactly did the media get wrong? He bemoans the inability of the press to reason, but the article itself is not a good example of clear reasoning.

Baerwulf on November 28, 2012 at 12:25 PM

But, bless his heart, he tried.

Little Debbie Cloud Cakes are not as good as Twinkies, but to put it in perspective, we are talking about lard and sugar filled sponge cakes here.

Huh?

KS Rex on November 28, 2012 at 11:51 AM

After reading the whole article, I reached the same conclusion.

He want’s to implicate the media but doesn’t exactly come out and make a specfic charge against them.