Wonka® Responds to Laffy Taffy® Humor Crisis with Management Changes Willy Wonka Candy Factory, January, 2007 / PRNewswire / -- Willy Wonka and the management of the Willy Wonka Candy Factory were astounded last week to learn that one of the jokes on the Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrappers was, in fact, not funny. Fox News online was the first to report on the issue. For full Fox News coverage visit: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,235301,00.html Today, the Willy Wonka Candy Factory announced the dismissal of the company's deputy executive director of Wonka Laffy Taffy wrapper humor management. He was responsible for allowing a very un-funny joke to get in the hands of Wonka® Laffy Taffy® candy fans and there is simply no excuse for that. The last straw was the recent revelation that a second joke that appeared on the back of the Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrappers was, in fact, not wacky at all. The content of that second un-funny joke is a closely held secret that only Willy Wonka himself knows. The announcement was made in a statement by Willy Wonka that was read aloud and posted online by a representative from the Willy Wonka Candy Factory. The statement is available online at Wonka.com. Click on the "Are You Funny" button on the home page to be directed to a version of the video. The statement noted "I was astounded to learn that one of the jokes found on the back of Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrappers was, in fact, not funny. Wonka® Laffy Taffy® is stretchy, fruit-flavored taffy with a long-lasting chew that you can enjoy for a really long time. Every wrapper includes a joke and the Oompa Loompas and I at the Wonka® Candy Factory are committed to providing only the funniest jokes available." The statement continued, "I simply won't stand to have puns that aren't punny or capers that aren't crazy associated with the Wonka name." The un-funny joke that gained national media attention was found on a banana-flavored Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrapper. It read, "Which garden has the fastest growing vegetables?" The answer: Flash Garden. It seems few people remember the TV series Flash Gordon from the 1950s. Among those who do remember the show, it didn't really matter either – nobody laughed. Additionally, an internal investigation has revealed more than two dozen candy fanatics and bloggers have used Internet postings to share their thoughts on the disappointing joke, or the general lack of humor of some jokes currently appearing on Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrappers. Willy Wonka and his team have begun direct outreach to those individuals to address their concerns. Wonka Launches Humor Study Group The series of sweeping actions to address the situation also included the following: Willy Wonka formed a Humor Study Group (HSG) to review all Wonka® Laffy Taffy® wrapper jokes. This group includes Willy Wonka's entire outfit of Oompa Loompas, naturally. Invitations have also been issued to two Supreme Court Justices, a well-known and very funny movie star, four beauty queens and seventeen regular Saturday morning cartoon characters to participate. The Humor Study Group will review jokes on the backs of wrappers until Willy Wonka is satisfied that that no other un-funny jokes remain. Some examples of the jokes the Humor Study Group will review include: Where did the kittens go on the class trip? To the meow-seum

Why was it hard for the geometry teacher to walk? She broke her angle Willy Wonka has also asked Wonka® Laffy Taffy® fans who know of, or suspect, that a joke is not funny to tell him. He is also accepting new, funny jokes for consideration. More details are available on Wonka.com Click on the 'Are You Funny' button on the home page. Wonka Candy Factory Job Opening Finally, Willy Wonka has begun a nationwide search for a new deputy executive director of Wonka Laffy Taffy wrapper humor management. Complete remarks to the media are available online at Wonka.com. Applicants are asked to submit two jokes, three puns and a description of a humorous situation guaranteed to make both a fourth grader and a 70-year-old fall down laughing. People interested in applying for the open deputy executive director of Wonka Laffy Taffy wrapper humor management position can send their applications to Willy Wonka Candy Factory, Laffy Taffy "Jokes" Entries, P.O. Box 72309, Rockford, MN 55572. Additional Information, including a downloadable job description, is available online at Wonka.com. BACKGROUND About Wonka The Willy Wonka Candy Factory company opened its doors in 1983. Since that time, Wonka® has been dedicated to the art of producing fun, innovative, high-quality candies for kids of all ages. WONKA manufactures such well-known favorites as: NERDS®, NERDS® Rope, SWEETARTS®, SWEETARTS® SQUEEZ, SWEETARTS® SHOCKERS, LAFFY TAFFY®, RUNTS®, EVERLASTING GOBSTOPPERS®, LIK-M-AID® FUN DIP, PIXY STIX®, BOTTLE CAPS®, TART 'N TINYS® and the WONKA® Bar. About Nestle USA Named one of "America's Most Admired Food Companies" in Fortune magazine for the ninth consecutive year, Nestle USA provides quality brands and products that bring flavor to life every day. From nutritious meals with STOUFFER'S® LEAN CUISINE® to baking traditions with NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE®, Nestle USA makes delicious, convenient and nutritious food and beverage products that enrich the very experience of life itself. That's what "Nestle. Good Food, Good Life" is all about. Nestle USA, with 2005 sales of $8.1 billion (includes Nestle Nutrition), is part of Nestle S.A. in Vevey, Switzerland the world's largest food company with sales of $73 billion. For product news and information, visit Nestleusa.com or NestleNewsroom.com. Contact Info

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