Since 1993, the Hershey Company has been making special holiday edition Reese’s chocolate peanut butter cups that supposedly resemble a Christmas tree.
But instead of tree limbs and a trunk, the candy's shape looks more fecal than festive. The holiday Reese’s tree—which sports the image of a classic Christmas pine tree on the orange wrapper—began appearing on store shelves just before Thanksgiving.
This year, fans who have had enough are taking to social media in full force to express disappointment in the misshapen candy.
"@ReesesPBCups What part of this looks like a Christmas tree?"
"@ReesesPBCups Does this look like a Christmas tree to you?"
"You call it a tree. I think the rest of us see it as a turd."
Reese’s official social media account has been responding to upset Twitter users with the same basic reply: “This is not the perfect experience we’re going for. Please send us a note so we can help,” and directing users to Hershey’s customer “Contact Us” page.
Anna Lingeris, a spokeswoman for the Hershey Company told FoxNews.com that the seasonal shapes --which have been made the same way since their initial release over two decades ago--are created differently than the regular peanut butter cups and "have a higher ratio of peanut butter to chocolate." She added that "these products are not solid chocolate made in moulds, which would have a more distinct shape. They are soft peanut butter centers that are enrobed in chocolate, a process which by its nature creates a less distinct shape."
Despite the social media detractors, Lingeris said that seasonal shapes represent "more than a double digit percent of the Reese’s annual sales and are growing," indicating that most fans love the classic chocolate peanut butter combo regardless of shape.
This isn't the first year that Hershey has been criticized for what people call a sorry excuse for a Christmas tree.
The company also produces other seasonal shapes like Easter eggs-- which was the first holiday shape released in 1966-- and pumpkins for Halloween. The latter may also need some work:
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