I went to the Barnes and Noble tonight to pick up a book for a school and made an important discovery–Classic Candy Land!!!! I can scarcely communicate how excited I am about this. (And, yes, I know that this + my sample post + my Cozy Cookie post makes me look like I’m approximately 9 years old…)
I was raised playing Classic Candy Land and have many fond memories of cheating at it. At some point (probably when I was in middle school) my mother, who can typically do no wrong, threw away this technicolor cornerstone of my childhood. I was crestfallen when I became aware of it. I bought the modern version around the age of 18–attempting to retrieve a fragment of une enfance perdue–but this was a mistake: Modern Candy Land has no resonance for me. Mr. Mint and Queen Frostine are kitsch. Classic Candy Land–with its Gumdrop Mountains, Lollipop Woods and Ice Cream Floats–is sheer elegance.
There is nothing retro or ironic about my love for Candy Land. I just really like thinking about confectionary landscapes. Seriously.
Some people argue that Candy Land is boring or that it requires no skill. To them I say: “Why do you hate candy?”
10 Comments
December 11, 2007 at 11:37 am
When I was little, Christmas was my favorite time of year because I loved to see all the houses, with their roofs frosted with snow and their facades adorned with the glowing red, green, and white lights of Christmas. It reminded me of the white vanilla frosting, candy canes, and multicolored M&Ms of gingerbread houses. I’d always ask my parents to drive me around our neighborhood so I could see them, and, as my parents are fond of telling people, I referred to them as “candy houses”–a term of my own invention. :-/
December 11, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Genius. All of those weird frosting queens and strange candy-cane men made no sense to me. The only humanoid things should be those two frightening kids, the girl with her leg frozen mid-air, the boy with his creepy striped shirt, ready to jolt around the colored track in search of awesome.
Remember how crap it was to get almost to the house at the end, and then draw the candy heart card? I think that’s why I don’t like candy hearts. That, and the chalk taste.
December 11, 2007 at 2:45 pm
“in search of awesome” = AWESOME
And, you’re right, Modern Candy Land is a disgrace to the hallowed tradition of anthropomorphized food. The Pillsbury Doughboy is crying somewhere…
December 12, 2007 at 12:23 am
OH MY GOSH!!!!!! I didn’t think they made those any more! I WANT ONE TOO!!!!!
I loved it too, though I don’t think I was as crazy about it as you were. I remember once I was playing with Grandpa Gil and I cheated by stacking the deck with the ice cream float card. I won, of course, and he was so nice about it that I felt terrible and tried to swear off the cheating. I probably still did it to you, though! (Mom, don’t read this post.)
December 12, 2007 at 12:52 am
Ahaha, apparently we Dolls have no ethics when it comes to Candy Land. I bet Cass didn’t cheat…
December 17, 2007 at 12:36 pm
Jay: Cute. I can get into confectionary cityscapes too. For sure. And Christmas-bedizened houses DO look delicious.
Also, good use of Slashy. (Although I suppose in my book ANY use of Slashy is a good use. That e-con brings me so much joy…)
December 21, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Hi Megan! I completely agree that modern Candyland is oh-so-kitsch. I really enjoyed this post and everyone’s comments.
December 21, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Merci, ma belle!!
December 21, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. (Sorry, Kristin, I’m sure that’s not correct Latin…) As the misguided (not intentionally evil) mother who threw out the original, bedraggled, pieces-missing, moth-eaten Candyland game, I had no idea I was traumatizing my children for life. I’m glad Classic Candyland is out there, though it probably still isn’t quite the same as the well-worn box and its contents that you first loved. We knew you were a shameless cheater when it came to this game, Meg. It’s one of those enduring, endearing memories of childhood…..
March 18, 2008 at 9:59 pm
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