It's Easter Season: Gather Your Peeps
If the world ended tomorrow, Peeps would probably survive. It's a scientific fact that the marshmallow candy, shaped like bright-colored chicks, is indestructible. Which is a good thing in post-apocalyptic scenarios, since they also make a reliable food source, artwork muse, and baking ingredient.
The fun Easter candy with the hecka-long lifespan dates back to the 1950's—and comes with some seriously fun traditions. "Peeple" are getting on the Web to get their sugar fix. Searches in the last week alone for "marshmallow peeps" have sweetened the Search box almost 1,000%. Lookups are also following cravings for "marshmallow peeps recipes," "marshmallow peeps," "peeps dioramas," and "peeps ecards." Here, a roundup of our favorites.
Peep art
The Washington Post, the paper that broke the Watergate scandal—you know, the one that brought down a president? Yeah, they also have a Peeps contest every year. And competition is stiff. Or should we say, sticky. You can check out the highly detailed dioramas that incorporate the marshmallow candy here. The winner re-created the house elevated by balloons in the movie "Up." It has to be seen to be believed. Other honorable mentions go to "Super Peepio Brothers" and "Avatar: The 3P Experience." See the entire photo gallery. Our peeps on the Web like their Peeps show: "washington post peeps diorama" searches were "peepular," as were lookups on "peeps dioramas," "peeps diorama contest," and "peeps craft ideas," which all peaked in the Search box. The Post isn't the only Peeps-obsessed paper: According to USA Today, 30 newspapers held Peeps diorama competitions.
Recipeeps
Some prefer their creativity in the kitchen over the art studio. Lucky for them, Peeps can also be a key ingredient. What says Easter more than a Peeps sunflower cake's ingredients (according to the official Peeps website): 3 packages yellow Peeps, 1 package standard boxed cake mix, 2 containers chocolate frosting, 1 bag chocolate chips, 1 tube green icing. Bake, decorate, serve. (Get the full recipe here.) Fans of the baked goods are heating up the Search box over 700% looking for "peeps sunflower cake."
So peepular
If the Web doesn't cut it for your Peeps craze, there's always the Peeps store outside Washington, D.C., which features 850 Peeps products (most of them inedible, like plush toys and Lenox dishware). While there are plenty of fans (Peeps claims 100,000 members belong to its Peeps fan club), the candy has its detractors. (Peeps jousting, anyone?) And then there's that really, really long shelf life, which make them so perfect for doing things like…not eating them. And then there's this: A video from ABC starring Tom Arnold in a horror movie send-up of evil Peeps. You can watch the video here. Warning: lots of fake blood and gore, and presentation of Peeps in a bad light.
If you don’t get around to baking, eating, or making art with your Peeps this year, fear not. The Peeps will keep.
Caution: Sound!
