Gummi Bill

During the ’96 presidential campaign, Jeff Munchak had a dream of the two front-runners looking like flexible TV kids’ show character Gumby. The vision eventually turned into Gummi Bills, a chewy candy of Bill Clinton’s head that went on the market in November. Sales were so-so until a certain Ms. Lewinsky became news, and then distribution spiked from six states to 20 in March alone. The fat-free red, white and blue candies (cherry, pineapple and berry flavors), $1.99 per four-ounce package, are available in the Southland through next week at Shoe’s Soul Shop, West Hollywood, or by phone from Mugwump Creations at (888) BUYWUMP.

Our Brush With Greatness

Last week this column ran an item about an outfit called the Great American Beer Club. Thereupon Bernie Hamilton, the actor who played gruff but understanding Capt. Dobey on the ‘70s TV crime show “Starsky and Hutch,” called us up for the phone number--FYI, it’s (800) TRY-A-SIP--and volunteered to sing a song he has written, “Beer’s Better Than Anything, Nothing’s Better Than Beer.” And we were there.

Bigger Bagels

Once again, we Americans have turned a health food into a pleasure food. Years ago the typical bagel weighed two ounces and the USDA rated it as two servings from the grain group. So we took to the chewy, low-fat doughnut-shaped bread . . . and today most bagels weigh five ounces. No problem, as long as you bear in mind that a bagel probably means 2 1/2 times as many calories as it once did.