Is Mr. Peanut really dead? Local enthusiasts smell a dry-roasted conspiracy

Planters has killed off its beloved mascot Mr. Peanut, and local Mr. Peanuts are “a little salty” about it.

Planters announced the death of Mr. Peanut on its Twitter page Wednesday. He drove his Nutmobile off a hill, leading to him and two celebrity passengers hanging for their lives from a branch. A video released by Planters showed Mr. Peanut letting go, saving his “friends” — “Blade” actor Wesley Snipes and “Veep” actor Matt Walsh — but letting himself fall.

“I don't know how to really take it,” Alex Speck, a local Mr. Peanut said. “To me, I’m Mr. Peanut, but at the same time I understand it's just a persona.”

Every Saturday, Speck said, his mom would take him down to the Peanut Shoppe. Each time, a 1930s papier-mache Mr. Peanut costume on display caught his eye.

“Every time I came in I asked about it and asked about it,” Speck said.

“It just really caught my attention, and I wanted to know more.”

When he was in eighth grade, the shop started putting the mascot in the parade. Speck got his shot, and started wearing the costume while Tim “Richshaw Willie” Wilhelm pulled him in a pedicab.

Speck’s Mr. Peanut career started on a snowy St. Patrick’s Day. He eventually switched to a rubber costume, but he’s kept the role since.

But now, the real Mr. Peanut’s 104-year life may be coming to an end.

We’re devastated to confirm that Mr. Peanut is gone. He died doing what he did best – having people’s backs when they needed him most. #RIPeanut pic.twitter.com/12PyWYJB7J

— The Estate of Mr. Peanut (@MrPeanut) January 22, 2020

It’s unclear if Mr. Peanut really is dead, or if he’ll come back a bit shell-shocked. His Twitter account has repeatedly confirmed his demise, but social media users have theorized that Mr. Peanut may survive and come back during a Super Bowl commercial.

Speck said he doesn’t know what is going to happen to Mr. Peanut, and is waiting to see if the mascot makes it out alive. Wilhelm, who has pulled him all these years, said he sees through the ad campaign’s thin shell.

“I believe Planters has got something up their sleeve here,” Wilhelm said. “They’re not going to to kill off Mr. Peanut. Everybody loves Mr. Peanut.”

Since agreeing to pull Speck in parades 10 years ago, Wilhelm has purchased a few Mr. Peanut costumes.

While Speck has been Mr. Peanut in parades, Wilhelm may just be “nuts” for nuts. On top of delivering nuts for Norton-based C.J. Dannemiller Co., he said he’s worn the costume in and out of Akron. He’s worn it while giving out Halloween candy, for special events and sometimes just random appearances in downtown Akron.

Wilhelm even packed the suit for a visit to the Sunshine State.

“I actually took it to Florida with me last week, but I didn't get to wear it,” Wilhelm said.

Since Planters announced the mascot’s death, Wilhelm has been tagged on Facebook “no less than 50 times.” He said he’s come around to the news since he first heard about it.

“At first I was a little ticked off, and then I started thinking more and more about it,” he said. “It's a good idea because it’s an advertising gimmick, and it's got everyone talking about Mr. Peanut right now.”

The Peanut Shoppe has been a natural place for that conversation to continue. The owner of the store, Marge Klein, doesn’t know if Mr. Peanut really is dead, but she’s not happy about it.

“I’m really, really surprised because he was so big for so many years,” Klein said. “I don't like that they’re getting rid of him. I really don’t.”

The Peanut Shoppe started as a Planters shop long ago, Klein said. She said there used to be hundreds of stores just like the one on South Main. Now, she said, there are three in Ohio and only about 10 from Michigan to Alabama.

If there’s anywhere to learn more about Mr. Peanut, Speck said it’s the Peanut Shoppe. History, both of nuts and Akron, fills the store from wall to wall and up to the ceilings.

Speck said every parade brought people clamoring for photos with him. Older people grew up with the mascot, and would bring their somewhat skittish grandchildren to come meet him. He said kids were scared, but would normally break out of their shell after he showed his face.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “St. Paddy’s day was definitely my favorite thing to do.”

Speck last dressed up for the St. Patrick’s Day parade in 2019. Since then, Wilhelm has sold the pedicab, and Speck said it’s a long walk to make in a costume in which he can barely see.

Right now, Klein said, there aren’t any plans for the upcoming parade.

Mr. Peanut may be dead: Planters did not respond to a request for comment from the Beacon Journal on whether he’ll be resurrected. If the mascot’s time has come, Speck said connecting generations will be its legacy.

“The thing that pops into my mind when I think of Mr. Peanut was it was something grandparents connected with their grandkids with,” Speck said. “What I want everyone to remember is that. The happy memories.”

Reach Sean McDonnell at smcdonnell@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3186.