WEBVTT - 9 Halloween Facts to Stuff in your Pillowcases!

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<v Speaker 1>I guess what, Mango, what's up? Well? I know you

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<v Speaker 1>know I'm a big candy corn fan. I'm super excited

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<v Speaker 1>Halloween's coming up. But did you know that candy corn

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<v Speaker 1>used to be called chicken feet? According to Better Homes

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<v Speaker 1>and Gardens, the revolutionary tricolor candy was invented by a

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<v Speaker 1>company called Wonderly Candy Company. Isn't that a great name?

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<v Speaker 1>In Philadelphia? This was back in eight Do you know

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<v Speaker 1>what The original slogan was? Something worth crowing for? Which, actually,

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<v Speaker 1>as I'm saying that aloud, do chickens crow? I mean

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<v Speaker 1>they're both birds. I guess you're right, And it's the

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<v Speaker 1>perfect slogan for chicken feet. And it's just the first

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<v Speaker 1>of nine Halloween theme facts We've got for you today.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's dive in. Hey there, podcast listeners, Welcome to part

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<v Speaker 1>time Genius I Will Pearson and it's always I'm joined

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<v Speaker 1>by my good friend man guest Ticketer and on the

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<v Speaker 1>other side of the soundproof glass, dressed up in his

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<v Speaker 1>homemade costume. I think he's a dentist. Is that what

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<v Speaker 1>he means? I think is our friend and producer Tristan McNeil.

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<v Speaker 1>It's an impressive costume whatever it is, And back from vacation.

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<v Speaker 1>Joining us on the phone is our brilliant researcher Gabe Louisier. Hey,

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<v Speaker 1>they're Gabe. Hey, guys, back, thanks for having me on.

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<v Speaker 1>All right, well, let's talk some Halloween facts. I know

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<v Speaker 1>I usually let somebody else go first, but I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>done talking about candy corns. If you don't mind, I'm

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna kick this thing off. So did you know

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<v Speaker 1>what actually wasn't started as a Halloween candy? In fact,

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<v Speaker 1>as late as nineteen fifty seven, Bronx was advertising it

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<v Speaker 1>as this summertime candy. And I guess it makes sense

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<v Speaker 1>because corn is kind of a summertime food. But I

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<v Speaker 1>do have some really important statistics to share with you guys. So,

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<v Speaker 1>according to a study, forty three pc of people eat

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<v Speaker 1>it at the narrow end first, ten percent eat it

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<v Speaker 1>at the wider end first, and forty seven percent of

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<v Speaker 1>people just pop the whole colonel in their mouths. Who

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<v Speaker 1>doesn't just pop the whole kernel in their mouths? I

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<v Speaker 1>eat it from the narrow end. Do you really gave?

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<v Speaker 1>How do you eat it? I honestly just try to

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<v Speaker 1>avoid you it altogether, all right, well, now you at

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<v Speaker 1>least know the percentages. Okay. So so there's my first fact, Mango,

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<v Speaker 1>you want to go next. So this comes from our

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<v Speaker 1>friend Stacy Conrad, but she told me that trick or

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<v Speaker 1>treaters in Des Moines can't just say trick or treat

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<v Speaker 1>expect they get like candy shoved into their pillowcases. They

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<v Speaker 1>actually have to tell jokes for their treats. And apparently

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<v Speaker 1>the traditions started in the thirties when there was this

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<v Speaker 1>outbreak of Halloween vandalism. The director of recreation around there

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<v Speaker 1>decided to encourage more constructive Halloween activities. So here's actually

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<v Speaker 1>what you told residents. Quote, Eats should be given only

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<v Speaker 1>if such a trick as a song, a poem, a stunt,

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<v Speaker 1>or a musical number, either solo or in crew participation,

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<v Speaker 1>is presented. Eighty years later, the tradition still continues, and

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<v Speaker 1>while the poems, stunts, and musical numbers have kind of

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<v Speaker 1>gone out of style, kids still tell jokes for their candies.

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<v Speaker 1>So this has calm in all over De Moines, I guess. So,

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<v Speaker 1>oh wow, I've never heard that before. Me. That's a

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<v Speaker 1>that's a pretty good one, all right, Gabe. So you're

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<v Speaker 1>back from vacation, hopefully not too rusty. You've got a

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<v Speaker 1>fact for us? Oh yeah, absolutely, And this one actually

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<v Speaker 1>is in a you know, it's similar vain to uh,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, a public stand against Halloween nutlances. So silly

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<v Speaker 1>string is actually banned in Hollywood on Halloween night. And

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<v Speaker 1>this is according to a Los Angeles Municipal Code ordinance

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<v Speaker 1>the past in two thousand four. And anyone caught selling,

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<v Speaker 1>or using or even possessing a silly string between midnight

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<v Speaker 1>October one and new November one can you find to

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<v Speaker 1>a thousand dollars? And the reason for that isn't over

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<v Speaker 1>a hundred thousand people routinely flocked to Hollywood Boulevard on

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<v Speaker 1>Halloween night looking for something to do, and that something

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<v Speaker 1>often includes, you know, buying silly string from street vendors

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<v Speaker 1>and reaching havoc. Not only that, but you know, there

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<v Speaker 1>are also environmental concerns. Big clumps of silly string, as

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<v Speaker 1>well as the empty cans have a tendency to quaw

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<v Speaker 1>storm dream and eventually flowed out the sea LA's dreams

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<v Speaker 1>empty directly into the Pacific Ocean. Wow, this is a

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<v Speaker 1>big issue. I had never heard this either. Good job.

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<v Speaker 1>That was a good fact. All right, let me see

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<v Speaker 1>what I have next here. I've got a really important

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<v Speaker 1>fact about Halloween Eve. So I actually didn't realize how

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<v Speaker 1>many people around the world have a name for Halloween Eve.

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<v Speaker 1>There was a poll by the Cambridge Online Survey and

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<v Speaker 1>they were looking at if people had a name for it.

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<v Speaker 1>So people don't call Halloween Eve anything, but of people

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<v Speaker 1>have names for it. Was kind of fun to look

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<v Speaker 1>at the list. So there's some that we've heard of before.

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<v Speaker 1>There's Beggar's Night, Mischief Night, Devil's Night, Gate Night, trick Night.

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<v Speaker 1>But two that I have never heard before. In New

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<v Speaker 1>England many people call it cabbage Night. And uh, in

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<v Speaker 1>parts of New Jersey they call it goosey night. You

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<v Speaker 1>ever heard that Goosey Night? Now? Alright, MA have next.

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<v Speaker 1>So this is about Halloween Mass and in spirit Halloween,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a chain, started keeping track of their political

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<v Speaker 1>mass sales and they've picked up on this odd trend.

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<v Speaker 1>They realized that whichever candidates mass sold more, the candidate

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<v Speaker 1>would win the election. And since all six elections have

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<v Speaker 1>gone in the direction of the more popular mask and

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<v Speaker 1>Trump sold of the mass to Hillary. I'm actually kind

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<v Speaker 1>of surprised he didn't out sell her even more, you know.

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<v Speaker 1>But but anyway, that's a that's really interesting, all right, Gay,

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<v Speaker 1>what do you have next? Okay, so this is the

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<v Speaker 1>fact that I was really surprised to learn. Apparently there

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<v Speaker 1>are not one, but two cities in the United States

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<v Speaker 1>that both claimed to be the Halloween Capital of the world.

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<v Speaker 1>And the first is Salem, Massachusetts, and you know, that

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<v Speaker 1>makes sense. It's the home of the famous Salem which trial,

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<v Speaker 1>so it definitely has some creepy cred in its favor.

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<v Speaker 1>But the other is a Noca, Minnesota, and angely enough,

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<v Speaker 1>but Ana's claims to be the capital because it was

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<v Speaker 1>the first city in the US to throw a Halloween

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<v Speaker 1>celebration in order to start kids from you know, sowing

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<v Speaker 1>mischief around the town, like soaping up people's windows and

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<v Speaker 1>tipping over out houses. So in Unoka Commercial Clubs and

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<v Speaker 1>Unoca Kiwanis Club through a big celebration that included a parade,

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<v Speaker 1>a bonfire, foods, drinks, and you know, of course candy.

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<v Speaker 1>And then they expanded the events to include other things

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<v Speaker 1>like pillow fights, costume contests, and even a fireworks display.

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<v Speaker 1>Uh and and is actually still being held in a noca,

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<v Speaker 1>and it has been every year since, with the exception

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<v Speaker 1>of a priest finatist during World War Two, when citizens had,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, bigger thing story about the setting their houses

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<v Speaker 1>the Halloween capitals of the competing Halloween capitals of the US.

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<v Speaker 1>That's very interesting. I've never heard that. All Right, we've

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<v Speaker 1>each got one fact left, and I've I've saved what

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<v Speaker 1>I think maybe my best for last. Even though it's

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<v Speaker 1>not about Candy Corn, it's about Houdini, who appropriately died

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<v Speaker 1>on Halloween. I don't know if you guys knew this.

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<v Speaker 1>So he was rushed to the hospital a week before

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<v Speaker 1>October thirty first, but then he ended up dying on

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<v Speaker 1>October thirty one. Now, his death was the result of

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<v Speaker 1>a ruptured appendix, and doctors were able to remove the appendix,

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<v Speaker 1>but the damage had already been done. And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>there's some speculation that the rupture was due in part

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<v Speaker 1>to a man that was punching him in the stomach

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<v Speaker 1>repeatedly to see if he could live up to the

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<v Speaker 1>rumors that he could withstand hard punches to the abdomen. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>Houdini's wife would hold seances every year on October thirty

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<v Speaker 1>one to remember him. This happened for about ten years

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<v Speaker 1>after his death. Alright, Mango, one last fact from you.

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<v Speaker 1>So this isn't a Halloween fact per se, but it

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<v Speaker 1>is one about candy and and maybe also a cautionary tale.

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<v Speaker 1>So you know, in the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,

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<v Speaker 1>there's that character Violet Beuareguard who's always chewing gum. So

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<v Speaker 1>according to the UK paper, they expressed sugarlist gum didn't

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<v Speaker 1>produce the right bubbles, so she spent nine weeks on

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<v Speaker 1>set chewing regular gum, which resulted in thirteen cavities after filming. Alright,

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<v Speaker 1>you closed pretty strong with that when I think, so, Gabe,

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<v Speaker 1>do you want to bring it home? Yeah? And I

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<v Speaker 1>actually I do want to end on a creepy one.

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<v Speaker 1>This is one of the creepiest things by came across, actually,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's that the candy industry influenced Daylight saving Time.

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<v Speaker 1>You know the actual dates when daylight saving Time occurred.

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<v Speaker 1>And this is according to Michael Downing, the author of

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<v Speaker 1>spring Forward the Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time, which

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<v Speaker 1>is a great title, by the light, but the candy

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<v Speaker 1>industry is actually the reason that DFT was extended by

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<v Speaker 1>four weeks beginning in two thousand seven. He told NPR quote,

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<v Speaker 1>for twenty five years, candy makers that wanted to get

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<v Speaker 1>trick or treat covered by daylight saving, figuring that if

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<v Speaker 1>children have an extra hour of daylight, they'll collect more candy.

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<v Speaker 1>In fact, they went so far during the hearings on

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<v Speaker 1>daylight saving as to put candy pumpkins on the feet

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<v Speaker 1>of every senator, hoping to win a little favor. And

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<v Speaker 1>the previous part about this isn't it worked. The candy

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<v Speaker 1>industry eventually got their way. In two thousand five, President

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<v Speaker 1>Bush signed a bill into law that extended daylight Saving

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<v Speaker 1>time to include Halloween. And you know, supposedly the golf

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<v Speaker 1>and barbecue industries are also said to have been in

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<v Speaker 1>on this. On this push first sending it. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>it is pretty smart, and I do like those candy pumpkins.

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<v Speaker 1>They're pretty good too, Taste kind of like candy corn,

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<v Speaker 1>but totally different shapes. All right, Gabe, You know, Mango

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<v Speaker 1>and I are always deciding who the winner is. But

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<v Speaker 1>you've done this with us a few times now, so

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<v Speaker 1>I'm gonna let you decide who takes the crown. Today.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh man, that's that's a lot of pressure. And you know,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't want to shoot my own horn or anything,

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<v Speaker 1>but that fact was pretty creepy. And this is a

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<v Speaker 1>Halloween episode, so I like his confidence, so we'll we'll

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<v Speaker 1>agree to that. We'll give it to you, Gabe. Congratulations.

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<v Speaker 1>Thank you guys for listening today. We'll be back with

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<v Speaker 1>a full length episode tomorrow. The pri