Master-Peeps Theatre: The Art of Messing With Easter Candy

In terms of candy, is Easter the new Halloween? This may be arguable, but there's no doubt that messing with Easter Candy--especially Peeps and Cadbury Creme Eggs, it seems--is au courant. We, of course, are not immune to the lure of this trend: case in point, a CakeSpy fine art take on it can be seen above in our master-peeps recreation of Starry Night.

But what is it about messing with our Easter candy that captivates us so? Just a few theories:

We love it, but we don't actually want to eat it: We love Easter candy. We love the bright, sometimes garish, pastel colors; we love the cartoonlike egg, chick and rabbit imagery. We love the idea of it all--but we don't necessarily want to eat it. Because the fact is, sadly, that most Easter candy is not actually delicious. So perhaps the movement in food installations and art involving easter candy is just another way to celebrate it. All we can say is, Andy Warhol would have loved it.

We're deeply cruel: We're a nation of misguided youth. Growing up with violent video games and movies, our senses have been dulled and we've become callous and violent ourselves. Guns don't kill people, people kill people. And apparently, people also kill peeps.

We've never grown up: As children, we were admonished to "not play with our food". But now that we're grown up (sort of), we can mess with it all we want! We don't have to eat our food, we can draw faces on it, destroy it, make art with it--and the internet is all over it. Booyea!

We're bored at work: Well, doesn't that say it all? In the war between, say, answering customer service emails and watching a peep being killed in over a hundred ways, we think the winner is totally obvious. Which leads into our last theory...

It's totally fun and awesome to mess with Easter candy. This is a statement, not a theory. No follow up questions.

If you're totally fascinated with messing with your Easter candy, run, don't walk, over to these web pages for more:

• Unlikely Words has compiled a comprehensive and fascinating study on Marshmallow Peeps and their place in culture. Read it now!
• Here today, Goo Tomorrow: Even Cadbury is in on the action, hosting contests and providing bulletin boards for users to enter Creme Egg murders and discuss the lure of the most incredible edible egg.
• If baking with Easter candy is your bag (or basket, as it were), be sure to check out Baking Bites (there is a side bar with easter ideas on the right hand side of the site) for plenty of creative and delicious-sounding recipes.
• Last year, we messed with Easter candy in a variety of fun ways: check out our ideas for how to use your leftover easter candy, and our interview with a Cadbury Creme Egg.

Comments

[Jaimee]

How fun! :)

[Bakerella]

love the peep painting. pop over and see what I did to mine. great minds i say.

[Eliana]

The joys of Easter - Peeps and Cadbury Eggs. LOVE IT!

[Leslie F. Miller]

You are the best punster I know.

[Snooky doodle]

ha how funny and cute :)

[Dallas from Bitchin' Lifestyle]

Now that I think about it, I am more into the aesthetics of Easter candy than the actual taste of it. Your creation is gorgeous!

[Jodi]

this is too cute :)

Love easter candy..

[Kelly]

Funny! I will be sharing your Master Peeps' Starry Night in my class tomorrow! ~Kelly

[Chic Cookies]

Oh, so silly! I had to post a link on my column, of course (www.ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com). I have a Starry Night cookie in my book, too!! What is it about sweets and Van Gogh? (Oh, and lastly... The Washington Post has a Peeps diorama contest for Easter. Definitely worth checking out. Should be up on their site sunday.)

[Teaspoon]

Boo, I wish I could eat peeps once again :( stupid gelatin

[Liv]

lol I like what you've done with the various candies :) (The glasses & eyes on the egg are cute!!)
I don't think we have Peeps out here...although, they may have some at Sugar Fix, which sells US & UK candy...hmmm...may have to take a look when I'm next in the city :)

[Selba]

Easter candy is too cute to be eaten! :D

[Peabody]

I didn't realize over on FB that you made that. Girl, you have got talent!

[Jeanna]

Free the Peeps, end the torture. Right after I polish off a pack of the red ones.

[T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types]

I see the Easter Demon has returned! Welcome back - you've been missed! The Peeps "Starry Night" is brilliant - almost as colorful as the real thing!

[Banana-head Pancake]

agreed - the colors are awesome, bright and fun. I'm pretty sure Valentine's day takes the cake for worst candy.

[Bridget]

My son & I just studied Van Gogh last week; it was so fun to call him over to the computer and say, "do you recognize this?" His eyes got so big when he realized it was Peeps Starry Night! :) So cool!

[alice]

Awesome.

[lyndsay]

heehee! goodnight little bunny!

[kellypea]

I forwarded this to my son and between the two of us, it's gotten a lot of miles. Thanks -- a ton of fun!

[chou]

Some day MOMA will invite you to come play. Until then, we adore you electronically.