Stop, Drop, Eat a Dum Dum Pop

Denture Danger: 0 (10 if you try to bite it) Convenience: 10 Novelty: 10 Sharability: 10 Overall: 10 “I love candy! All candy! Chocolate, caramel, jawbreakers, suckers…”** One sucker that I think pretty much everyone knows and loves is the Dum Dum sucker. This little sucker is the perfect size for that sweet craving for anytime (if you remember to stuff a few in your pockets at the start of the day), and it can last as long as you allow it. A sales manager from the Akron Candy Company by the name of I.C. Bahr named Dum Dums in roaring 1924. The Spangler Candy Company bought out the Dum Dum Pop in 1953 and continues to produce Dum Dums that are being enjoyed right now as you read this. The Dum Dums come in a wide variety of flavors. You’ve got your classic orange, strawberry, grape, watermelon and such, and then flavors ranging from root beer to cotton candy to banana split to ashlynn coconut to buttered pop corn and, of course, the highly coveted cream soda. I don’t know if it is the beautiful picture of the bananas, lemons, orange, and pineapple on the wrapper or if it is how deliciously sweet the flavor feels as it hits your tongue, but whatever it is, kids going at a bag of Dum Dums looking for the cream soda is like a pack of wolves scavenging for the last bites of food. If cream soda doesn’t float your boat it isn’t hard to find a personally pleasing Dum Dum from the seemingly endless list of flavors. The mystery flavor also stands out as a favorite among youngsters. The mystery flavor is flavor combo of two flavors that are formed accidentally when the machine is switching from one flavor to another. I think that the mystery flavor is a great twist, but don’t be distressed if your friend grabbed the last mystery flavor pop. No one is going to judge you for eating two at the same time. That way you get to be the decider of what two flavors are going to make your combination. No matter how many Dum Dums you may eat and no matter what flavors you may choose, Dum Dums are meant to be enjoyed by everyone and shared amongst everyone. No one should feel left out because they don’t have a little white stick protruding from their mouth. ** A line from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory