Saturday, February 13, 2010

What Happened to "Be Mine?"

Change is hard.

Today I picked up a package of my favorite Valentine candy at Target: conversation hearts. The chalky sweetness makes these candies good, but the messages make them great.

I'll admit to using them as a means to predict the future when I was younger. I'd think of my current crush and reach in and grab a heart. The message always indicated what I was sure would happen. And if I didn't like the answer, I could just reach in and grab another heart till I got the answer I wanted. (Similar to the scene with George Michael in Arrested Development, season one, episode title: Marta Complex. It was really funny. Trust me.)

Sweet.

However, when I tasted my first conversation heart right out of the bag (which, by the way, said "tweet me.") the texture was spot on, but the taste was awful. It was tart and disgusting. I checked the bag to see if I'd purchased a bag of sour hearts on accident.

Nope.

Same old conversation hearts, all new flavors. I'd just enjoyed blue raspberry. Green is now green apple and pink is strawberry. There is no white anymore, which I know many people didn't care for, but I always liked it. In the old days. Before they changed EVERYTHING!

The flavors are one change that I just can't live with. The phrases might be another. I realize the conversation heart people need to stay current so from time to time they throw a trendy message or two on their hearts. I'll never forget the very cool "fax me" from the 80's.

But some of these messages seem a little too casual.

"Hey babe?"

"UR Hot?"

What happened to the more romantic and formal, "be mine" and "say yes?"

And I'm sorry, but "marry me" is just too forward a message for conversation hearts. Imagine the trouble one could get in to with that one!

5 comments:

Anna said...

Did you buy the Brach's brand? I picked up a box of those and they tasted exactly the same as they always have, at least from what I can remember. In any case, they still have white and there is no blue whateverbery. Peeking through Joshua's box that I reserved for tomorrow, they still say things like love you, u go girl, luv me, soul mate, hello, hey you, and u r mine. I'd say you just picked the wrong box. But never fear! On monday all those 25 cent boxes will go on clearance and you can stock up for next year.

Afton said...

I got the NECCO brand, which has usually been my go-to brand past years. Unfortunately, this was a huge bag of hearts, not a little box. At least the kids like them.

Our Family said...

I had this same experience so I emailed the company. I guess they changed all the flavors and even had some contest for new sayings for the hearts. You can only get the old cast-offs at a few discount stores until they are all gone. The dollar tree is one place we have found them. We were terribly disappointed. My kids didn't even like them! I wrote about the whole sad experience on our family blog. http://pettingillfamily-eightisgreat.blogspot.com/2010/02/february-2010-sad-farewell.html I will forward you the email they sent me in response if I can find it.

Heather said...

Keith & I discovered this last night upon opening a box of the candies. I wasn't terribly disappointed, never having liked them that well anyway, but Keith was disgusted. ;)
I don't like all the new messages, either.

claire said...

Thank you! We tried this year's hearts and also found them way too tart and flavorful! I didn't even bother reading the messages. If Brach's really is the correct brand, then why was it not prominently displayed at Wal-mart? That is how I buy all my food. It is so refreshing to hear that we are not the only ones who were sadly disappointed by this year's candy hearts.