Roadkill candy production screeches to halt

[truthpusher]

Associated Press
The flattened snakes, chickens
and squirrels depicted in
Trolli Road Kill Gummi Candy
has animal activists annoyed.

Roadkill candy production screeches to halt
By CHRIS NEWMARKER
Associated Press
Feb. 25, 2005, 5:48PM TRENTON, N.J.

The decision, announced today by Kraft Foods Inc., was the result of an outcry by New Jersey animal rights activists who said the candy encouraged children to be cruel to animals.

We take comments from our consumers really seriously and, in hindsight, we understand that this product could be misunderstood," said Kraft spokesman Larry Baumann.

(snip)

The fruity-flavored Trolli Road Kill Gummi Candy -- shaped like flattened snakes, chickens and squirrels, complete with tire treads -- hit store shelves across the United States last summer and was supposed to be another offbeat and unusual addition to Kraft's Gummi candy line.

(snip)

Stuart Rhodes, the organization's president, said he never thought his group's efforts would be so successful.

"Did I think it would happen as fast as I did? No. I guess like most people I've become very cynical. All too often it seems that profit rules all. This was refreshing," Rhodes said.

complete story: http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/bizarre/3057006

[Lorien]

1. Good for them!

I think we've seen cruelty and violence celebrated a bit too much in our society. It's well known that children who learn compassion towards animals grow up to be better parents and citizens. The candy concept was downright tacky and mean spirited, so I say bravo to the activists!

Now if we could only shut down some hate radio programs...

[NickB79]

6. So removing this candy teaches kids what?

Don't drive cars, or ride in cars, or any other motor vehicle?

[Lorien]

19. That killing animals isn't funny.

compassion is a plus in my book. I still remember how my sister cried when she was a child after she saw a squirrel get killed by a car. Most children come into this world as empathetic creatures, and the world beats the empathy right out of them.

[Sean Reynolds]

25. So I guess you're opposed to ANY candy that is shaped like animals?

Because wouldn't one believe eating them is violent? Should we try and stop animal crackers? What about Flinstone vitamins, since that condones cannibalism?

Let's go one step further, let's just ban the eating of anything that could have possibly lived. You know, REAL animals and plants!

YAY for American society! We're willing to sit there and make a big ruckus over "FAKE!" animals and "FAKE!" videogames (that's another thing that pisses me off), yet all these fucks will sit back and not question the violence in our world today.

Suicide bomber in the Middle East = GOOD!
Candy shaped like road kill = BAD!
American child abuse = GOOD!
But American kids EATING candy shaped like road kill = BAD!

Just think of how this little demonstration stopped the making of this type of candy. Now imagine if these twits went around and protested the other inhumane things going on in our society today. Like you know the conservative idiots opposed to "FAKE!" violence in videogames and liberal idiots of People for the Ethical Treatment of Road Kill Animals in our Candy (PETRKA) all got together and opposed REAL violence. Or substance abuse, child abuse. Gang violence, world violence. War. Voilence against the elderly. Schoolyard violence. Or even better, REAL violence against REAL animals! I CAN go on.

But in America, fake wins out every time. It's consumed our boobs, our lips, even our lifestyle....now it's making its way into our protests.

What next, protesting bunny slippers? I mean, they DO look like someone killed a wabbit!

[Lorien]

26. Wow Sean, that is one extreme argument!

I could go as far and say "let's make Abu Griab torture toys! Hey, it's just a plastic toy, right? C'mon kids-let's torture Abu with a nightstick"! That's as absurd as saying that I don't think kids should eat chocolate Easter bunnies. Remember the plane with two towers toy that was recalled last year; why do you think it went off the market so quickly?

For the record: I made a FUCKING HUGE ruckus over the Iraq war, the Patriot Act, and about 40 other actions taken by BushCo. I"M one of the ones who is always calling for action on this board, while half the people responding yawn and say "letters and phone calls and boycotts and marches do no good; now I'm gonna go back to the lounge and talk about my favorite bands and how much I like farts"! So, you can say that those people who halted the production of a candy with a tasteless theme were just a bunch of war loving dumb fucks (where you came up with the idea that none of them care about REAL issues is beyond me) but guess what; THEY TOOK ACTION AND GOT RESULTS! Have you done the same lately? I wrote 18 letters last week and signed about a dozen petitions on everything from a woman's right to chose to propaganda in the media and BushCo's insane budget. I sure as fucking hell AM NOT going to sit by while YOU tell me I don't give a fuck about real issue because I admire activists for getting results when they find a product offensive because it makes fun of killing animals!

[d_b]

27. I wonder how they taste.

[truthpusher]

29. let me give you an example of why I think they stopped making this...

...It's all about the company respecting a group of people who feel strongly about something. Here's my example: Road Kill shaped candy to an animal rights person would be like abortion shaped candy to a so called pro-lifer. The candy is a product and the company wants people to buy products that promote a good company image. The animal rights people said they thought it wasn't good, the candy maker realized it wasn't the best way to make and keep customers, so they stopped making it. Now back to the abortion candy example; I don't think that anyone would ever make an abortion shaped candy, why? Because the anti-abortion people make it pretty clear ahead of time about what they see as offensive. The animal rights people have every right to be just as loud about what they want. If they are loud enough, maybe one day people will stop belittling what they consider important.

[napi21]

32. What in the world would abortion shaped candy look like?

I don't disagree with your premise; it's probably true, but there is no shuch thing as an abortion shap that I can think of.

I don't see anything wrong with selling Roadkill candy. I've seen it in the stores. First time, I thought it was pretty weird, but I laughed at it. To me, it's no worse than gummy worms, gummy spiders, and every other shape I've seen these things in.

All the American people need to step back, and think about what really matters.

When my boys were teenagers, the pop thing was green/orange/blue hair. At first, I thought "Oh God NO!" Then I thought about my reaction, and realized that this was a short term thing, and who was it going to hurt? Nobody. Well, it's the same thing with this candy.

[truthpusher]

33. I tried not to go that far in my thought process....

...when I came up with my (kinda lame) example. Here goes anyhow: Regarding the shape of abortion candy (this must look real weird if read out of context), I think it would be no more realistic than the road kill candy. I have yet to see a bright orange perfectly flattened raccoon.

[NickB79]

35. So instead of demanding steps to minimize roadkill

Like covered crossings build under roads, or less road development in areas of high wildlife populations, they waste time with removing candys?

Does your sister refuse to drive a car or eat meat now that she saw what death looks like?

[Piperay]

7. I agree

they can market the candy in other shapes and give it a different name one that doesn't celebrate death.

[jmowreader]

36. This is gummi candy--one of the most popular confections there is

I think I'd rather have gummi roadkill than gummi worms, gummi puke or whatever the hell else they mold this stuff into.

Still, gummi roadkill is kinda OUT THERE. It's good they pulled it.

[SomewhereOutThere424]

21. I agree with you

I think this is, if nothing more, a tribute to those who have had to watch their pets or, in some tragic cases even children get run over by a careless driver.

I grew up in long island, there was a story of a kid on a bike who got hit by a car and dragged under it...I won't go into details... it was terrible, but there were people celebrating it like it was the coolest thing. It was quickly silenced when parents spoke to them about it and how it wasn't right to celebrate another's pain, it was quickly forgotten and kids were better prepared to avoid cars when their parents or role model figures explained why it isn't 'cool'. Those who had parents who allowed them to celebrate it began to test fate and ride a bit too close to the intersections.

The example we set for kids will leave a serious impact, and I'm glad that we're putting our foot down and not celebrating this kind of thing. I'd have been happier with the disbanding of the fur trade but eh, it's a start ;)

[Lorien]

28. Yeah, my eight year old cousin watched her dog get killed by a car

last year, and she was devestated by it. My good friend Renee also saw her neighbor's cat get run down ON PURPOSE by another neighbor, who hooted and laughed as he drove away. A lot of people have sad memories of their pets being killed by vehicles, and it's cruel to make light of their grief, IMHO.

I just hope that others will feel inspired to ACT on ANY issue that disturbs them. The left is sadly disorganized in this area. We did a good job last year with Sinclair, but there is much, much more to do!

BTW- if you are interested in boycotts and Economic Activism, please consider joining us in the Economic Activism and Progressive Living forum in DU groups. Hit the GOP where it hurts the most; their wallets!

[slor]

2. What the hell is wrong with this candy?

I mean it is candy people! And besides, I thought we wanted a nation of serial killers.

[Divine Discontent]

3. you're confused

that's ONLY if we have a Republican in the WH, THEN we can encourage a nation of serial killers, so we can electrocute em, indoctrinate them in the military (bypassing the military's true purpose), and get em to be on 6 meds at once for their ALDS....


but, yeah, I can see how kids would think it's funny to kill animals, seriously, kids just need the nudge and they do things, no need to nudge em, remember, you're an adult, you wouldn't kill an animal for fun, but a lot of boys (and I suppose some girls) stick firecrackers in cat's butts, smash frogs with bricks, and shoot birds for kicks.... I never did ANY of it.. but I suppose it's because I'm a gayboi, or maybe it's because I was actually RAISED right.

[acmavm]

24. 'indoctrinate them in the military (bypassing the military's true purpose'

Oh man, haven't you learned anything in the past 24 hours??????

OOOOHHHHH! You're gonna get it.

Okay, other than that, the name 'Road Kill Candy' in itself is REALLY REALLY unappealing.

[rppper]

5. folks...it's candy...gummi candi.....

it's all tongue in cheek. to suggest that children are going to become serial killers or place explosives in the rear ends of live animals due to the squished figures in a pack of gummi candies is akin to say they will drop boulders off a cliff onto some coyote after watching the road-runner.

[DRoseDARs]

4. But I liked them. They're no more harmfull than those candies...

...they made based on the Harry Potter craze. Grass? Boogers? Vomit?

Oh horrors, who will save us from the tongue-in-cheak humorous roadkill gummies? :eyes:

[biftonnorton]

8. Next Candy

"Stacky Iraqis", gummi figures resembling Lynndie and Charlie's "frat prank" torture sessions. "See how high you can stack 'em or just eat 'em by the handful." We have a junk culture.

[trogdor]

10. You think Kraft Foods has that much nerve?

[Nimrod]

9. God that's dumb

Oh thank GOD we got that horrible candy off the market. We all just KNOW that countless children would take one look at it and start running over every animal they could find on their tricycles! Now that it's gone we're on our way to peace and prosperity again! HALLELUJAH!!!

God.

[trogdor]

11. Really

I suppose the animal rights people have accomplished every other major goal they have, so they have time and energy to spend on stuff like this.

[Catchawave]

15. It was an animal welfare group....

...big difference :) And probably why Kraft reacted so quickly !

[SomewhereOutThere424]

22. Sadly, no

While I think it's better this candy isn't made, there's FAR more resources that can be helped. Right now wolves, even puppies, are being shot from airplanes in alaska after exhaustion and torment from it, when they estimate only around 10k wolves exist in the states anyway and should really be considered endangered. So many different types of cruelties go on it's amazing that people focus their attentions on candy and burger king veggie burgers. Right now people in england are mutilating animals and torturing foxes like sour children in protest to the fox hunting laws, threatening to break the law to get whatever they want. I think candy is a bit on a lower to do list in my opinion.

I call this a plus...but I also wish money I'd donated to groups like this were spent on actual suffering and not candied versions of it. In a way, it's a tribute to people who'd had to witness atrocities or heard stories of it like a kid getting dragged under a car for 2 hours until he was a bloody pulp. On the other hand, there's things like that /actually happening/ due to reckless drivers and I wish they'd focus on that instead.

[mainer]

12. The kids would've eaten it up

Yes, it's gross. But you can bet the boys would've loved it. Grossness is why kids eat gummi worms.

[Catchawave]

16. Yep, we need to push more sugar on kids!

LOL, also this reminded me of a bad project from The Apprentice :)

[lonestarnot]

13. This is good news. n/t

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. How would this encourage cruelty more than

biting the head off a gummi bear, or mashing gummi snakes between your teeth?

I don't really care whether this stuff makes the shelves or not, but the controversy is pretty silly.

[Must_B_Free]

17. That's too bad

I think the candy demonstrates respect for living things by making use their bodies after they have fallen. That is respectful.

[truthpusher]

18. That's funny. n/t

[SomewhereOutThere424]

23. In the wild...

There are animals, even predators like wolves, who eat the roadkill instead of having to kill themselves. It is kind of respectful when you think about it, I guess they just didn't want roadkill or the concept of violently killing things to inadvertantly become the next pokemon. Coming from a group who most likely doesn't understand the trends I can see where the rush to end it was a bit misguided, but I think they're simply standing on weak legs due to bush and didn't want what they consider even more animal killing propoganda to weaken them.

When more people understand the respect of eating a fallen animal, I think it'd be a great thing. Sadly with the people in charge of things as they are, I can think it'd only be spread as a 'running over animals is cool, that rabbit is worth ten points!' trend. Atleast more than it is now.

[KittyWampus]

31. In Florida Endangered PANTHERS Are Roadkill.

[Robin Hood]

20. Kids are naturally cruel.

I think that what kraft did is right. We don't want to give the appearance to kids that dead animals are fun.

[youngdem]

37. What?

"Kids are naturally cruel"? I do not like that. I have three children that are in no way cruel. I can site many examples of non-cruelty acts of kindness that my children have done lately. I hope that maybe you were being sarcastic? But on the off chance that you were being serious, can you back your statement?

[DRoseDARs]

38. Obviously you were born, fully-grown, from a pod...

...Or were home schooled.

Seriously, children ARE cruel to one another during their grade school years and into high school. You've obviously been lucky in having avoided such things yourself when you were a kid. That your own children are well-behaved is a good reflection on you as a parent, but it is not a pure reflection of childhood reality. Our schools aren't inhabited by roaming gangs of animals, but nor are they aloft with angels.

[youngdem]

39. Actually I am

Public school educated, Southern California. My children are not "angels" but, they are not cruel. They have a severely handicapped cousin and being around her their entire lives I think Might have helped.

Anyway, I like the "pod" comparison, sometimes I do wonder....if I just woke up one day and voila, here I am, living in a screwed up country.:):)

[GreatCaesarsGhost]

30. We take comments from our consumers really seriously...

the english grammar lobby will be on them next.

[annabanana]

34. but candy boogers? no problem! Garbage pail kids? sure!

dumb