Friday, April 10, 2009

As Promised: Peeps Blow Up: The Making Of

From the youTube description box:
"The daring diary of the making of the smash hit Peeps Blow Up (1812 Overture) [links to youTube]. Narrated by the filmmakers themselves, this documentary exposes the culinary, theological, and musicological underpinnings of this groundbreaking work. Brought to you by Fly on the Wall productions."

bink is the one in the goggles--she narrated and edited this too. I'm the one eating the Peeps, and filming. We are the Powell and Pressburger of Peeps! (Maybe more like French and Saunders?)
Peeps Blow Up, The Making Of

Hannah in England asked what the deal with Peeps is. These cheap, cheerful, and much maligned sugar-coated marshmallow candies have been turning up in U.S. (and Canadian!) Easter baskets since my childhood, at least. Art L. described Peeps as the Rodney Dangerfield of holiday candy: they get no respect.

They're harmless, unless you count the poisonous dyes, the blood sugar spikes, and the American epidemic of diabetes, obesity, and teeth cavities. But I don't know that Peeps are to blame, as I'm not sure anyone actually eats them--they're not very nice. They are better, however, if you freeze them or let them sit out until they get stale and chewy.

Oh my! I just read the Wikipedia entry "Peeps" and learned they are considered practically indestructible. This must be one reason people are so attracted to testing the limits of Peeps' endurance.

5 comments:

poodletail said...

<*snort*!> I LOVE this movie. Guess I'm a girl who likes documentaries.

Fresca said...

Such discerning taste you have, Cat, for the finer educational things in life. *snork*

momo said...

There is a whole culture of Peeps fetishism, Peeps art, Peeps videos, to which you have made worthy contributions!

WV: fresse, as in snacking!

deanna said...

Cool. I'm all for exploding Peeps, but I must admit that in the actual film, the hammer blows seemed harsh. Poor fellas, caught in postmodern, preapocalyptic violence...

Yet now, after viewing the documentary, I think I understand.

Fresca said...

Momo: In fact, I didn't realize there was such extensive interest in Peeps until I googled them after bink & I made our movie. Kind of odd! Yet I felt the pull too... There's something about them. Are they friendly and innocuous or are they the Enemy?
Or... and this gets my vote... are they just cheap fun, like green plastic army men?
Surely someone has written a PhD dissertation on this topic?

Deanna: Whew! Other people too have told me they found the violence of the first video a bit disturbing. I hope they too will understand better with this incisive expose.

In truth, we started this project entirely with the mentality of 7 year olds.
But I always see "deeper meaning" in everything (it slows me down, I tell ya! and quite honestly I think it was part of what did my mother in)---and so, even though we're sorta joking about the theology and all that, actually, life and death, joy and suffering ARE the underpinnings of the whole shebang, bang, bang...
I believe I'm in line with the spiritual teachers of the ages when I say at the end, "...life and death. Ow!"

Happy Easter!