Behind the Petition to 'Nationalize the Twinkie Industry'
By: By day, Danny Boi is an unassuming radio personality with 96.5 KBRZ in Kansas City. Ok, he's actually fairly assuming.
By night — ok, also by day — he is the would-be super hero who launched a White House petition to save the Twinkie. "We the undersigned, hereby request Barack Obama to immediately Nationalize the Twinkie industry and prevent our nation from losing her sweet creamy center."
So far, the petition has over 3,000 signatures. It hopes to reach a goal of 25,000 by December 16th.
Rush Limbaugh thought Boi was serious.
He's not. Ok, kinda is.
"I thought CLEARLY this petition/speech was tongue in cheek, I mean it's Bill Pullman from 'Independence Day' for crying out loud!" Boi told me. Here's what he means — his on-air rant channeling Pullman's character as U.S. President to, in this case, rally the nation against "total cupcake annihilation!" (Read More: Relax Twinkie Lovers, brand Likely to Survive)
Boi's real motivation is to stick up for labor. He calls himself "a 100 percent Union backer" in a conservative town. "I thought it would be funny to poke fun at how it has become outrageous to help the American worker. And JACKPOT."
Boi is serious about helping unions. "This attitude in America that we attack organized labor because they have a livable wage and a pension must change," he said. "I'm not that well educated or eloquent, but unions made America great, and we need to support them ... the best way I know how to help is satire." (Read More: How Hostess Failed: Hedge Funds vs. Unions)
What's next? "We're holding an Occupy Hostess rally on [Tuesday] — tongue in cheek — where I shall make my announcement to run for Congress — tongue in cheek — and see how much union awareness we can raise."
Hearing Rush Limbaugh mention the petition was Boi's most surreal moment. "I was in our station van at the time, and people just started honking. I haven't felt that good since my last trip to Colorado."
All this ... for the Twinkie? "There is nothing better than the sweet, spongy, diabetic treat," he told me. But it's not the only Hostess treat he craves. "Yesterday I drank too much wine and ate all my son's Donettes in a powdery, shameful moment."
—By CNBC's Jane Wells
@janewells
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