God knows that there’s seldom anything I want to report from the newspaper – with the exception of the weird. And there’s much weird. This week really provided some horror but some strong giggles, so I thought I’d just pass this stuff on.

First, there’s the fabulous wonderful dramatic and creative peeps contest. I thought about stealing an idea from the guy I know at the local drugstore, Mark, who came up with some good stuff – “Dawn of the Living Peeps” which I think would involve lots of blue ones and few pink ones and some tissue/toilet paper….and the occasional peep “limb” strewn about.

Oh, for those unfamiliar with “peeps” their little marshmallow, allegedly edible, animals that show up around Easter. They began as yellow chicks, then as time went on expanded (literally and figuratively, see below) to include other colors and other animals – bunnies being very peepu…sorry, popular. It’s hard to avoid the stupid pun thing.

Over the years, we’ve read about brave pioneers In research (see, for example, http://www.peepresearch.org/) with Stu and I especially enamored of the adventures of the peep-o-nauts. Apparently the popularity of the things skyrocketed when their interesting response to microwaves was noted (I’m guessing by a bunch of sorority girls but maybe not). I‘ve never tired the whole peeps-in-the-microwave thing only because I don’t think have the upper body strength to clean melted marshmallow off the walls and I’m not in the mood to buy a new microwave oven. Peep jousting is a hugely popular event, involving two peeps (specifically the chicken versions) and toothpicks. There is WAY too much stuff available if you google “peep microwave”. Trust me. I’ll only mention the “peep haiku” page and leave it at that (http://www.raavensroost.org/peephaiku.html)

Sample poem:

In your coffee cup
Instead of cream and sugar
It’s café au peep

The company that makes most of them – which has a good attitude, I think - offers “recipes” which I must tell you now includes “Peep fondue” a most terrifying concept involving the marshmallows and melted chocolate. Oh my gods.

The product line expanded a while back too – you have not seen anything quite as eerie as a ghost peep – white of course- or the SO STRANGE black bat peep – both for Halloween. (http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/flash/index.php)

The Seattle Times held an art contest for peep and received – this is scary – not dozens but HUNDREDS of entries. The “topic” was “pop” (struggle not to make stupid pun) culture” and the results were made available today in the paper and on the paper’s website.

This year, someone finally picked up on the attraction of the incredibly goofy things and put out toys that look like Peeps but aren’t exactly edible. Then again, I’m not sure the marshmallow ones are exactly edible. I’m not a fan of marshmallow and I also distrust “food” that I think has a lifetime longer than mine.
I did buy a box – okay two boxes – of toy peep bunnies. The box had 4 bunnies each – one yellow, one pink, one blue, one purple – and sent one to my mom, one to my sister and handed them out at the shelter office on Friday – three Easter Peeps and Pesach Peep for one friend who, amazingly,, was wearing a vest that was the exact same shade as the purple peep I had decided she got specially. In the notes that went with them I noted it was a “peep you can keep”. Again, given the shelf life of the um, real ones…but never mind. It’s scary enough that on the box you learned that people have allegedly “roasted” the marshmallow things and put them on pizza. EEEEUUUUU!

Don’t miss the “artwork”. It’s so scary. Go to http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/ and there are pages and pages and PAEGS of peep art.

Art for the Peeple.

I’m sorry it’s REALLY hard not to do it.

Stay tuned for more frightening pop culture. And a truly great Barbie.