Who Eats Peeps?

I heard of a new competition this weekend that takes place in Sacramento, California and I have to admit I was dumbfounded. It is the Peep Eating Contest. A contest to see how many peeps one can eat in an hour. Are you serious? You know "peeps" the marshmallow things made for Easter baskets and such.

I have a real problem with peeps. I have never eaten a peep that I though tasted good...or even fresh. Sugar with some kind of marshmallow carnuba wax thing, with paint or however they color them, that's what baked, or deep fried, or what the heck do they do to peeps? Does anyone know? Turns out no one does. The company that makes peeps in Pennsylvania keeps the peep making machine under a tarp so no one can see how it's done. I'm not eating them.

But back to the competition. Do you know how many peeps one can eat in an hour? It must be in the hundreds! And how must they feel afterwards? I know there's all kinds of eating contests all over the place including the hot dog eating championships with Kobyashi. You may say, "what the heck is in a hot dog?' And that's a fair question. I never think about that as I mustard up a Sugardale Coney at an Indians game. They really don't tell you what's in a hot dog..and I'm good with that.

But the hot dog eating championships are only 12 minutes! Not an hour like the peeps. AND the peep people make no bones about what's in a peep! SUGAR! I am not condoning eating 56 hot dogs in one sitting, but I can't get on the hour-long peep popping parade either.

Also, have you really ever eaten a FRESH peep? I don't think they exist. I think they go stale in about 2 seconds after you open the wrap. The only way to get a truly fresh peep, is to open one end of the plastic, and slide it down your throat before any air hits it. Hot dogs are much more forgiving. We had people calling the show last week saying they liked peeps stale, or torched up in the microwave so they would be less stale. Strange, these proud-peep-popping-people.

But in their defense, peeps have been around for 100 years and more than likely will be here long after we've all gone to that big candy factory in the sky. So if you're a peep-person enjoy your peeps today. I will be peep-less this week, but pass the jelly beans please, but I don't like the dark ones..........wait...don't get me started...that's another article for another time.