The Scoop

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EDITOR JULIE IMEL DISHES THE NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

 

Give me chocolate, or give me death
If I could be hooked up to a chocolate IV on a daily basis, I’d do it.
This probably sounds extreme to the average chocolate lover, but I’m guessing my fellow chocoholic friends out there can relate to what I’m saying. Chocolate, milk or dark, just makes everything better. Period.
I’ve always felt this way; even as a kid. My health-conscious mom, who was always doing her best to make sure our diet was nutritionally balanced, tried to substitute carob chips for chocolate chips during one particularly dark dessert period in the ’70s. (Incidentally, this was also the Era of Tofu in our family, but that’s a whole other column). Such a substitution would simply not be tolerated. I politely declined those “faux chocolate” chip cookies and would not partake of any white chocolate bunnies at Easter that year either. It was give me chocolate — real chocolate — or give me death. And this is still my motto today.
As we celebrate the joy of chocolate in this special edition of electric city and diamond city, I began to think about all the chocolate-themed movies, books, commercials and products I love. So, here are a few of my favorite chocolate-inspired things:

  • Saturday Night Live’s Death by Chocolate skits, 1-3. Ashton Kutcher plays a murderer who is dressed as a giant chocolate bar and wears mime makeup. His victims include a hobo, a doctor, a hospital patient and an actor, and he uses various tools to commit his crimes, including a knife, a gun and even a chainsaw. If the concept isn’t ridiculous enough for you, those crazy kids at SNL added a little ditty to the end of each piece that’s just the icing on the chocolate cake. “La la la la la la la la, death by chocolate!” Oh yeah. Funny every time: http://www.hulu.com/watch/17137.
  • The animation of M&Ms. I would deeply miss the M&M characters, particularly that sassy and fabulous green M&M, if they suddenly disappeared.  I don’t ever want to be a victim of marketing, but this is one ad campaign that I really love. As for the candy, well, it goes without saying that a world without peanut M&Ms is not a world worth living in.
  • “The world looks mighty good to me.” While I’m talking about marketing, how about the amazing impression the Tootsie Roll commercial from the ’70s has left on those of us who can still sing the words to their jingle decades later? Come on, sing it with me: The world looks mighty good to me/cause Tootsie rolls are all I see/Whatever it is I think I see becomes a Tootsie roll to me! I know how these kids feel. Every day around 3 p.m., various objects on my desk start looking like candy to me, too. If you want to relive the magic of that Tootsie Roll jingle, I found it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qayjR8Qbyfc.
  • Hersheypark. It’s been years since I paid a visit to the ultimate chocolate town, but it’s time I revisited Hersheypark. And now is a great time to do it. The park is celebrating a chocolate-covered February, featuring events and activities for all ages and tastes. To plan your delicious day-trip, visit www.HersheyPA.com and let the fun begin.
  • Serendipity Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate Mix. I cannot emphasize enough how good this is. Let there be no mistake — this is extremely high in calories and really, really fattening. It’s part milkshake, part pudding. Combine the mix with milk and ice in a blender and voila — decadence. (For an extra flavor pop, add some rum). Whip it up, grab a glass and a straw and settle in for the evening. You are done. Look for Frrrozen hot chocolate in your favorite specialty store, or order it online: www.williams-sonoma.com.

I could go on and on about my favorite chocolate things, but now I’m hungry for a candy bar and I must be going. Happy Valentine’s Day, and enjoy your chocolate.
That’s the scoop of chocolate. Thanks for reading, and I’ll meet you here again next week.

Send email to jimel@timesshamrock.com