This post is dedicated to Mr Whit Honea, a man who believes that vanilla ice cream can not be exciting. BEHOLD!:
I was reminded of this magnificent creation by a friend on Monday whilst discussing the ice cream of our youth. Forget sprinkles and cadbury’s flakes, the canonball took ice cream adornment to a whole new level. The lolly (or “ice pop” for the colonials) represented the barrel of the gun, the bubblegum the canonball. Some say the ice cream signified the pointless futility of war and the cone the media’s role in demonizing the enemy, but perhaps that is taking things a little too far.
The canonball was the hight of the ice cream man’s art, the pinnacle of all his achievements. For the consumer too it was a challenge. To buy a canonball was to commit to a race against time. Could you eat the lolly before the ice cream melted? Could you eat the ice cream before the cone went soggy and the bubblegum fell out? The tension was heart stopping.
Alas, like that other triumph of 70’s engineering, the Concorde, the cannonball is no longer to be found in service. We are all the poorer for it’s passing.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 1:56 am
While that does seem exciting. Man against the clock and all that, it appears to reek of Imperialism. Taking the lolly and the gum and trying to force it into the status quo of the vanilla cone. The whole thing just seems violent.
You see, here, in the colonials, we would welcome said lolly and gum, assuming they weren’t (or didn’t resemble) terrorists in any way, and assimilate them into our culture (said vanilla). We would strip away all but the superficial trimmings of their respective histories and mix them into our collective scoop. Then we would charge society a large sum to sample the combination.
See Cold Stone Creamery.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 2:18 am
“The lolly represented the barrel of the gun, the bubblegum the canonball.”
And you wonder why you don’t win wars.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 am
I’m deadset against ice cream chewiness. The very word “cream” denotes a velvety smooth consistency as the substance slides off the spoon, lingers on the tongue, and then flows down your throat. The idea of mixing hard candies and ice cream is just un-American!!!
Oh wait.
Nevermind.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 2:24 am
By the way, the best ice cream in the world is actually at Ferdinands, in Pullman, Washington.
Now you know the truth.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 8:08 am
“And you wonder why you don’t win wars”
*cough*look who’s talking*cough*
We’ve won a fair few more wars than you boyo. Ever heard of the British Empire?
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 11:00 am
Its a little known fact that Britain actually lost vast swathes of the empire because of the governments logistical failure to deliver vanilla ice cream and appropriate trimmings - eg raspberry sauce or ‘monkey blood’* as it is often referred to in the North East to all of the empire. This led to the troops trying to enforce Britains rule getting quite disgruntled, this allied with the indigenous people of the colonised nations getting uppity as well led ultimately to the British Empire’s demise.
Possibly - I didn’t really pay full attention in that class. And damn you both again as I now want all maaner of unhealthy ice cream based treats.
*presumably in reference to the time when people in Hartlepool got confused and hung a monkey because they thought it was a frenchman - but hey it was the napoleonic wars and everyone makes mistakes in the fog of war.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 1:31 pm
I’m two steps closer to buying an ice cream maker. And lots of condensed milk.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Nice try on the translation for the colonials there, Dan, but it’s not ice pop. It’s popsicle. Sheesh.
on Sep 22nd, 2007 at 3:18 pm
No ice cream for you when you come to visit next week Deb.
on Sep 23rd, 2007 at 5:19 am
What flavor is red anyway?
on Sep 23rd, 2007 at 7:40 am
Jeff - It’s a bit like purple only without the blue.
on Sep 23rd, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Oh, well that makes perfect sense then. Thanks!
on Oct 3rd, 2007 at 5:49 am
Bubblegum and ice cream, now that’s a new concept. Be careful not to choke on it though.