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"Chubby Bunny" marshmallow-eating contest fatal to woman
The event requires contestants to pop one marshmallow at a time into their mouths and say "chubby bunny" to amuse spectators until they can't say it anymore. One contestant at a carnival collapsed after the contest, and later died. (London, Ontario Free Press)
September 15, 2006 | Permalink
Comments
I'm unclear: why would you die from eating too many marshmallows? Diabetic?
Posted by: pat | Sep 15, 2006 10:09:20 AM
She choked to death.
Posted by: | Sep 15, 2006 10:11:02 AM
My Bad! : St. John's Ambulance staff came to Rudd's aid with a defibrillator and suction equipment, but were unable to remove the blockage in the unconscious woman's throat.
I ddin't see that - sorry!
Posted by: pat | Sep 15, 2006 10:16:16 AM
Ugh. Ever do that thing as a kid where you knead marshmallows in your fingers and it eventually becomes a soft, sticky taffy? This woman obviously wasn't kneading it in her mouth, but her body heat could render marshmallows into a viscous goo that isn't going to be Heimliched out.
What a stupid idea this contest is, and it's really surprising this thing hasn't happened until now.
Posted by: David | Sep 15, 2006 10:37:58 AM
It has happened several times before. I remember a Dateline or other such show over four years ago that talked about a similar situation. They had some kids how died doing it and explained how marshmallows "melt" at body temp and can easily block air and be near impossible to get out.
I'm kind of shocked she was in her 30s doing this.
Posted by: tfangel | Sep 15, 2006 10:55:05 AM
Millions of people have played this game and you can probably count on one hand the number that have died.
Why not go after smokers instead? ALL of them die.
Posted by: SwarthyTroll | Sep 15, 2006 11:13:35 AM
I have played this game before (incidentally in my adult years) and I have to say...with the media communicating fear and paranoia, it's a wonder any of us still venture out of our homes.
What's next, let's tell the story of the child's game Red Rover and how some kid broke his arm by getting close-lined. There is a certain amount of risk in every aspect of life...that's life. I would rather have fun and not worry so much and not let my kids worry so much than try and live in a plastic, safe bubble.
It stinks that this woman died, but all the article is going to do is cause more people to panic more than they already are. Let the family mourn in private and start reporting on issues that matter.
Just my opinion.
Posted by: Paul Johnson | Sep 15, 2006 11:53:18 AM
There was an Obscurestore post on this last year ... a girl died playing Chubby Bunny in a classroom and I believe her parents sued the school, or teacher, or somebody ...
Anyone remember this? Bueller? Bueller?
Posted by: Ambs | Sep 15, 2006 12:05:10 PM
TROLL: EVERYONE DIES. THERE YOU GO STEREOTYPING AGAIN
Posted by: chassiddy | Sep 15, 2006 12:15:45 PM
It's at Snopes, the story of the girl dying from this game.
Posted by: WZ | Sep 15, 2006 12:15:45 PM
I remember the story, Ambs...and yeah, her parents sued the school.
Personally, I think someone who stuffs their mouth full of marshmallows (or anything else, for that matter) for entertainment is an idiot, but they certainly don't deserve to die.
Posted by: pnwgal | Sep 15, 2006 12:31:41 PM
I have to agree with Troll. Well, not totally, but on pricipal.
The media will blow this up and this stupid game will become a target of legislation or something else that is too extreme, and yet, we still have cigarettes which kill not only the user but those around them a slow agonizing death that costs millions in health care and misc. Not to mention the addictive nature of the cigarette.
More money in cigarettes than marshmellows.
Posted by: SuperJames | Sep 15, 2006 1:48:53 PM
Legislation will not necessarily be in proportion to harm, but it will be in proportion to fear.
It will also be in proportion to how many people engage in an undesirable behavior, and how easily they could give it up.
If I propose taking steps to get people off of tobacco, it's not very controversial. But if I said the same thing about foods with added refined sugar, I'd get little, if any support. But modern humans did just fine without the stuff for 150,000 years, and the bad effects from it are pretty clear. The ubiquity will keep any discussions from leading to real change, and soft drinks will continue to be a mainstay of the human diet.
Banning marshmallows will do little to solve anything, and banning this game instead of educating those who run it will do little also. Teaching EMTs and others how to do tracheotomies might be of more value.
Posted by: H | Sep 15, 2006 2:26:52 PM
I just have to say- all this over the notorious MARSHMELLOW- da, da, DAAAAAHHH!
Oh and pnwgal- I am not saying you are, but if you are inferring me as the idiot because I mentioned I played the game...I freely admit it, nay I wear the badge proudly...but at least I am having fun doing it! ;)
Posted by: Paul Johnson | Sep 15, 2006 3:43:39 PM
I wanna know why as soon as something happens in the news it always seems ppl go after the smokers? There wasnt anything said about ppl that smoke.
I feel bad the lady died. I am sure her family would like to grieve in peace. My condolences go out to her family.
Someone had it correct when they said if we allow other ppl to dictate what we can and can not do with a legal substance then we should all live in bubbles.
It was an accident. Live and learn.
Posted by: endless | Sep 15, 2006 4:23:37 PM
Paul...honey. :-)
Just because I disagreed with you in a previous subject does not mean you've incurred my everlasting wrath. I was speaking in general terms.
Posted by: pnwgal | Sep 15, 2006 6:29:41 PM
New packaging update for marshmellows-
"Chubby Bunny Warning: Consuming too many marshmellow at one time may be fatal"
Posted by: | Sep 15, 2006 7:59:51 PM
Every ambulance carries naso-pharyngial catheters and 10cc syringes. Why didn't someone think of heating up some water to about 110F and lavaging the goop until it melted.
If she was asphyxiating the EMT should have forced the catheter through the stuff and and cranked up the oxygen and then lavaged. Or as H suggested, performed a cricothyroidotomy (commonly mis-identified as a tracheotomy which is a much more severe operation)
See this for explanation:
http://www.surgeryencyclopedia.com/Ce-Fi/Cricothyroidotomy.html
And it is marshmallow, not mellow.
Posted by: Stan Flouride | Sep 15, 2006 9:18:20 PM
Conservatives will surely not allow me to take my marshmallows on a plane now, they're deadly weapons!
Posted by: Charles Brobst | Sep 16, 2006 7:11:56 AM
pngwal- I figured- I was mainly just playing! ;)
Stan- my apologies...you're right, it is marshmallow...thank you for the correction.
No seriously, it bothers me when people done don't get learned how to tlak right.
Posted by: Paul Johnson | Sep 16, 2006 8:12:14 AM
Oh, Chubby Bunny. Why do you kill?
Posted by: | Sep 18, 2006 7:13:01 AM
endless - I think people go after the smokers to highlight that our nation would rather go after something as stupid as the Chubby Bunny and ignore a much more dangerous threat; re: smoking.
Everyone knows that smoking can/does kill the smoker and its byproduct kills non-smokers. It says so on the package. The incredients cause addiction so that the user cannot just stop whenever they feel like it. Yet, we don't make it an illegal substance because that would be invading people's rights and lobbyists line the pockets of our Congress.
But we're more interested in the sensationalism of crap like the Chubby Bunny. Perhaps the Chubby Bunny Foundation should lobby Congress for some sort of protected status?
Posted by: SuperJames | Sep 18, 2006 8:49:40 AM
Chubby Bunny Foundation? Someone needs to take a deep breath and CHill OUT.
Posted by: | Sep 18, 2006 6:55:33 PM
Chubby Bunny Foundation? Someone needs to take a deep breath and CHill OUT.
Posted by: | Sep 18, 2006 6:56:04 PM
It's called sarcasm. Look it up on Wikipedia.
Posted by: SuperJames | Sep 19, 2006 7:23:40 AM
