Finding right Valentines Day message not as ‘heart’ as it seems
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "UR hotter than a Jokic triple-double."
This image created with Generative AI
Finding the right words on Valentine’s Day has always been a challenge.
In early Victorian days, there were sassy and insulting “Vinegar Valentines,” which were often downright cruel. They usually arrived in the form of postcards and were meant to lampoon Valentine’s Day.
“They were sent anonymously, so the receiver had to guess who hated him or her; as if this weren’t bruising enough, the recipient paid the postage on delivery,” wrote Natalie Zarrelli in a 2017 Atlas Obscura article.
In the 1980s, lovelorn teenagers would assemble a playlist recorded from vinyl records to a cassette tape. The idea was to let the words of the song speak on one’s behalf.
Also, a lot of work.
But for many, those chalky, overly sweet candy conversation hearts have been almost synonymous with Valentine’s Day for almost 160 years.
The small heart-shaped sugar candies were first made by the New England Confectionery Company, also known as Necco.
The version with the quirky imprinted messages came along in 1847 when Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented a machine for producing medical lozenges. His brother, Daniel Chase, created a way to add text to the hearts by using a press and red ink, according to an article by McGill University student Cat Wang.
The Denver Gazette asked the generative AI platform ChatGPT, and some real-life Denverites, to suggest some messages of love suitable for life in the Mile High City.
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message from Denver City Councilwoman Shontel M. Lewis: "Denver, I love loving U."
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message from Denver City Councilwoman Shontel M. Lewis: “Denver, I love loving U.”
“Denver, I love loving you,” wrote District 8 Councilmember Shontel M. Lewis.
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message from the Denver Police Department.
This Image Created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message from the Denver Police Department.
The Denver Police Department asks Denverites to “Police be mine” and “Don’t break laws — or hearts.”
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message from the Denver Fire Department.
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message from the Denver Fire Department.
The Denver Fire Department simply says “Denver Fire Luvs Denver.”
Even Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston played along. His message to the city is “My love for Denver is no Jokic.”
Generative AI took a couple of deep digs, but surprisingly, some hit very close to home, comparing love to free parking, famous basketball players, and rezoning.
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "U + ME + NO RTD DELAYS."
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message of “U + ME + NO RTD DELAYS.”
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "Be mine. No snowplow fine."
This image created using Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message of “Be mine. No snowplow fine.”
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "U had me @ free parking."
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message of “U had me @ free parking.”
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "We go together like I-25 and traffic."
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message of “We go together like I-25 and traffic.”
A candy heart with a Valentine's Day message of "I'd rezone for U."
This image created with Generative AI
A candy heart with a Valentine’s Day message of “I’d rezone for U.”
But regardless of how Denverites choose to deliver their messages of love, it doesn’t have to be “heart” to find the right words.
Editor’s note: The artwork for this story was generated using artificial intelligence. The reporter asked AI to generate several candy heart messages that would resonate with Denverites.