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Huge Popsicle Melts on a Hot Summer Day
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 22, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Chaos, 35,000 pound Snapple kiwi-strawberry popsicle be thy name! The dailies round out coverage of yesterday's Snapple PR stunt gone bad, the attempted Biggest Popsicle in the World that simply melted in Union Square. In analyzing the slushy mess that spread from 17th Street, the NY Times took the bemused approach, while the Post was self-righteous and angry. The papers also played to their strengths, with the Post creating a scene of confusion, "One woman who fell in the hazardous goo was rushed to the hospital with a badly sprained ankle, and three cyclists...were catapulted off their bikes," and the Times noting various facts about the offending popsicle in question ("The core temperature when it was prepared in New Jersey was minus 20 degrees Fahrenheit, 46 degrees colder than the temperature at which an 18-percent sugar suspension, like the pop, would normally freeze."). Newsday had a great quote from Ken Giddon, owner of clothing store Rothman's:
"A small wave of slush began moving across 17th Street...It wasn't a bad smell. But the people stepping in it were not pleased. People were pretty bummed out with what was going on with their shoes."
Ha, it smelled good yesterday, but think about the slush that wasn't hosed away by the Fire Department: It'll rot and stink. At any rate, Snapple says they'll help pay for the clean up.
Movies reminiscent of this incident: Ghostbusters II, Teenage Mutant Ninjas Turtles 2: Secret of the Ooze, and The Blob.
Photograph from reader Stefan; more here
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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