Penn State professor advocates for gob emoji
PR professor at Penn State University, Bill Zimmerman, recently submitted his proposal for the gob emoji, which is currently waiting for approval. Courtesy photo
An independent artist, Asep Setiawan, created the gob emoji. Courtesy photo
PR professor at Penn State University, Bill Zimmerman, recently submitted his proposal for the gob emoji, which is currently waiting for approval. Courtesy photo
An independent artist, Asep Setiawan, created the gob emoji. Courtesy photo
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No matter what you call it, the gob -- or whoopie pie -- may soon be available as an emoji on Apple and Android devices if a Penn State professor gets his way.
Bill Zimmerman, assistant teaching professor at Penn State University's College of Communications, submitted on April 2 his emoji application to the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit that promotes the internationalization of software across all devices and accepts new emoji designs.
Zimmerman thought it would be a great lesson to teach students enrolled in the PR classes about the emoji proposal process.
He chose a gob emoji because they are fun and because they hold emotional significance for many people.
"I'm meeting new people," he said. "Talking about something that makes them smile is a blast."
He hired an independent artist, Asep Setiawan, to create the emoji and garnered community support by developing a website, writing a petition and posting on local social media threads to keep the effort relevant.
"Markets are experimenting with whether an emoji is the difference between someone opening an email or playing a video," he said, noting how Taco Bell campaigned for the taco emoji in 2014. It was officially added to the standard list by the Unicode Consortium in 2015.
Describing himself as a "gob enthusiast," Zimmerman also has strong ties to Johnstown and is familiar with the treat wrapped in plastic and available at local stores.
Connecting his love for gobs with his definition of the perfect case study, he quickly went to work and started on his pitch.
"I've been wanting to take on something like this, and the gob seemed like the right one," he said.
It took Zimmerman several months to develop the proposal, including the prototype of the gob emoji, factors for inclusion and google searches showing the number of results compared to an elephant.
Anyone can submit a proposal to the Unicode Consortium, but not all emoji proposals are selected. According to the group's website, they accept fewer emojis each year because the list has grown significantly over the years.
A list of rejected emojis are currently available online to alert people of an emoji's status. If rejected, that emoji's proposal can't be resubmitted for five years.
"It's probably a long shot," Zimmerman said. "It's niche and regional," but there is a possibility that the gob falls within international desserts, such as the macaron.
If the proposal fails, he plans to teach his students about the process anyway, dissecting what he did well and what went wrong. He will also encourage his students to submit their own emoji designs, which could look great on a resume.
Gob country
Gob country extends farther than central Pennsylvania. Northern states, such as Maine and Massachusetts, enjoy the tasty treat but call them whoopie pies instead.
Cambria County native Steven Gdula, who sold gobs on the San Francisco streets and wrote a gob cookbook, helped spread the love of gobs in the west.
He remembered when a notorious food snob in the Bay Area ate one of his peaches and cream gobs, closed his eyes and blushed.
"That, to me, is the quintessential gob experience," Gdula said. "People who have never heard of them and don't know what they're getting become immediately won over."
Zimmerman's emoji proposal is thrilling because people all around the world can punctuate their sentences with a gob image so authentic and culturally specific, Gdula said.
Gobs have authentic roots in central Pennsylvania because they're usually sold at bake sales or in a basket at a gas station, Zimmerman said.
Johnstown currently hosts two gob festivals a year, which he said is a huge testament to the community's excitement and enthusiasm.
Many people with ties to Johnstown love Yost's Dutch Maid Bakery's signature gobs made with yellow filling. While their retail store is closed, people can buy them from local stores or other stops. There's even an active public Facebook group dedicated to Yost's gobs.
Zimmerman also created an online petition for the gob emoji, which garnered more than 90 signatures in the past four weeks. The petition can be found at https://c.org/Jfw62ZJCtX.
While emoji petitions don't impact the Unicode Consortium's decision in approving an emoji, he said it's a good vehicle to get the word out.
If the emoji gets approved, Zimmerman hopes it will help people selling gobs professionally or baking gobs for their bake sale. A gob emoji could turn simple online conversations into a fun outreach.
Gob recipes are passed down through generations of families, he said, noting many people have a certain relative "who'll bring the gob cake for the potluck."
With his proposed gob emoji, he said he can also make a case for publicizing Johnstown's gob history, as other places try to stake their claim.
Gdula said an approved emoji can make Johnstown the official home of the gob.
"It's cool to think that one day when Professor Bill gets a gob emoji made, people will say, 'Johnstown, Pennsylvania? Isn't that where gobs are from?'" he said.
Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.