Not Even Oreos Are Sacred

by Eva Pasco, author of "Underlying Notes"

Those of us who grew up in the Sixties loved our Oreos--sweet white creme filling sandwiched between two circular chocolate pieces.  Over 491 billion Oreos have been sold since Nabisco's cookie monster debuted in 1912, making it the best selling cookie in the  USA.  Oreos have stirred their own debates and disputes over the best way to eat 'em--either twisting off the lid to eat the middle first by scraping the creme with your teeth, or nibbling the cookie as a unit.  Then there's the toss up of whether to dunk or not to dunk in milk-- that is the question.  I chose to eat the cream first so I could press the circular halves together like a checker, and dunk the completely chocolate compression in milk for an outer worldly experience.  My sister and I ritualistically enjoyed our Oreos while watching TV-- crunching, clouding our milk, and spewing crumbs in the process.

Though the “dunk” or “don’t dunk” debate still rages, spilling milk in the digital world facing a Facebook fan page, not even Oreos are sacred.  Back in the Sixties when life was simpler with limited options, we merely strolled down the aisle in the supermarket and looked for the clear package with rows of Oreos stacked neatly on corrugated cardboard. Over time, Nabisco Division of Kraft Foods has deemed it fitting to create a variety of flavors, sabotaging the Oreo with multiple personalities: Double Stuff Oreos, Peanut butter Oreos, Chocolate Oreos, Cool Mint Oreos, Fudge Sundae Oreos, Halloween Oreos, Golden Oreos, Golden Chocolate Oreos, Golden Double Stuff Oreos...and even Reduced Fat Oreos--an oxymoron if you ask me.     

Oreos are symptomatic of what’s going on in today’s society—in a word, “options”—the more options to choose from, the more confused, disoriented, and indecisive we become, often losing sight of the issue.   Different flavor choices along with options of nonfat, reduced fat, reduced salt, no salt, sugar free, reduced sugar are enough to keep your shopping cart idle in the aisle.  That’s just the food sector.  Take a look at all the options on the TV remote.  Then, having already opted for one Cable package or another, surfing through hundreds of channels, unable to find anything worthwhile.  An idyllic pastime just might be dunking or not dunking an Oreo while watching a black & white show on one of three channels you have to get up off the sofa to change no matter how the cookie crumbles.    

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