I could not attend the Pope’s historic mass at Madison Square Garden yesterday. So I did the next best thing: I ate a Popemallow, of course.
I doubt corn syrup will absolve me of my sins. And edible ink on a vanilla marshmallow might be an unconventional way to pay homage to the spiritual leader of over a billion people. But this is the same leader who has dared, unconventionally, to voice his opinion on issues such as climate change. The Popemallow is an uncannily appropriate tribute.
But at the same time, this sweet, squeezable confection from NYC-based Mitchmallows (creator of such marshmallow flavors as sweet potato vanilla, churros, and thanksgiving gravy) is a far cry from blasphemy, even when considering that the company’s webpage states that the owner is a “proud graduate of Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College.” In fact, I find the opposite true. Along with the host of Pope bobbleheads and Pope dolls (one of which the Pope himself enjoyed seeing when introduced to one a couple days ago) that have been hawked anywhere within twenty blocks of Madison Square Garden, the Popemallow indicates the unprecedented reach of a Pope’s appeal.
If your picture is on a marshmallow, you’re going places.
The Omnivorous Traveler's Notebook 