1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to stuff Mom Never told you. From how Stuff 2 00:00:06,200 --> 00:00:13,800 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,520 Speaker 1: Kristen and I'm Caroline. Caroline, I don't know about you, 4 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:21,079 Speaker 1: but I have a pretty long history with bobby pins 5 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 1: because I started taking ballet when I was in first grade, 6 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: and of course I gotta have that hair up in 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:34,960 Speaker 1: the bun. And even today I wouldn't. I would go 8 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: through some phases where I wouldn't use bobby pins, but 9 00:00:39,400 --> 00:00:44,360 Speaker 1: now I'm like, bobby pin crazy. They're everywhere in my apartment, 10 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 1: They're in the bottoms of all of my bags. There 11 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: are actually it's a minimal bobby pin day for me 12 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: right now, they're only three in my hair, but they're 13 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:56,120 Speaker 1: probably like, there's probably a trail of them. I leave 14 00:00:56,120 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: a trail. There's one outside my apartment door right now, 15 00:00:59,160 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I don't know if that's really mine, 16 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: but I assume it is because it's right next to 17 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: my welcome Matt. I don't want to pick it up, though, well, 18 00:01:05,480 --> 00:01:07,560 Speaker 1: because it doesn't matter, because you can just go to 19 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: the drug store and buy another pack of three thousands, 20 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: rapidly lose all of them. Yeah, I'm always I'm always 21 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: mystified by by the strange places that I will I 22 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: will find them. I left one even the like a 23 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 1: week ago on our producer Jerry's Hey, Jerry, Jerry's desk, 24 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:30,679 Speaker 1: just it was just there. Did it disappear? Uh No, 25 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: she gave it back to me and I probably put 26 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:34,679 Speaker 1: it in my hair, the one and only bobby pin 27 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: that has ever been recovered in the history of humanity. 28 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: But not only do we both have extensive personal histories 29 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: with bobby pins. Come to find out, folks, Yes, we 30 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 1: are doing an entire podcast on bobby pins because the 31 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:54,080 Speaker 1: history of these pins goes way back and there's actually 32 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: some pretty cool stuff in there. Tell me about ancient hairpins, Caroline, 33 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 1: I will wow our listeners. I actually majored in ancient 34 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: bobby pins. Yeah, so early hairpins. Let's let's go. Let's 35 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:13,799 Speaker 1: go really early. They have been found during archaeological digs 36 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: in parts of Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. 37 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: And of course we are not talking about the metal 38 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:24,720 Speaker 1: goody pins. We are talking about pieces made from wood, bone, thorns, 39 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 1: or stone. And the whole stone thing gives me pause 40 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: because I'm like, how do you how do you do 41 00:02:30,680 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: you have to like really finely chisel that like they 42 00:02:33,880 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: get a stone pin anyway, I tell you, a stone 43 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 1: hairpin that could double is a nice weapon of choice 44 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: right in the old eyeball. A lot of times they 45 00:02:42,520 --> 00:02:45,960 Speaker 1: were also crafted from metal, and as early as two 46 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: thousand b C. The Greeks were making decorative gold hairpins. Um. 47 00:02:51,400 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: They have also been Roman hairpins found from the third 48 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 1: and fourth centuries made from bronze. Um also some gold 49 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 1: and silver hairpins found in a fourth century tombs in 50 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:07,280 Speaker 1: southern Russia. And when Archaeology magazine was reporting on these tombs, 51 00:03:07,360 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: they pointed out that one of the woman's remains had 52 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: a large bronze or silver hairpin that was found in 53 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: her left eye socket, and so the archaeologist said that 54 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: it could mean that she was either sacrificed by the eye. 55 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: I don't know, an eye sacrifice what a way to go? Oh? 56 00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: Or yeah, oh wait I'm thinking of it. Yeah, that's 57 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: how that happens all the way back through the brain. 58 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: Or it could have just fallen into her eye as 59 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: her body decayed. Either way, which explanation do you like better? Um, 60 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: I'm gonna say sacrifice because that's just kind of hardcore 61 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: that's pretty pretty gory. It's a pretty intense historical story. Um. 62 00:03:45,720 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: And not only were these hairpins used to just hold 63 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: in a hairstyle, there are also hairpieces. There would be 64 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: headdresses in later times, there would also be hats that 65 00:03:55,600 --> 00:03:59,560 Speaker 1: you would hold in place. Um. And they were really 66 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: big in Asia. Yeah. Actually, the two pronged hairpin may 67 00:04:03,480 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: have emerged in Asia. Um. Some Chinese hairpins with two 68 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:12,080 Speaker 1: pins date back to three hundred the youth three hundred. Uh. 69 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: They were made from bone, horn, wood, and metal. And 70 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:18,279 Speaker 1: it turns out that nowadays China and Korea are the 71 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 1: top producers of commercial hairpins. So keeping it keeping it 72 00:04:21,520 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: in Asia. Yeah, they knew what they were doing. Um. 73 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: And I also found it interesting the differences the stylistic 74 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:32,200 Speaker 1: differences among different Asian countries. For instance, ancient Chinese hairpins 75 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: were often produce fancy. They would have flowers, dragons and 76 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: gemstones inlaid. Japanese hairpins tended to be very simple. Uh. 77 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 1: Korean hairpins tended to be thicker, and there would be 78 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: wooden ones inlaid with ivory, silver and mother of pearl. 79 00:04:49,240 --> 00:04:54,840 Speaker 1: Asia knew how to do the hairpins right. But again 80 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: though considering the number of hairpins that I lose. What 81 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: I know, Well, that's like that's like me buying right bands, 82 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:03,720 Speaker 1: Like it's only going to end in tragedy because I'm 83 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: just gonna lose them or sit on them or something. 84 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: So me owning like bone hairpins, I'm just gonna sit 85 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: on and break it and hurt your bottom. Um. These 86 00:05:14,120 --> 00:05:18,440 Speaker 1: were also important, not just to to fix people's hair, 87 00:05:18,960 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: but they were very symbolic in Chinese culture. For instance, 88 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:25,919 Speaker 1: there was a write of passage for girls at fifteen 89 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: called the Hairpin Initiation that signified that they had become 90 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:33,800 Speaker 1: women and they could finally start using these hairpins, and 91 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: that they were old enough to enter into marriage. And 92 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: this was the female counterpart, according to Hairpin Museum dot 93 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: org to a hat ceremony that eight year old Chinese 94 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: boys would have. Yeah, they have significance in marriage death 95 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:54,680 Speaker 1: of the whole nine yards. So during the engagement, the 96 00:05:54,720 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: woman typically gives her fiance the hairpin as a pledge 97 00:05:58,320 --> 00:05:59,920 Speaker 1: instead of the more you know, like what we think 98 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: of as the man giving the woman the ring. And 99 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:04,880 Speaker 1: then after the wedding, the groom puts the pin back 100 00:06:04,920 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: in his new wife's hair as a symbol of I 101 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,640 Speaker 1: don't know, your hair needs to be fixed. Um. If 102 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:14,560 Speaker 1: they were apart, often the two pin hairpin would be 103 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: split in half, and so when they were reunited they 104 00:06:16,800 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: would just be like, oh, you are my long lost husband. 105 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,000 Speaker 1: Look our pins fit back together like those those uh 106 00:06:22,040 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 1: those old school locket the hard locket friendship necklaces. I 107 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: always wanted one of those. No one ever gave me. Well, 108 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:33,480 Speaker 1: I get fund of my friend Jessica. I think we 109 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,599 Speaker 1: were like once, I don't know whatever. Well, but it 110 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: was fun. Um. But uh, it makes sense though that 111 00:06:41,839 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: there is all of the significance with the hairpins for 112 00:06:45,240 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: Chinese marriages, um and and death, because in fact, the 113 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,239 Speaker 1: Chinese word for a married couple means the relationship between 114 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: the husband and wife is just like they tie their 115 00:06:56,360 --> 00:07:00,760 Speaker 1: hair together. They are interwoven like that. They is very important, 116 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: like a braid. I think it's kind of sweet and yeah. 117 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: And and at funerals, mourners are not allowed to wear pins, 118 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: so no fanciness. Yeah. And in addition to um signifying 119 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: say a girl's maturity or someone's relationship, these hairpins would 120 00:07:19,120 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: also signify your wealth. Wealthy folks would wear hairpins made 121 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: of gold, silver, and jade, whereas poorer ones you and I, Caroline, 122 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:31,320 Speaker 1: we probably wear don't be wearing wooden or bone hairpins, 123 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 1: old bone hairpins, or or we might just have one 124 00:07:35,680 --> 00:07:38,760 Speaker 1: silver hairpin that we would keep for our entire life. 125 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 1: Can you imagine? Can you imagine? I mean, think of 126 00:07:41,600 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: how many how many bobby pins we've lost collectively together, 127 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: just the two of us, well a million. If we 128 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,520 Speaker 1: only had access to one, you know, we'd probably we'd 129 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: probably cherish it more and and just wear very simple hairstyles. Yes, 130 00:07:55,680 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: but let's cross let's cross over from the east to 131 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:03,320 Speaker 1: the west. Yeah. Starting in the mid nineteenth century, they 132 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: were mass produced in the US, these these metal pins 133 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: were and there was this great description in a thesis 134 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 1: we read the bobby Pin revealed by Emmy Miller. This 135 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: is from two thousand and six. There's this little segment 136 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: of a description in eighteen fifty four too, British industrialists 137 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,240 Speaker 1: about how uh, these bobby pins are produced and the 138 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: languages is great, and they describe how it's done, and 139 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,880 Speaker 1: they're they're like, oh and then it is quite finished 140 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: like how they describe it. But anyway, you know, the 141 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: wires cut, the ends are attached and they were making 142 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: one hundred and eighty per minute, which is I guess, 143 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:39,559 Speaker 1: I guess that's good for pinmaking. Oh yeah, how about this. 144 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,440 Speaker 1: By eighteen sixty three, this is also coming from that 145 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:47,600 Speaker 1: that thesis, the British manufacturing of hairpins was estimated at 146 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 1: twenty million per day. We were going gag off or 147 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,719 Speaker 1: hairpins even in the nineteenth century, and apparently there were 148 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: parliamentary restrictions that were placed on the sale of pins. 149 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: There would only be certain days when they would allow 150 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,240 Speaker 1: these hairpins to be sold, I guess, to conserve metal. 151 00:09:06,679 --> 00:09:10,080 Speaker 1: And it's the source of the phrase pin money, in 152 00:09:10,080 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 1: which women would save up their cash to buy pins 153 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,120 Speaker 1: when they would become available, and pin money became like 154 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,600 Speaker 1: a catch all for you know, a little allowance that 155 00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: wives would be given by their generous husbands to go 156 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: buy a little sweet some of themselves exactly. So around 157 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 1: about the nineteen pins bobby pins, that phrase entered the 158 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:33,320 Speaker 1: lexicon as bob haircuts started to become more popular and 159 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 1: actually in England they were called grips, So there you 160 00:09:36,440 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: go that they did not pick up the bobby pin 161 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 1: name right away. And we've been talking about hairpins, which 162 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,640 Speaker 1: are typically those U shape too prong pin. But now 163 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 1: we get to the actual invention of the bobby pin. 164 00:09:51,600 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: Those the ones that we use. They've got the wavy 165 00:09:53,640 --> 00:09:58,640 Speaker 1: side and the straight side. Um and Louis Marcus, a 166 00:09:58,720 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: San Francisco Cause Medics manufacturer, is credited with inventing the 167 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: bobby pin to hold flappers hair back in the nineteen twenties, 168 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: and according to his obituary in l A Times, they 169 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: originally sold two for thirty five cents, which probably kind 170 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: of pricey at the time. Um and his family and 171 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,400 Speaker 1: friends encouraged him to call it the Marcus pen because 172 00:10:22,400 --> 00:10:25,200 Speaker 1: he's Lewis Marcus, but he was like, Nope, it makes 173 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:28,120 Speaker 1: more sense to name it for Bob's hair styles. So 174 00:10:28,160 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: we've got bobby pins. Yeah, they were pretty Yeah, this 175 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 1: is I mean, people were going crazy for the Bob 176 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,760 Speaker 1: haircuts at this time. So these bobby pins were pretty 177 00:10:36,800 --> 00:10:38,400 Speaker 1: all over the place, I'm sure, and I'm sure they 178 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,079 Speaker 1: were on the floors all over salons and stuff back 179 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: then too. People are just losing them. Yeah, because this 180 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 1: is from five during some weeks, because Bob hair styles 181 00:10:48,400 --> 00:10:52,760 Speaker 1: were so so popular salons in large US cities, we're 182 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,200 Speaker 1: giving out more than a thousand bob haircuts per day, 183 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: trying to think of some of our flappers slang right, 184 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: bob haircuts for the bee's knees kids, I love it. 185 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: Um Okay. So going forward to World War Two, they 186 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:12,240 Speaker 1: were considered these bobby pins were considered war victims because 187 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: they needed the metal for other, you know, more important, 188 00:11:15,240 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: less hairstyle related things like planes. Yeah, you know, you know, 189 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: like planes, guns. But yeah, substitutes were found for bobby 190 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,600 Speaker 1: pins with the idea that they will find better use 191 00:11:25,800 --> 00:11:29,320 Speaker 1: in a bomber. Yeah, there are these reports too, like, 192 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:32,839 Speaker 1: for instance, uh, in ninety three, the New York Times 193 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: feverishly reported that a rumored ban on bobby pin production 194 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: was false, but it was still hard for manufacturers to 195 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:40,760 Speaker 1: get their hands on enough steel wire. But then in 196 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:45,200 Speaker 1: New York Times reports that manufacturers aren't able to purchase 197 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: the steel wire necessary for production and that those bobby 198 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:51,920 Speaker 1: pin machines have been appropriated by the government to man 199 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: manufacture aircraft cotter pins. So there was a pin short. 200 00:11:56,880 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: Not only ladies didn't have access to their to their 201 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 1: silk stockings, no bobby pins. How did we keep it 202 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:08,000 Speaker 1: together on civilized world? Yeah, and on top of all this, 203 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: bobby pins, the popularity of them gave rise to a 204 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:17,680 Speaker 1: condition reported on in Life magazine in October ninety seven. 205 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,440 Speaker 1: And I also saw some other like a medical journal 206 00:12:20,480 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: reporting lists yeah about something called bobby pin teeth. Please 207 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:31,920 Speaker 1: inform us of what it's tragic. Okay. So the headline 208 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:35,680 Speaker 1: on this Life magazine story in seven about bobby pinteeth 209 00:12:36,080 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: dentists discover the high cost of a coiffure. Oh gosh, 210 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 1: So bobby pinteeth is basically you get notches in your 211 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: upper front teeth where you would hold the bobby pin 212 00:12:47,800 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: while you're styling your hair. And these dentists are finding 213 00:12:51,640 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 1: them in many of their quote unquote feminine patients. Yes, 214 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,319 Speaker 1: the feminine patients, not the masculine patients. But yes. The 215 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 1: dentist Walter cogswell Out in Colorado looked at a bobby 216 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:04,480 Speaker 1: pin under a microscope because by God, he was determined 217 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:06,920 Speaker 1: to get to the bottom of this. I saw that 218 00:13:06,960 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: they had saw tooth edges capable of scratching tooth enamel, 219 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: and proceeded to do a study of women in Colorado, 220 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:18,360 Speaker 1: finding that in Colorado in particular, bobby pins caused the 221 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:21,240 Speaker 1: notches in the teeth sixty of the time. Yeah, because 222 00:13:21,240 --> 00:13:23,200 Speaker 1: they would They would put them in their teeth and 223 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,079 Speaker 1: hold them with their teeth open, open the bobby pins up. 224 00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:29,560 Speaker 1: I always just slipped my thungb in the middle, which 225 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: is why my teeth I don't have bobby pin teeth obviously, 226 00:13:33,040 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: thank god. I was researching this episode on bobby pins 227 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:41,559 Speaker 1: while I was at home visiting my parents actually, and 228 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: I asked my mom um if she had heard of 229 00:13:44,760 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: bobby pin teeth. To what she said, Oh, honey, I'm 230 00:13:47,559 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: not that old, but she knew what it was. No, 231 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 1: she didn't know, but I was like, yeah, this is 232 00:13:54,040 --> 00:13:59,200 Speaker 1: from she was um, And I was like, I know, mom, 233 00:13:59,240 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 1: but maybe one of your really old friends new or something. 234 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: One point, but to solve this problem, the dentist Walter 235 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: Coggs will develop the bobo pin, which was a plastic device. Essentially, 236 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:14,840 Speaker 1: it was it looks kind of like a mouthguard with 237 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: a hook on the end of it, so you can 238 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,840 Speaker 1: you put it in your mouth safely, and then there's 239 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: you can open the bobby pin on the on the 240 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: hook and save her teeth. They should have just suggested 241 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: the people open it with their thumbs I just feel 242 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: like I feel like it's a free solution. I mean, 243 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: dentist Coggs will we wanted to try to make a book, 244 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:36,280 Speaker 1: all right. I don't blame them, can't blame him. Yeah, 245 00:14:36,360 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: Nona's hairstyles change. You know, we go into the nineteen fifties, 246 00:14:39,080 --> 00:14:41,560 Speaker 1: but the bobby stocks here's and they're cute little ponytails. 247 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: So you know, more women were using hairpins to anchor 248 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: their pin curls or secure their hair rollers, or you know, 249 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: just holding back shorter strands when they wore those cute 250 00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: little ponytails. And there was a pretty booming industry that 251 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: developed around bobby pins. Stay Right was the first core 252 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,720 Speaker 1: operation producing bobby pins in nineteen seventeen in the US, 253 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: and their first product was a patented hairpin made of celluloid, 254 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:12,680 Speaker 1: and then they developed a method for manufacturing hairpins from 255 00:15:13,080 --> 00:15:17,080 Speaker 1: wire right. And just like we mentioned earlier, during World 256 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 1: War Two, stay Right actually shifted their production to supply 257 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,960 Speaker 1: metal for the Defense Department, so they were giving them 258 00:15:24,000 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 1: metal safety clips and arming wire for bombs. So even 259 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: companies had to shift gears. But these days, the all 260 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: of those bobby pins that we are using and losing 261 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: are probably coming from last we mentioned earlier China and Korea, 262 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,360 Speaker 1: which are two of the main hubs for it UM. 263 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: But there is more then meets the I when it 264 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: comes to bobby pins, at least according to this pretty 265 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: intense thesis that we mentioned earlier from n y U 266 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: student what was her name Miller m m E M 267 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: E Miller um because she talks about how like the 268 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: corruxt of the thesis was examining the bobby pin in 269 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:08,400 Speaker 1: terms of how you know it's it's so useful, and 270 00:16:08,480 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: yet the point of it is too to be hidden 271 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,600 Speaker 1: from view. It holds our hair in these fancy ways, 272 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:20,960 Speaker 1: so that we present a refined public persona, but the 273 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: secret of our beauty such bobby pins are not revealed. 274 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: Does that about sum it up? I think that sums 275 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 1: it up. I God bless you, Kristen. I could barely 276 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: make it through that study. It was. There was a lot, 277 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,920 Speaker 1: there was a lot of import placed on the humble 278 00:16:38,520 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: bobby pin. But I do think that the ubiquity of 279 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: them and how long that we've been using them. We 280 00:16:44,160 --> 00:16:47,600 Speaker 1: long long time ago did a couple episodes UM on 281 00:16:47,640 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 1: the podcast about women and hair UM. But I think 282 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: the fact that they're kind of everywhere is yet another 283 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: lesson in um how much value we place on how 284 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: we look specifically like how our hair is looked looks, 285 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: and how precisely we try to to craft it, to 286 00:17:06,600 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: mold it into um, into these different shapes. Yeah, and 287 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: Miller does point out that the changes in hairpins kind 288 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:17,239 Speaker 1: of correspond to what's going on in society. So, you know, 289 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,880 Speaker 1: like we talked about, they start out as ornamental with 290 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: jade and mother of pearl and all that stuff. But 291 00:17:22,760 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: she says this tendency towards aesthetic craftsmanship changes as modernity 292 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:31,119 Speaker 1: and industrialization are on the rise. Yeah. She says indivisibility 293 00:17:31,200 --> 00:17:33,679 Speaker 1: allows for the potential of transforming the average head of 294 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: hair into something beautiful. Ah, this is the tradition of 295 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 1: the bobby pin. But another tradition of the bobby pin 296 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: is uh that we lose all of them. Yeah, they 297 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: I don't know where they go. I don't know. But 298 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: one of the inspirations for this episode on bobby pins 299 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: came from a blog post over at the Frisky by 300 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:02,119 Speaker 1: Winona DeMeo, editor, and she had five theories for what 301 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: happens to bobby pins, including just like an alternate universe 302 00:18:05,960 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: where they go. Um, and they're the dominant species. Probably 303 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: they're at the bottom of her purse. And there's because 304 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:15,480 Speaker 1: you know every time I checked at the bottom of 305 00:18:15,520 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 1: a bag of mine, like they're at least like a couple. 306 00:18:18,080 --> 00:18:21,560 Speaker 1: But then that's still leaves so many unaccounted for. She 307 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 1: she posits that they could self destruct, they just dissolve 308 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: after one use, that they are stolen by gnomes maybe 309 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:31,000 Speaker 1: who come in in the night, or that they're just 310 00:18:31,040 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: lost in her in her thick hair, they're still in there. Yeah, 311 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: that does happen to me. That's pretty regularly. Where I 312 00:18:36,200 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: take my hair down, I think it's down, I start 313 00:18:37,840 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: brushing it, and then more start flying out. Um. And 314 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,439 Speaker 1: there are other uses to other aside from lock picking. 315 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: I think that's the classic alternate use of a bobby 316 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 1: pin is to pick a lock, which I've never successfully done. 317 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,520 Speaker 1: I haven't either. I've tried. I have totally tried before, 318 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 1: I haven't been able to do it. It's easier with 319 00:18:54,280 --> 00:18:58,640 Speaker 1: a credit card, that's right, that's right. Stuff Mom never 320 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: told you. Um, yeah, this. There was a April nineteen 321 00:19:02,160 --> 00:19:05,280 Speaker 1: sixty story in The New York Times about how countless 322 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: or maybe like seventeen lives were saved when a pilot 323 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,320 Speaker 1: used a flight attendants bobby pin to short circuit the 324 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: electrical system of the nosewheel when he discovered it was jammed. 325 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: And I probably should have asked my pilot father what 326 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 1: those words mean together, because I don't know. But he 327 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: saved lives. Everybody was saved, Thank you, flight attendant. Uh. 328 00:19:27,040 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: And then there was a nineteen sixty one article describing 329 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:31,640 Speaker 1: how bobby pin can be used to construct and we're 330 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 1: if listeners out there know what this, I don't know. 331 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: I don't know how to do this. But a bobby 332 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:39,040 Speaker 1: pin can be used to construct a sensitive mechanical timer 333 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:43,480 Speaker 1: for determining exactly when an animal was trapped in a cage. Well, 334 00:19:43,520 --> 00:19:47,000 Speaker 1: I'm going to use that this weekend, yere um. They 335 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: can also be used to aid viewing specimens on slides. Uh. 336 00:19:51,560 --> 00:19:56,760 Speaker 1: Countless other things, yeah, I'm sure. Um, securing your shirt 337 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,480 Speaker 1: when your button falls off, Oh yeah, I've done that. Yeah, 338 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: they're great substitutes for paper clips. Oh man, where would 339 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: we be without bobby pins. Um. There's also a sweet 340 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:09,800 Speaker 1: nostalgic look at bobby pins h in the Houston Chronicle. 341 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: This was written by Priscilla Marie Hubanac, and she talks 342 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: about how her mother always bought the same type of 343 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,440 Speaker 1: bobby pins. Um, always from the same pharmacy until it closed. 344 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,720 Speaker 1: And she writes, um, a new card of bobby pins 345 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: would have a whole lot of them lined up like 346 00:20:24,320 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: soldiers waiting for action. They were shiny black metal, the 347 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:29,040 Speaker 1: universal style, with a slim straight back and the way 348 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:31,320 Speaker 1: the extension metal at the top. Each of the metal 349 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,359 Speaker 1: had an elongated rubber tip in a black that was 350 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: a shade brighter than that of the metal. The rubber 351 00:20:35,440 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: tips would eventually fall from use, and these defrocked soldiers 352 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,120 Speaker 1: became candidates for other uses. And she just writes about 353 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:46,919 Speaker 1: how like her mom just used them everywhere and unlike us, 354 00:20:46,960 --> 00:20:49,200 Speaker 1: were we losing the like now whatever, No, her mom 355 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: would keep track of them and hold onto them, and 356 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,640 Speaker 1: and now whenever she sees the bobby pins, she thinks 357 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,360 Speaker 1: of her mom. Yeah, I think it's really sweet. One 358 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:01,200 Speaker 1: thing that we didn't mention was the fact that I 359 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: don't know about you, but I've been putting them in 360 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:04,680 Speaker 1: wrong in my entire life. Oh yeah, that's a good 361 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,679 Speaker 1: point because speaking of Yeah, she talks about that that 362 00:21:06,760 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: wavy the smooth side and the wavy side. How are 363 00:21:09,840 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: we supposed to put bobby pins in? Well, this blew 364 00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 1: my mind, but apparently you're supposed to put the wavy 365 00:21:15,640 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: side down against your skin and it locks the hair 366 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,879 Speaker 1: in place better. And so ever since we've been reading 367 00:21:21,880 --> 00:21:23,800 Speaker 1: this bobby pins stuff, I've been doing that and I 368 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:26,600 Speaker 1: realized it does like stick in there better and it's 369 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:29,119 Speaker 1: not sliding around. Does it feel different when you're putting 370 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:30,679 Speaker 1: them in? Is it like you're trying to put them 371 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:32,439 Speaker 1: in with it? Well, it's kind of always harder to 372 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: push it through, Like I always pinned my bangs back 373 00:21:34,720 --> 00:21:37,680 Speaker 1: because they're obnoxious. Um, So it was actually a little 374 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: bit harder to push it through. But it's not moving. 375 00:21:40,040 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: So well, whatever you do, just don't open that bobby 376 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: pin with your teeth. We'll get bobby pin ty. I 377 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 1: don't need another thing for my dentist to yell at 378 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:48,840 Speaker 1: me about he's going to give you a bob open 379 00:21:49,600 --> 00:21:54,600 Speaker 1: you're uh. So, that's all we've got on bobby pins. 380 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 1: And I hope that you were impressed that we even 381 00:21:57,040 --> 00:22:00,280 Speaker 1: had that much bobby pins. I first suggest to this 382 00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: to Caroline was like Hey, we should let's do something 383 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:04,800 Speaker 1: on bobby pins. And I could hear you through your 384 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: email your eyebrow raising, like what bobbins? Well, it was 385 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: really because Kristen sent me that thesis and I was like, 386 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm too tired to read this. Her wording is very 387 00:22:14,000 --> 00:22:19,040 Speaker 1: um thick to wade through. There you go, that that thesis. 388 00:22:20,119 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: I hope that that thesis writer is not listening right now, Emmy. 389 00:22:23,080 --> 00:22:25,520 Speaker 1: If you are, I hope you got an a because 390 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 1: it was thorough. So write us about your bobby pins. 391 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:33,760 Speaker 1: Anyone else who has theories of where bobby pins go? Guys, 392 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:35,760 Speaker 1: I would like to know this too, because you know, 393 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:41,239 Speaker 1: men in my life have commented as well on the 394 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,919 Speaker 1: trail of bobby pins that I sometimes leave behind. So 395 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: curious to know everyone's thoughts on that. Mom. Stuff at 396 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: Discovery dot com is where you can send your letters, 397 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: and I'll read a couple right after this quick word 398 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 1: from the sponsor that brought us this episode of Stuff 399 00:22:58,320 --> 00:23:01,520 Speaker 1: I've Never Told You, and that is audible dot com, 400 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:05,560 Speaker 1: which is offering a free download of one of its 401 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of titles for Stuff Mom Never Told 402 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:12,439 Speaker 1: You listeners, All you have to do is go to 403 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:17,919 Speaker 1: audible podcast dot com slash stuff Mom and choose a 404 00:23:18,000 --> 00:23:21,520 Speaker 1: title download it for free, one title that we think 405 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: you might enjoy. For a little bit of a literary flair. 406 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:28,359 Speaker 1: And since we're talking about bobbed hair, flappers and such, 407 00:23:28,960 --> 00:23:31,920 Speaker 1: you can go to audible podcast dot com slash stuff 408 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,920 Speaker 1: Mom and download Flappers and Philosophers by f Scott Fitzgerald, 409 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 1: one of the premier ritas of the Flapper era, him 410 00:23:41,080 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: and his wife Stylla Fitzgerald. Oho, I love I'm sure 411 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 1: she had all sorts of body pass Yeah. Oh yeah, 412 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: So you need to head on over audible podcast dot 413 00:23:51,000 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 1: com slash stuff Mom, try it out, get your free 414 00:23:55,600 --> 00:24:04,360 Speaker 1: audio download and enjoy. So now back to our letters. Yeah, 415 00:24:04,400 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: here's one from Amelia. This is funny. I like her 416 00:24:07,359 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: subject line it's asymmetrical nineties boobs, so that gives you 417 00:24:11,040 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: an idea of what she's talking about here. Uh. She 418 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:16,920 Speaker 1: said that I quite enjoyed your podcast on asymmetrical breast 419 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,159 Speaker 1: and what made me laugh the most was that in 420 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: the nineties when that men Prefer Symmetrical Boobs study came out, 421 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: I got my right nipple piers because I thought that 422 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,960 Speaker 1: my right breast was too small, and I wanted to 423 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 1: make them look more even I'm not sure why I 424 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,800 Speaker 1: thought that decorating one breast was going to help, but 425 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 1: I had it for a number of years before I 426 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 1: took it out. My right breast is still slightly smaller, 427 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:42,080 Speaker 1: but now I don't really care, so thank you, Amelia. 428 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: I've got an email here from Andrew and this is 429 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:50,240 Speaker 1: in response to our episode on sleepovers and here ies. 430 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:54,160 Speaker 1: Although completely out today, I have never had the heart 431 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,359 Speaker 1: to tell my dad that my sixteen year old self 432 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,720 Speaker 1: had his first romance under my dad's roof with a 433 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: and from swim class who spent the night regularly at 434 00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: the time. The thought just never would have occurred to him, 435 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: and I know he would have been horrified knowing that 436 00:25:07,560 --> 00:25:10,119 Speaker 1: all of his careful planning and parenting in that area 437 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: was for not My parents have now refined their opposition 438 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: to coed sleepovers in favor of a policy that takes 439 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,800 Speaker 1: into account all factors of the situation. Two years ago, 440 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,880 Speaker 1: my brother and I spent the fourth of July holiday 441 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: my parents. I brought my boyfriend and my brother brought 442 00:25:24,560 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: us girlfriend. My dad, now wise to everybody's preferences and predilections, 443 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: announced that my brother and I would be sharing a room, 444 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,199 Speaker 1: and that my boyfriend and my brother's girlfriend would, in 445 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:38,800 Speaker 1: a hilarious twist, be co ed bunking in the guest room. 446 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: So thank you for that story, Andrew, and thanks to 447 00:25:41,440 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: everyone else who's written in Mom's Stuff at Discovery dot 448 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:46,119 Speaker 1: com is where you can send us your letters, and 449 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: you can head over to Facebook like us if you 450 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:49,920 Speaker 1: will leave us a comments, send us a message todair, 451 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: or tweet us at Mom's Stuff podcasts, and you can 452 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,760 Speaker 1: also follow us on Tumbler as stuff Mom Never told 453 00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 1: You dot tumbler dot com. And if all that is 454 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 1: not enough for you, you can get a little smarter 455 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:04,439 Speaker 1: by heading over to our website, it's how stuff works 456 00:26:04,480 --> 00:26:09,920 Speaker 1: dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, 457 00:26:10,080 --> 00:26:16,439 Speaker 1: visit how stuff works dot com.