Pop-Tarts mascot devoured in Pittsburgh
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.

A giant Pop-Tarts mascot sacrificed itself Friday in front of hundreds in the North Side.
Why it matters: It died for yinz sins.
The intrigue: A giant Protein Slammin' Strawberry Pop-Tarts mascot completed its sacrifice ritual at Nova Place.
- It was the first time the public got to participate in the viral event, which typically caps off the end of the annual Pop-Tarts Bowl college football game.
Context: The swole Protein Slammin' Strawberry chickened out of a multiple-mascot sacrifice last year.
- Strawberry had dreams of "going pro" and was drafted by fans during the NFL draft in Pittsburgh.
Zoom in: We interviewed the mascot before the ritual, and it approved of Pittsburgh being its final resting place.

Dig in: Hundreds devoured the mascot after it was "toasted" in a giant toaster.
- It tasted exactly like a regular Pop-Tart, but with extra frosting on top.
The bottom line: "In America, we pray at the altar of consumerism, but I think this is a beautiful and artistic way, in a place where religion and church attendance is declining, to participate in a ritualistic sacrifice and communal eating," said Abigail Gardner of Bloomfield.
