AJ, you have to be one of my favourite folks on here, every post gives you something to think about, or a good laugh, or both.
But, I thought that I might as well throw in my 2c......
Because I don't spread myself out across many forums, sites, social media, etc, my main source for the kind of info that's being discussed here (Primo, alternate record holders, good guys vs bad guys, secret strains, etc etc etc) is threads like this, so I'm not the most informed bloke.
But there is one thing that really sticks out to me with this whole Pepper X business, and that's the strategies being employed by Mr Smokin' Ed.
He sure as hell is marketing the sh!t outta this, and it all seems very planned. My best guess is that he has obviously signed some contracts with the Hot Ones people, and they get to be the Neil Armstrongs of Planet Pepper X. He has timed it all very well; he applies to Guinness a few months ago, then when its in the pipeline he gradually and suspensefully unveils the new breed, through the Hot Ones videos and that convention thingo. This really drums up the hype and attention, and then he adds in his own official "press" release to keep it all interesting. All the media swarms on it, (with DeJaVu of Dragons breath), social media is buzzing, and we're set to hear the official Guinness results in November (From the horses mouth). What would be amazingly funny to me is if it wasn't actually a record breaker. But I'd say that it most probably is, and Ed knows it, otherwise he wouldn't have gone to this much trouble. The topic will keep buzzing until Guinnesses announcement, and then its time for Ed's wallet to swell, as he sells sauce, seeds, plants, merch, and whatever else he can think of that I can't. He is gonna make some fat stacks out of this for sure, and probably already has started to do so.
But, that's his job, and that's what his business is - selling hot stuff. If its the hottest stuff in the world, it'll sell more. Reaper is now old news, and I'd imagine that sales, although till relatively high, have dropped a lot over the past few years (pure speculation on my part), and this new strain will send business up into the rafters once again. This current campaign is already looking more intense than the Reaper's, and I'm sure that the profits will mirror in relative intensity. But, like I said, and few others have mentioned, that's Ed's game, and way of putting bread on the table.
And some more 2c....
In line with what has been said about the "rich guy vs cool guy" I'd love to see a Charlie Bucket grower somehow smash the current (or new) record with some backyard project. The chances of it happening are slim, and the chances of the world hearing about it are even slimmer.
But, regardless, here's to the Unicorn Toe!
That's me done for now.......