Cookie Puss
Cookie Puss is an ice cream cake character created by Carvel in the 1970s as an expansion of its line of freshly made exclusive products, along with Hug-Me Bear and Fudgie the Whale. The cake is fashioned with a clown face that uses cookies for eyes and an ice cream cone for the nose.[1] According to Carvel's backstory for the character, Cookie Puss is a space alien who was born on planet Birthday.[2] His original name was "Celestial Person," but the initials "C.P." later came to stand for "Cookie Puss."[2] In his television commercials, Cookie Puss has the ability to fly, though he requires a saucer-shaped spacecraft for interplanetary travel. During the 1980s, Cookie Puss was repurposed to serve as a cake for St Patrick's Day, dubbed "Cookie O'Puss", which continues to be sold annually.[3]
Appearance
Since its introduction in 1972, the Cookie Puss design developed by Carvel corporate chef Andrew Bianchi has evolved into the version that is sold today.[4] The initial design introduced the general pear shape of the cake, but all ornamentation was frosting applied by the stores. The first effort to achieve a consistent look was a face printed on a large cookie wafer using edible inks.
A group of franchisees led by Liam Gray of Schenectady, NY rallied against the corporate requirement for stores to purchase the pre-printed wafers. Gray created a new variation using items already stocked in Carvel shops - sugar cones and Flying Saucer ice cream sandwiches. The other franchisees in the (now defunct) North East Carvel Franchisee Group followed suit, and by May 1974, the Carvel corporation had adopted this as the official design of the Cookie Puss product.
In media
Cookie Puss was a frequent topic used for comic effect on The Howard Stern Show.[5] Typically, the cast of the show would torment Fred Norris for having purchased Cookie Puss as a gift for his mother on Mother's Day. Howard Stern would use voice enhancements to impersonate the voice of Cookie Puss from the Carvel commercials, often excusing his inappropriate comments because he could "speak his mind, now that Tom Carvel is dead."
Cookie Puss was the focus of the Beastie Boys' debut single, "Cooky Puss". The song was inspired by a series of prank calls the group's members made to a Carvel location,[6] in which they jokingly requested to speak to Cookie Puss.[7]
It was also referenced by Kenneth The Page in 30 Rock's "Reaganing" (Season 5, Episode 5), in which Jenna, Kenneth and Kelsey Grammer conspire to pull a long con on a Carvel store.[8]
In the Family Guy episode, Da Boom, Carvel is referenced. Because Y2K has occurred, the family goes in search of a Carvel factory and Chris exclaims his excitement by listing the names of Carvel characters, Cookie Puss being among them. In another episode, Joe's Revenge, Peter buys a Cookie Puss for Joe and laughs about it having a "weird nose". A man resembling the Cookie Puss appears and says he thinks Peter's nose is weird.
In the American Dad! episode Anchorfran, Greg has Cookie Puss cakes on display in his cake shop.
In one episode of the FOX Series The Critic, "A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races", the character Satoshi, Eater Of Souls, holds up a Cookie Puss and declares, "Cookie Puss, I will eat your soul!"[9]
In the FX series Archer, title character Sterling Archer refers to Cookie Puss and Fudgie the Whale in "Drift Problem" (Season 3, Episode 7), wondering aloud to himself if either will be present at the surprise birthday party he assumes is being held for him "I wonder what the guys in the office have planned for my birthday. Wonder if Fudgie the Whale will be there or Cookie Puss. Cookie Puss. Those guys at Carvel know what they’re doing".[10] Additionally, in "Heart of Archness: Part 1" (Season 3, Episode 1) Ray Gillette moans "Cookie Puss" after he is informed there will be no Carvel.[11] The dessert is referred to yet again in “House Call” (Season 5, Episode 4), when Mallory Archer minimizes concern for Pam's cocaine addiction, stating that Pam's obituary would otherwise read the same had “the word cocaine been replaced with Cookie Puss”.
At the end of WWE Raw on January 7, 2013, The Rock referred to CM Punk as "Cookie Puss" in a nod to Punk's attempt to bring back the WWE ice cream bars during his infamous "pipe bomb" promo.
The first episode of Steven Universe, "Gem Glow", sees Steven lamenting the discontinuation of an ice-cream sandwich product he likes called "Cookie Cat". He then goes on to sing the commercial jingle for the cookie, which mirrors Cookie Puss's backstory ("He's a frozen treat with an all-new taste, 'cause he came to this planet from outer space!"). Later in the episode, Steven succeeds in generating his shield for the first time after eating one, leading him to the (mistaken) impression that eating Cookie Cats is what triggers the ability. Several references to Cookie Cat appear throughout the series, despite the food itself being discontinued.
See also
Notes
- ^ Jain, S.C. (2001). Marketing Planning & Strategy: Casebook. South-Western College Pub. pp. 288–289. ISBN 978-0-324-06262-5. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ a b Carlson, Jen (June 25, 2014). "The Strange History Of Carvel's Cookie Puss". Gothamist. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Nelson, Dustin (January 15, 2019). "All the Weird Green Food You Can Find on St. Patrick's Day". Thrillist. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ NY Times article on the history of Carvel
- ^ Howard Stern and Cookie Puss
- ^ Norwood, S.H.; Pollack, E.G. (2008). Encyclopedia of American Jewish History. American ethnic experience. ABC-CLIO. p. 677. ISBN 978-1-85109-638-1. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ Beastie Boys - Cooky Puss
- ^ Reaganing | Episode Transcript | 30 Rock Quotes | 30Rock | 30 Rock
- ^ Eat Your Soul, Cookiepuss - YouTube
- ^ TV Diary | Archer: “Drift Problem” | Jeremy Likes TV
- ^ Archer: "Heart of Archness: Part I" Review - IGN
External links
- Cookie Puss. Carvel.