Not So Fun Bars

When buying Halloween candy this year I noticed that there were many bags of "fun size" bars for sale, but no longer the full sized bags. Fun size has nothing to do with your enjoyment in eating the candy . It's a euphemism for smaller candy bars or candy units than was previously sold by the candy maker. It's a clever way of making the consumer pay more for fewer total grams of candy. When you look at the total candy content in those bags of fun size candy, it's always less than what the consumer received when purchasing a bag of that brand's regular sized candy. Candy makers figure it is an easier way of charging more for the same amount of candy inside those wrappers.

They are also clever about how they short change the buyer. Those fun sized bags (and in most cases now you have only one choice- buy fun sized....say...Milky Way candy bars or don't buy Milky Ways at all, since that is the only sized sold now) are no fun for me. There is always a justification for changing to fun sized as opposed to regular sized units that the consumer loved and never asked to be eliminated from his or her candy option. For example, the bag of bars says, "Only 60 calories per bar". That's supposed to make you think you'll not gain weight eating fun sized bars. If you eat only one it's true, but who can eat only one of those midget bars?

To add to the insult, they market the fun sized bags as being a more economical purchase. I guess math skills as so low now that they can get away with it. Most consumers are incapable of comparing prices by comparing sizes of the unit. All they know today is the latest cell phone application or the names of reality TV contestants. While they are sleeping the candy makers are robbing them..and more importantly....robbing me! I am taking a break here to calm down...I'll eat a fun sized bar and then finish this rant..... back! Lucky you. I am intoxicated with a fun sized sugar high now.

Instead of raising the price of candy, and many other products sold are doing the same, candy makers are making their candy in smaller units but selling at the same price as the previously larger sized candy sold. It's sad. There are certain things in life we should be able to depend on. Forget mom and national pride as examples! This is serious. That candy is not being down sized is of prime importance in this confusing world in which we live. Candy bars should bring us contentment, not dissonance.

It started years ago when they started putting less coffee in the same cans and selling it for the same price, I was suspicious then. But now I am paranoid about how much is in my candy bag. The candy makers are violating my trust by charging more, giving less and pretending it is the same. If I weren't a pig who needed candy I would hold my breath and abstain from all candy until they banned fun sized from the store candy aisles.

Sigh.. I think I'll open that fun sized bag of Twix bars now. The protest is over while I have some fun sized chews.