The day the Twinkies died?

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I was much more of a Devil Dogs guy. Growing up in New England, the Drake’s company ruled my snack world with Ring Dings, Yodels, Devil Dogs and the Drake’s coffee cake in all its golden crumbly goodness.

Yes, I’m reminiscing today about the snacks of my childhood.

You probably are, too, given news today that Hostess Brands Inc., maker of Twinkies and Ding Dongs announced plans to liquidate following a long battle with its employee unions and, writes the Associated Press, “Americans’ move toward healthier eating.”

Count me in on that score. Yes, I helped kill the Twinkie. Yes, they were great for me but not for my kids. I’m no anti-snack zealot. But somewhere in our early 20s most of us looked up and asked, “Why am I eating this?”

The reality is we’re all better off not eating that stuff. We know that. Perhaps the liquidation of the Twinkie empire will serve to….uh…

Oh, man. Here I am trying to write something profound about the end of Twinkies and lost childhood innocence and a guy in the newsroom just walked by with chunks of Ho Hos on a stick. There may be more. I have to go.

— Paul Tosto