1 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to save a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: I'm any rec and I'm Lauren Vocal Bam, and today 3 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: we have a classic for you about chewing gum. 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: Yes, I have to say this is one that after 5 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: we recorded it, I had a lot of facts I 6 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: was dispensing at parties. This one had a lot of 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 1: like interesting facts that I hadn't run across. 8 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, weird little corners. Yeah. And this one originally 9 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: published in December of twenty eighteen. 10 00:00:40,520 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 3: Wow, so long ago. 11 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: I know, was there any particular reason this one was 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 1: on your mind to bring back horn? Not really. 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:52,080 Speaker 2: I was sort of looking through the archive and ran 14 00:00:52,159 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 2: across this as essentially unlike anything else that we've done recently. 15 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: That is true, It is unlike a lot of things, 16 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 1: to be honest. 17 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 2: I mean, I've based on the sheer fact that we 18 00:01:07,440 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 2: usually talk about things that are you know, that that 19 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 2: are food, and and chewing gum is certainly food adjacent. 20 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:21,479 Speaker 1: But yeah, yeah, I feel like I bought my first 21 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:24,319 Speaker 1: pack of chewing gum recently, the first time in a 22 00:01:24,400 --> 00:01:26,440 Speaker 1: long time. Yeah. 23 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, how's the false tooth treating you? 24 00:01:29,520 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: It's it's okay, but it does make me nervous, so 25 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: I chew it in the back yeh, of my teeth. 26 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,639 Speaker 1: But I feel like I did it because I had 27 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: It was something to do with I'm trying to Sometimes 28 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:45,560 Speaker 1: I don't have time to drink coffee, so it's caffeine. 29 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 4: Come. 30 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:51,160 Speaker 3: I don't know what I'm doing a lot of the times, Lauren. 31 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: I'm looking for solutions to problems that i'm creating. 32 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yes, no, good, good for you. How's how does 33 00:01:58,120 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 2: it taste? 34 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: It tastes good? Is it minty? The problem is always 35 00:02:04,040 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: the mint. But I found a cinnamon flavor, and so 36 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: that one's okay. But I do have to worry about 37 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: the tooth. All these considerations go into these choices, everyday choices. Yeah, 38 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: I just know I actually have gum for the first 39 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:21,200 Speaker 1: time in a very long time. 40 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, I'm proud to report that. Being that we 41 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 2: all work from home now, I actually brush my teeth 42 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 2: like an adult human person after meals rather than just 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:39,359 Speaker 2: chewing some gum. I think that's probably better overall, I 44 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: would think, so, yeah, that other thing is a good 45 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:47,280 Speaker 2: stop gap. But yeah, but we are getting a little 46 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:50,600 Speaker 2: bit ahead of ourselves. Let us allow former Annie and 47 00:02:50,680 --> 00:03:01,440 Speaker 2: Lauren to take it away. 48 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to Savor. I am annie Res and 49 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: I'm lorn vocal them. 50 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 2: And today we're talking about chewing gum. 51 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 1: Chewing gum, which I'm technically not supposed to have. 52 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 2: Oh that's what you've got, one of those one of 53 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:15,560 Speaker 2: those artificial. 54 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: Teeth in there, right. I do, I do, and I 55 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:23,399 Speaker 1: it's a whole story. But the last thing that these 56 00:03:23,440 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 1: two Russian dentists told me before I left their office 57 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: was never again Apple's carrots ice or chewing gum. Wow. 58 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 1: But I do still chew it sometimes. 59 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 3: And I feel like I'm living on the wild side 60 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 3: that I do. 61 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 2: It's like a risky actually that has fun historical ties, 62 00:03:45,320 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: does it? Well, I mean sort of. I mean like 63 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:48,840 Speaker 2: it's sort of a rebellious anyway. 64 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, we will get to that. We will get 65 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 1: to that. When I was a kid, I did love 66 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: those I don't know if you remember these, but they 67 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: were flow pops, yeah, the lollipops, and they had gumm 68 00:03:57,680 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: in the middle. Yeah. 69 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 2: I always thought like they were marketed so effectively that 70 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 2: I was like, this is going to be great. But 71 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 2: I actually strongly dislike both hard candy and the flavor 72 00:04:08,800 --> 00:04:09,440 Speaker 2: of bubble gum. 73 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: So it was never good. It was never a good plan. 74 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 3: I don't know. 75 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I liked maybe the grape ones. 76 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 2: I don't know. 77 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: I can't remember green Apple. That's my favor totally anyway. 78 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 1: Chewing gum what is it? Is it food? Well? 79 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 2: Chewing gum is a non food, partially digestible edible that 80 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,479 Speaker 2: we consume using our eating parts. 81 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 3: Hmm, clear as much. 82 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,960 Speaker 2: It's a chewy substance, usually flavored and sweetened and sometimes colored, 83 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 2: that is intended to be masticated without swallowing and spit 84 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:50,760 Speaker 2: out upon end of use. 85 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:57,240 Speaker 1: That sounds very appetizing. Masticated without swallowing. Yes, I wish 86 00:04:57,279 --> 00:05:01,280 Speaker 1: that it said that, like instructions on gum masticate, do 87 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:01,840 Speaker 1: not swallow. 88 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 2: Oh man, I would write the best instructions for all 89 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:06,000 Speaker 2: food items. 90 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:06,279 Speaker 1: Ever. 91 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 2: All y'all get in touch with me. Yes, this is 92 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 2: a service I can provide. Yes, Oh okay, So yes, 93 00:05:12,720 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: you know what chewing gum is. You chew it, you 94 00:05:14,560 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 2: don't eat it. I mean part of it is digestible, 95 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,360 Speaker 2: part of it is not. Modern chewing gums use an 96 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 2: array of compounds to do those flavoring and coloring parts, 97 00:05:24,480 --> 00:05:28,240 Speaker 2: ranging from naturally derived chemicals to artificially derived chemicals. The 98 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:31,760 Speaker 2: sweeteners may or may not be caloric. The chewy ingredient 99 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:36,119 Speaker 2: or ingredients maybe natural polymers derived from rubbery tree sap, 100 00:05:36,160 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 2: but more commonly these days are synthetic plastics or rubbers. 101 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:45,880 Speaker 2: These formulas are proprietary and kept under wraps a A, 102 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 2: but formulations of buted dyene, diyrene, rubber, polyethylene, and polyvinyl 103 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:57,719 Speaker 2: acetate pop up a lot. I just wrote those, and 104 00:05:57,720 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 2: then I was like, well, I'm not changing it because 105 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 2: it's funny and so yes, if you, you know, are 106 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:07,920 Speaker 2: familiar with any of those words, those are petroleum products. 107 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 2: Commercial chewing gum is technically a petroleum product. 108 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 3: The more you know. 109 00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 2: The reason that chewing gum is a solid before you 110 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,200 Speaker 2: start chewing it is that your body heat softens it 111 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 2: to a temperature which it's malleable. When you chew it, 112 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,640 Speaker 2: the polymers link up, which creates the stretchiness that you 113 00:06:25,680 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 2: observe if you say, get a piece half stuck to 114 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:29,600 Speaker 2: the bottom of your shoe, or if you blow a 115 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:30,400 Speaker 2: bubble with it. 116 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 3: Get in your hair. 117 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:36,479 Speaker 2: What a nightmare that happened to me once in middle school, 118 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:37,960 Speaker 2: I had to go home and get a whole chunk 119 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 2: cut out of my head. 120 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: It was bad times. Yeah, it happened to me too, 121 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: and somehow got it like right in my banks. Oh good. 122 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:47,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, someone like tossed a piece from a moving car. 123 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 2: I was so mad about it, all the indignant that 124 00:06:50,320 --> 00:06:53,400 Speaker 2: a seventh grader can muster, which is a lot. 125 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,159 Speaker 1: For you, and thank you. 126 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 2: If you're wondering how chewing gum is made, well, gums 127 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 2: have different properties, as you've probably noticed, like bubble blowing. 128 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 2: Bubble gum is kind of different from like trident gum 129 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: or something like that. Manufacturers play with a lot of 130 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 2: different components to get it right for whatever quality right 131 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,640 Speaker 2: may be. You've got elastomers in there to create stretch, 132 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 2: plasticizers to soften the texture, fillers to bulk the gum 133 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 2: up without needing to add sugar, and resins to help 134 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,960 Speaker 2: bind everything together. Whatever the ingredients, the basic process for 135 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:32,280 Speaker 2: making a stick of gum goes like this. You create 136 00:07:32,320 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 2: that gum base and then heat it in drums or 137 00:07:35,400 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 2: kettles built with blades that cut in your sweeteners, flavorings, 138 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: and softeners. When the stuff this gum is a smooth 139 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: and consistent you roll it out thick onto belts and 140 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:48,760 Speaker 2: then cool it down. Then machines need it for hours, 141 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: hours at a time to help link up some of 142 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,960 Speaker 2: those linky polymers. When it's the right amount of elastic, 143 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 2: you slice it into measured chunks, roll it to the 144 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 2: correct thickness, dust it with a nonstick powder like powdered 145 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:03,880 Speaker 2: sugar cornstarch, and then that sheet will be stamped into 146 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:07,160 Speaker 2: not quite individual pieces. As a sheet, they're sent to 147 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 2: dry out a little bit before they are broken off 148 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 2: individually and packaged. Now, if you're making coated gums like 149 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:17,560 Speaker 2: gumballs or chicklets, you use two parallel dyes pressing together 150 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 2: through a column of gum to stamp out the shapes 151 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 2: and then let those individual pieces dry out and roll 152 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 2: them through a tumbler or kettle to coat them. They 153 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,520 Speaker 2: might be given a shiny wax coating. 154 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: There you go, There you go. Let's talk some numbers. 155 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:34,640 Speaker 1: In twenty nineteen, the chewing gum market is expected to 156 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:39,240 Speaker 1: generate thirty two point sixty three billion dollars, and three 157 00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 1: point nine to five billion of that is from the US, 158 00:08:41,440 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: which is the third largest market. The largest market is 159 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: the Asia Pacific region. Followed by Western Europe. 160 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,360 Speaker 2: Only three percent of gum sales are gumballs, but the 161 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 2: most popular flavor, not of gumballs of gun in general 162 00:08:54,840 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 2: is mint. 163 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 3: Ahless my mint. 164 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:02,079 Speaker 1: Probably that's a double wami have meant I can't have gum, 165 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:04,520 Speaker 1: but I did used to participate. 166 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: I was big into these food. 167 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,960 Speaker 1: Challenges when I was a kid, all right, sure, And 168 00:09:09,000 --> 00:09:11,320 Speaker 1: there were these gum ones that we would do. And 169 00:09:11,440 --> 00:09:14,520 Speaker 1: one was if you chew enough mint like spearmint gum, 170 00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:17,960 Speaker 1: it starts to burn and we would see how many 171 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: pieces you could get before the pain it came too intense. 172 00:09:22,559 --> 00:09:22,800 Speaker 4: Was the. 173 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 5: Yeah. 174 00:09:25,800 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 2: Wow. I'm not sure if that deserves the congratulations or not, 175 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 2: but probably not, but when. 176 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 3: You're a kid, it does. 177 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, that's major props. 178 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 3: I was king of the lunch room. 179 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 2: Did you have Do you ever blow bubbles? 180 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 1: Yeah? I was a big bubble blower. I would choose 181 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 1: like those entire packs of Bubblicious. 182 00:09:48,040 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 2: There's a record diameter for bubble blowing without use of 183 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:53,079 Speaker 2: one's hands. 184 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 3: I love that it specified. Yeah. 185 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 2: This was set in two thousand and four and it 186 00:09:57,559 --> 00:10:01,240 Speaker 2: went to one Chad Fell of the States. I'd also 187 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 2: like to nominate Chadfell for best name. 188 00:10:03,559 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: That's a pretty good name. 189 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,319 Speaker 2: Yeah anything that's a verb like okay no. 190 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: But the bubble that he blew. 191 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:12,280 Speaker 2: Was twenty inches aka fifty point eight centimeters in diameter, 192 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 2: and to do it he used three pieces of double bubble. 193 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: Three pieces. That's impressive. 194 00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 2: If you are looking to blow a really good bubble. 195 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,760 Speaker 2: Science says that you need to chew that gum until 196 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 2: you have exhausted the sugar and probably the flavoring from 197 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:28,160 Speaker 2: it because those molecules can get in the way of 198 00:10:28,240 --> 00:10:31,760 Speaker 2: the linky, stretchy properties of the gum base, causing bubbles 199 00:10:31,800 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 2: to collapse before they reach their full bubble potential. 200 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:38,480 Speaker 1: Oh you don't want that, No, no, no, we could 201 00:10:38,520 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: be speaking to the next bubble record holder. 202 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 2: Oh man, if you d throne Chad Fell, Chad will 203 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:47,560 Speaker 2: have fallen. 204 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: And the prophecy will come true. Please let us know 205 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,440 Speaker 1: of that happened. Absolutely. If you're giving a big speech 206 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,400 Speaker 1: at the end, I'd like to thank Savor for making 207 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: me think I could do it and giving me all 208 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:02,080 Speaker 1: the science I. 209 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:03,199 Speaker 3: Needed to succeed. 210 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 1: It kind of kind of brings me to a question 211 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: I had when we were doing this research, is why 212 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: do people chew gum to break records. I thought probably 213 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 1: like bad breath, stress, boredom, and to fight off hunger 214 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:23,640 Speaker 1: is something I've seen, and also, more grimly, as a 215 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:25,520 Speaker 1: way to trick ourselves that we're eating, which is a 216 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: problem when you were talking about eating disorders. And there 217 00:11:28,480 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: is a study that shows that maybe it improves memory. 218 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:34,880 Speaker 3: Make little Oh. 219 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 2: Memory is a tricky one, but we have a bunch 220 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,719 Speaker 2: about that. We'll get to it towards the tail end 221 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 2: of this episode. I try to chew gum after meals 222 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 2: because it makes me feel better about like my breath 223 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:52,280 Speaker 2: and possible bacteria build up, so okay, like cleaner, yeah, yeah, 224 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,559 Speaker 2: instead of brushing my teeth like a grown adult human person. 225 00:11:55,679 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 1: Sure well, and not everyone around the world, our fans 226 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: of gum is I was telling Lauren before we started 227 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,120 Speaker 1: recording this. I had so much fun doing the research 228 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:12,439 Speaker 1: for this, and it was definitely the topic that when 229 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:13,839 Speaker 1: I got drunk at Thanksgiving, I. 230 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:17,040 Speaker 3: Was telling everyone all of these gum. 231 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: Facts and it's really interesting because you don't really eat 232 00:12:20,920 --> 00:12:24,440 Speaker 1: it and it's not water soluble. 233 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 2: Right, The gum base, the flavorings and other stuff are, 234 00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 2: but yeah, the gum is not No, it's not even biodegradable. 235 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:37,360 Speaker 1: No, which means much the frustration of schools everywhere hardened 236 00:12:37,360 --> 00:12:42,120 Speaker 1: gum that they stick under desk and it's really difficult 237 00:12:42,120 --> 00:12:45,800 Speaker 1: to remove, like really difficult, like a steam jet and 238 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:49,760 Speaker 1: scraper difficult. If you've ever stepped in gum or gotten 239 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: it in your hair, then you know this. And one 240 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,800 Speaker 1: of London's busiest streets had a quarter of a million 241 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: blobs of hardened gum on its asphalt in two thousand 242 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: and In Rome, somewhere around fifteen thousand pieces of gum 243 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:08,120 Speaker 1: a day are irresponsibly disposed of in public spaces, and 244 00:13:08,200 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 1: removing each piece costs the city about one euro. 245 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:12,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 246 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:15,560 Speaker 1: It cost city councils around the globe a million dollars 247 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 1: or more to clean up gum up to three point 248 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:23,360 Speaker 1: five billion wads of gum. What Yeah, And because of this, 249 00:13:23,520 --> 00:13:26,800 Speaker 1: that's why Singapore band chewing gum in nineteen ninety two. 250 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: There are some exceptions now, but largely it's still not 251 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:34,280 Speaker 1: allowed behind cigarettes. Chewing gum is the second most common 252 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: type of litter, and some people are looking for ways 253 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 1: to recycle chewing gum waste into plastic like gum tech 254 00:13:43,520 --> 00:13:45,319 Speaker 1: cities get serious about this. 255 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 3: There was a. 256 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:51,640 Speaker 1: Gum summit for action in Liverpool and a postcard that 257 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,120 Speaker 1: the involved cities signed that they sent to Wriggley's headquarters 258 00:13:55,160 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: with the message wish you weren't here all cow. Oh wow. Yeah, 259 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,400 Speaker 1: it's one of those things where I see gum all 260 00:14:04,440 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 1: the time and I just never thought about the scourge 261 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:08,559 Speaker 1: that it is. 262 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 2: Oh, I'm so annoyed every time I see a piece 263 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:14,800 Speaker 2: of gum litter somewhere, I'm like, what human has done this? 264 00:14:14,920 --> 00:14:15,400 Speaker 4: And why? 265 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:18,120 Speaker 3: Well you've got the gum in your hair? 266 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, you have like. 267 00:14:19,880 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 3: An origin story for your gum villain. I do. 268 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: There is an artist in London that paints hardened gum 269 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: and he's been arrested by police for this. 270 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: I think that that's adding that's value value. I mean, 271 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:38,560 Speaker 2: if it's going to be there, it might as well 272 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 2: be artistic. 273 00:14:39,640 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: It might as well be And there's also a theory 274 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: that was too dense for me to look into, but 275 00:14:45,920 --> 00:14:48,200 Speaker 1: there is a theory that you can like kind of 276 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:54,280 Speaker 1: guess you could map out streets based on where gum is, 277 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 1: like where more gum is. It could give you an 278 00:14:57,120 --> 00:14:59,400 Speaker 1: idea of what used to be there, what that place 279 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: is like a lot of bars have a lot of 280 00:15:02,920 --> 00:15:05,080 Speaker 1: gum out front it because junk people are. 281 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,840 Speaker 3: Like, I gotta get my viewer. You don't want the 282 00:15:06,880 --> 00:15:07,960 Speaker 3: gum to mess with a flavor. 283 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,880 Speaker 1: Anyway. This is what my family got to enjoy during Thanksgiving. 284 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,720 Speaker 1: I do love that gum has this vibe to it, 285 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: like a Devil may care or a rudeness or boredom. 286 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: And one example I thought of is to appear American 287 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 1: in the nineteen ninety eight Godzilla movie with a soundcheck 288 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:34,320 Speaker 1: by one P Diddy. These French dudes chew gum to 289 00:15:34,560 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: convince they're trying to sneak onto an American army base, 290 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: and they chew gum to pretend that they're American, and 291 00:15:41,160 --> 00:15:44,520 Speaker 1: it totally works the cards. You're like, oh, yeah, yeah, 292 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:46,200 Speaker 1: you totally look American. 293 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 3: I mean, it's a movie. But still, this vibe exists. 294 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: A cultural standpoint. Yeah, perception exists in Godzilla nineteen ninety eight. 295 00:15:55,480 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 2: Cultural standpoint one of the most important. 296 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 1: I have watched that not once but twice this year, 297 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,160 Speaker 1: and I don't know, I've never watched it. You're probably 298 00:16:04,160 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: better off. Yeah, I enjoyed it. 299 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:06,440 Speaker 3: Though. 300 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: When I was young, I had a crush on Matthew Brodwicks, 301 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:13,160 Speaker 1: so that that didn't hurt, but uh, I did like 302 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: it a lot for a while. Hank A's area, isn't it? 303 00:16:16,520 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 2: I was gonna say, isn't someone that I like? It 304 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:21,320 Speaker 2: was Hanka's area. Yeah, Hank's area is great. 305 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, well, maybe we'll add it to our ever growing list. 306 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:27,800 Speaker 3: Oh yeah, of movies to watch. 307 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,040 Speaker 2: We really need to work on those. But what we 308 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,160 Speaker 2: also need to work on is getting into the history. 309 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 2: But first we're going to get into a quick break 310 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:44,240 Speaker 2: for a word from our sponsor, and we're back. 311 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. All right, So humans 312 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: have been chewing on gum in some form or another 313 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: for nine thousand years maybe, oh okay, yeah, maybe. Some 314 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: sources suggest that that's about how long ago Northern Europeans 315 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,960 Speaker 1: were chewing on birch black tar, possibly for pleasure, possibly 316 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:09,960 Speaker 1: medicinally as a treatment for toothpains, possibly for both. 317 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 3: Hard to say. It's a long time ago. 318 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:17,400 Speaker 1: Our old pal Pliny the Elder described mastic aka masticated, 319 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:21,240 Speaker 1: a plant based substance that the ancient Greeks chewed on. 320 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:23,760 Speaker 1: And then if we jump ahead to the year two 321 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 1: hundred CE and the ancient Mayan people, they chewed on 322 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:31,399 Speaker 1: chiclay derived from sapadia trees to combat thirst and or hunger. 323 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, Sapadia trees, the botanical name Mantlecara zapoda, are native 324 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 2: to Central America. They're a tall evergreen tree that bear 325 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 2: fruit that look a little bit like a brown plum 326 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,159 Speaker 2: which I've red, taste like pears. And the sap that 327 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:48,080 Speaker 2: the trees used to convey nutrients and provide immune defense 328 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 2: within their bark is this white gummy stuff called chicle. 329 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:54,919 Speaker 1: And the ancient Mians weren't the only ones who were 330 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: hip to this either. The Aztecs chewed on chicle too, 331 00:17:58,119 --> 00:18:01,359 Speaker 1: enough so that there were rules about the proper time 332 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,880 Speaker 1: and place to do so. Single women and kids were 333 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:08,199 Speaker 1: permitted to chew chickl in public, but all other parties 334 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:12,000 Speaker 1: had to keep their chicklay chewing private, typically for teeth 335 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:16,120 Speaker 1: cleaning and breath freshening. Women who chewed gum in public 336 00:18:16,440 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 1: were viewed as harlots. What yeah, while men who chewed 337 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:24,160 Speaker 1: gum in public were seen as effeminates. Wow. 338 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's quite an association. 339 00:18:27,200 --> 00:18:29,080 Speaker 3: It really is. It really is. 340 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 1: If we move forward through dime and further North, the 341 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:38,120 Speaker 1: Native Americans chewed on a spruce tree resin, and when 342 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:42,159 Speaker 1: the European colonist arrived, they adopted that habit too. In 343 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 1: the eighteen forties we get the first commercial spruce tree 344 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: gum thanks to John Curtis, who had the idea to 345 00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 1: boil the resin first cut the result into strips and 346 00:18:51,320 --> 00:18:54,520 Speaker 1: coatly strips in cornstarch to keep them from sticking together. 347 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: That sounds pretty chewing gummy to me. It seems Curtis 348 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:02,400 Speaker 1: had to decided to forge ahead on this chewing gum 349 00:19:02,440 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: path because in the eighteen fifties he set up shop 350 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,640 Speaker 1: in Portland, Maine, with the world's first chewing gum factory. 351 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: Blas spruce resin gum doesn't taste great and quickly goes brittle, 352 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,639 Speaker 1: so his chewing gum venture and the chewing gum ventures 353 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,280 Speaker 1: of those that followed closely after him, did not pan out, 354 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:26,920 Speaker 1: so he pivoted to paraffin wax, wax being another popular 355 00:19:26,960 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: throughout the ages, stuff like bees wax has been used 356 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:33,920 Speaker 1: as a type of chewing product. The type of chewing 357 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: products I like it, which brings us to Thomas Adams. 358 00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: Adams was an inventor out of New York, who threw 359 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:46,920 Speaker 1: some unknown circumstances, met up with exiled Mexican president Antonio 360 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:48,160 Speaker 1: Lopez de Santa Anna. 361 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 3: And yes, that is the. 362 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,239 Speaker 1: One from the Alamo who introduced Adams to chickle. But 363 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 1: Santa Anna wasn't interested in pioneering a commercial chewing gum. 364 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,399 Speaker 1: He wanted to use the chickla as a rubber substitute. 365 00:20:01,480 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: He thought that the money he got from such a 366 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 1: product would allow him to retake power in Mexico. After 367 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: some failed experiments, Santa Ana walked away from the project, 368 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:14,920 Speaker 1: though he did eventually regain power in Mexico. But Adams thought, hey, 369 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: you know, this chickl thing might not be a good 370 00:20:17,040 --> 00:20:20,400 Speaker 1: substitute for rubber, but I wonder if it could lead 371 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,440 Speaker 1: to a better chewing gum. 372 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:24,399 Speaker 2: I like how he's kind of British. I have a 373 00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 2: recollection you're doing here. 374 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: That's okay. 375 00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 3: He got more British as he thought about it. 376 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:33,439 Speaker 1: He was sort of Transatlantic. That's okay. Yeah, history's a 377 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 1: little murky on the dates here, but the By the 378 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:39,399 Speaker 1: eighteen eighties, Adams figured out that boiling and hand rolling 379 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:43,080 Speaker 1: produced a successful chewing gum and started his own company 380 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,959 Speaker 1: to sell his product nationwide. His company produced up to 381 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,240 Speaker 1: five tons a day oh at its peak, and the 382 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:52,880 Speaker 1: main ingredient in this gum was chicle and it would 383 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:56,640 Speaker 1: remain the main ingredient until the mid nineteen hundreds when 384 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: synthetic ingredients became more widely available. 385 00:21:00,119 --> 00:21:03,760 Speaker 2: Created in the first place, Yes, working plastics. 386 00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 1: That also helped. And then we got to talk about 387 00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: a big name in the gum world, William Wriggly junior, 388 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:19,639 Speaker 1: That Wriggly, Yes, that Wriggly. Wriggily got his start selling 389 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: soap in his hometown of Philadelphia, soap soap. Also, he 390 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 1: was expelled from school when he was eleven for throwing 391 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:28,200 Speaker 1: a pie at a name plate. 392 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 3: I just want to include that. 393 00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:34,120 Speaker 1: But anyway, and eighteen ninety one he made the move 394 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 1: to Chicago, and as a way to persuade stores to 395 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,439 Speaker 1: stock his wares, he would offer a bonus item like 396 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: baking powder for each order made. And it turns out 397 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:46,200 Speaker 1: folks were like, forget the soap, give me more of 398 00:21:46,280 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 1: that baking powder. Priorities, right, Yeah, So he started selling 399 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:54,879 Speaker 1: the baking powder instead and for the free incentive, taking 400 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: baking powder's place, he offered chewing gum and possibly baking 401 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: powder was never involved in any of this soap straight 402 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:05,840 Speaker 1: to chewing gum. Yes, chewing gum was the incentive of 403 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: the soap, but I like to hope that baking powder 404 00:22:09,119 --> 00:22:14,040 Speaker 1: was involved. Yeah, that's nice. Yeah, And apparently this gum, 405 00:22:14,160 --> 00:22:16,440 Speaker 1: this incentive of gum was a pretty big hit too. 406 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 1: In eighteen ninety three, he introduced two new flavors, Juicy 407 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:24,960 Speaker 1: Fruit and Wriggley's Spearmint. By this time, there was a 408 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,240 Speaker 1: lot of chewing gum competition in the market, and Wriggly 409 00:22:28,280 --> 00:22:31,159 Speaker 1: decided to spend a lot of money on marketing to 410 00:22:31,320 --> 00:22:33,840 Speaker 1: differentiate himself from the pack. 411 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:38,280 Speaker 3: I can do it too, Lauren. 412 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:41,919 Speaker 1: This included promotions like sending free gum to millions of 413 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:45,080 Speaker 1: Americans in nineteen fifteen, or free pack of gum to 414 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: children on their second birthday. Second birthday, I know, do 415 00:22:49,080 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: baby's chew gum? I thought that was frowned upon. Maybe 416 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,520 Speaker 1: the idea was they send it to the two year old, 417 00:22:55,560 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: but the parents. 418 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,640 Speaker 2: I'm wearing my disapproval face she is anyway. 419 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:06,360 Speaker 1: He Wriggly doubted its dubious medicinal properties too, and he 420 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:11,920 Speaker 1: attached it to sex and celebrity and these ad campaigns 421 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:16,960 Speaker 1: were very successful, and the success of them and of 422 00:23:17,040 --> 00:23:21,199 Speaker 1: the gum made Wriggly super rich. When he died in 423 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,960 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty two, he was one of the wealthiest people 424 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: in the United States. These are gum facts that I 425 00:23:28,040 --> 00:23:33,000 Speaker 1: had no clue about. Oh, either, fascinating. Wriggly gum was 426 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: included in the rations of American soldiers during World War 427 00:23:35,560 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: One and two, as it was believed chewing gum staved 428 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:42,760 Speaker 1: off hunger, thirst, and stress. And for a minute, let's 429 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 1: go back to that example from Godzilla, the nineteen ninety 430 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: eight movies starring Matthew Brodwick. Gum was one of the 431 00:23:49,680 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: things people who were having contact with Americans for the 432 00:23:52,600 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 1: first time associated with America too, Like this is the 433 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:58,159 Speaker 1: first time they might be seeing an American Wow, and 434 00:23:58,200 --> 00:24:01,199 Speaker 1: they were chewing gum, and they made that connection in 435 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:07,159 Speaker 1: their brains. And also, the association with sex did start, 436 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 1: and well, it started kind of earlier, but it was 437 00:24:09,880 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 1: really reinforced during this time, I guess, because. 438 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 2: Soldiers like sex and they like gum. Yeah, therefore, so 439 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 2: therefore that's what Americans like. So therefore, yeah, stereotypes. 440 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:25,120 Speaker 1: Therefore stereotypes yep. Okay, so let's talk about Frank Fleer, 441 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,159 Speaker 1: who went a different route to stand out in a 442 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:32,959 Speaker 1: crowded field of gum competitors. Fleer's chewing gum company had 443 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:35,400 Speaker 1: been up and running since eighteen eighty five, but Fleer 444 00:24:35,760 --> 00:24:39,159 Speaker 1: was on the hunt for something new. He wanted to 445 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: blow up in the gum world. And yes, we're talking 446 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: about bubble gum. 447 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 3: I'm sorry. 448 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: For years he experimented looking for a gum that could 449 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: be blown up bubble like. His experiments yielded liber Blubber. 450 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:56,520 Speaker 1: What a fantastic name in nineteen oh six, but he 451 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:57,720 Speaker 1: wasn't quite there yet. 452 00:24:58,080 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 3: Bliber Blubber was too stick. 453 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:03,159 Speaker 2: I was wondering why I had never heard of this 454 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:04,280 Speaker 2: amazing I mean. 455 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:06,840 Speaker 1: That is our blover. It's too good a name to anyway. 456 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 1: It's fine, that's very willy Wonka M. One of Fleer's employees, 457 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:15,480 Speaker 1: Walter Dimer, arrived at the first successful commercial bubble gum 458 00:25:15,480 --> 00:25:20,000 Speaker 1: in nineteen twenty eight. They called it double Bubble. There 459 00:25:20,040 --> 00:25:24,800 Speaker 1: is a pun there with mellow Yellow that song. Yeah, anyway, 460 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: we'll work on it. 461 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 3: We will. 462 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:30,040 Speaker 1: That's gonna be our first priority after we're dead recording 463 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,720 Speaker 1: this episode. If we step back a bit in eighteen 464 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: ninety nine, New York pharmacist Franklin Canning came out with 465 00:25:37,359 --> 00:25:42,359 Speaker 1: a chewing gum focused on dental hygiene dnteen. Chicklitz, which 466 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: is a candy coated gum, debuted a year later. Adam's 467 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 1: company that we were talking about earlier would purchase chick 468 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: Litz very soon after their release. And if we're talking 469 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,119 Speaker 1: about candy coated gum, the origin store of gumballs remains 470 00:25:56,200 --> 00:25:59,400 Speaker 1: a mystery, but a popular legend is that a grocer 471 00:25:59,400 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 1: out of New York, frustrated with low chewing gum sales, 472 00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:09,200 Speaker 1: wadded up the gum and rolled it in sugar and yeah, gumball. Yeah, 473 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:14,200 Speaker 1: I guess so maybe maybe the average American chewed one 474 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 1: hundred and five sticks of gum a year in the 475 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:20,040 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. That's a lot and it meant a lot 476 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,960 Speaker 1: of demand for chicl And this meant that the Latin 477 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:26,080 Speaker 1: American communities that provided the chicle were at the mercy 478 00:26:26,240 --> 00:26:31,640 Speaker 1: of market fluctuations. It impacted their entire economies. This led 479 00:26:31,680 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: to what some historians call the second collapse of the 480 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:38,560 Speaker 1: Mayan civilization, a collapse that continues to reverberate in that region. 481 00:26:38,960 --> 00:26:42,399 Speaker 1: By the nineteen thirties, a quarter of Mexico's soapadia trees 482 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,520 Speaker 1: had been wiped out, and scientists were making grim predictions 483 00:26:45,560 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 1: that the tree would be gone entirely within four decades. 484 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: So gum manufacturers searched for a replacement for chicle, and 485 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:57,160 Speaker 1: they found it in cheaper synthetic things like wax and petroleum. 486 00:26:57,480 --> 00:27:01,480 Speaker 1: The US stopped importing chicle from Mexico entirely by the 487 00:27:01,600 --> 00:27:05,520 Speaker 1: nineteen eighties, and in the more recent years there has 488 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: been a push to bring back chick clay. For example, 489 00:27:08,280 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: a company boasting the world's first biodegradable gum, Chicksa, launched 490 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 1: in two thousand and nine, or Glee Gum out of 491 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: Rhode Island Rickley's, in a weird, full circle kind of way, 492 00:27:19,240 --> 00:27:22,199 Speaker 1: is trying to come up with a biodegradable gum as well. 493 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: So I guess keep an eye out for that. I liked, 494 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 1: I liked what I saw from these places. I can't 495 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 1: really chew gum, but yeah. 496 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:36,280 Speaker 3: We're checking out for sure. 497 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 1: It is. 498 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 2: It is, and it's nice that that kind of research 499 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 2: is being done. And that's not actually the only research 500 00:27:42,480 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 2: being done in the technology of gum. 501 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 1: World, No, not at all. 502 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,120 Speaker 2: Gum materials technology spreads far and wide, and we'll get 503 00:27:52,160 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 2: into that as soon as we take one more quick 504 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 2: break for a word from our sponsor. 505 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,359 Speaker 1: And we're back. Thank you, sponsorous, Yes, thank you. And 506 00:28:07,440 --> 00:28:10,080 Speaker 1: this brings us to a section I like to call 507 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 1: big Gum Questions, where I just wrote out a bunch 508 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: of questions and asked Lauren to answer them. I found 509 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,439 Speaker 1: answers to most Okay, lot of gum questions. 510 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:23,080 Speaker 3: You did that. 511 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:27,159 Speaker 2: It was a lengthy list, but okay, okay. Gum materials 512 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 2: research h so about the sticky problem of gum sticking 513 00:28:31,560 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 2: to everything that it touches. Researchers are working on it 514 00:28:35,160 --> 00:28:37,439 Speaker 2: along the lines of that biodegradable gum that rically is 515 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:39,960 Speaker 2: looking into. Another way to go about the problem is 516 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 2: to look at why gum sticks to things in the 517 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 2: first place. There's a team that's trying to incorporate a 518 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 2: polymer that has a hydrophilic end into gum, that is 519 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 2: a water loving end into gum. That end of this 520 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:59,600 Speaker 2: polymer links up with water molecules like in your saliva. Thus, 521 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,200 Speaker 2: as you chew this gum, those polymers migrate to the surface. 522 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:06,560 Speaker 2: Sticky side in, sticking to all of the stickier polymers 523 00:29:06,760 --> 00:29:10,480 Speaker 2: and water side out, forming a thin layer of water 524 00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 2: molecules on the outside of your wat of gum. If 525 00:29:13,680 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 2: you should spit this gum out on the concrete, you monster, 526 00:29:16,560 --> 00:29:21,040 Speaker 2: it could easily be picked up because of that watery coating. However, 527 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:23,200 Speaker 2: if you have too much of that polymer in there, 528 00:29:23,240 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 2: the gum will be too soft to chew or it 529 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: will fall apart in your mouth. If you have too little, 530 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:30,640 Speaker 2: it'll still stick to surfaces. So researchers are still working 531 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:30,959 Speaker 2: on it. 532 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 1: Yes, and that company I mentioned at the top, gum Tech, 533 00:29:36,000 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: I think they it's really cool. They have these like 534 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: collection bind for gum and they look like the double bubble, 535 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:49,400 Speaker 1: the pink, delicious, the bubblicious. Oh those containers and gum 536 00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:52,640 Speaker 1: in there, and you can buy shoes that were made 537 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:56,360 Speaker 1: in part out of recycled gum. That's so great. Yeah, yeah, 538 00:29:56,400 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: so lots of research being done about that. The next question, Okay, 539 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: if you swallow chewing gum, does it stay in your 540 00:30:05,840 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: stomach for seven years? No? Definitely not good. 541 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:13,360 Speaker 3: When I was a kid, I remember that dread, that 542 00:30:13,400 --> 00:30:13,800 Speaker 3: moment of. 543 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 2: Oh, especially if you're like six that's a very concerning thought, 544 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 2: longer than you've been alive. 545 00:30:24,160 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 1: That's right, I'm just gonna have to wait it out. 546 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: It's like a little buddy in my stomach. 547 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,400 Speaker 2: No, no, no, your your, your digestive system is much more 548 00:30:32,440 --> 00:30:33,080 Speaker 2: effective than that. 549 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: Okay. 550 00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 2: So the flavorings, sweeteners, and softeners in gum are all 551 00:30:36,960 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 2: easily digested by your body, so those certainly aren't gonna 552 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:43,800 Speaker 2: stick around for any amount of time. Really, And although 553 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 2: it is true that the chewy part of gum cannot 554 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:48,360 Speaker 2: be broken down by your stomach or even by the 555 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:51,200 Speaker 2: microbes in your guts, it's not so sticky that it's 556 00:30:51,200 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 2: gonna like get stuck in there. You're You're just gonna 557 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 2: poop it out. 558 00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:57,520 Speaker 3: Hmmm, well, there you go. 559 00:30:58,000 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: Yep. 560 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:01,000 Speaker 3: Never fear to all those people. 561 00:31:01,680 --> 00:31:04,080 Speaker 1: Oh no, thinking about that gum you swallowed six and 562 00:31:04,120 --> 00:31:05,120 Speaker 1: a half years ago. 563 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:10,440 Speaker 2: There, Okay. There are case reports of swallowed gum causing 564 00:31:10,600 --> 00:31:14,520 Speaker 2: problems getting stuck in people's guts, mostly though in children 565 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 2: under the age of five who were given gum as 566 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 2: a reward for various behaviors and who swallowed several pieces 567 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 2: of gum every day for a lengthy period of time. 568 00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:28,200 Speaker 2: Do not swallow several pieces of gum every day, especially 569 00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 2: if you are under the age of five. 570 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:33,800 Speaker 5: Savor advice in the episode Save Advice. Savor Advice of 571 00:31:33,880 --> 00:31:38,280 Speaker 5: the episode. Yeah, okay, here's another question. It's important, very 572 00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 5: important to me, because I've had many dates ruined by this. 573 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,240 Speaker 5: Does chewing gum help your breath? 574 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:48,560 Speaker 2: A little salivra production does prevent bacterial growth, And the 575 00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 2: act of chewing might help break up some of the 576 00:31:51,400 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 2: loose plaque on your teeth, and all those bacteria that 577 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 2: are forming that plaque and that are floating around in 578 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:02,720 Speaker 2: there are the things that poop the bad sense that. 579 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:03,440 Speaker 1: Make your breast smell. 580 00:32:04,120 --> 00:32:05,160 Speaker 3: Okay, okay. 581 00:32:05,280 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 2: It can also help neutralize any sense of food that 582 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:10,520 Speaker 2: are lingering in your mouth or anything that's coming up 583 00:32:10,520 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 2: from your stomach. Bodies are so gross. I'm sorry, it's 584 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 2: not I'm just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts. 585 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,720 Speaker 3: All right. Well, how long lasting is the flavor? 586 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:24,720 Speaker 5: Oh? 587 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,720 Speaker 2: That is a question that varies from gum to gum. 588 00:32:28,040 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 2: Uh huh, vastly, as I'm sure most of you have noticed. 589 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:32,920 Speaker 1: But all right. 590 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:36,200 Speaker 2: The reason that gums lose their flavor over time if 591 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:38,800 Speaker 2: you've never really put your brain to it before, is 592 00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 2: that there is a limited amount of a flavor and 593 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 2: sweetener incorporated into the gum base, because if you added 594 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:48,640 Speaker 2: too much, it wouldn't be chewy, it would be dissolvy. 595 00:32:48,680 --> 00:32:50,560 Speaker 2: And that's not what you're looking for in your gum product. 596 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 2: As we talked about in our Willy Wonk episode, though, 597 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 2: folks are working on super long lasting and even flavor 598 00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 2: changing gums using micro encapsulation technology, stuff that breaks down 599 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 2: slowly releasing or reacting to create more flavor. 600 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: Compounds gum science. 601 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:12,560 Speaker 3: Oh yeah. 602 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: I Actually the reason I asked that question was because 603 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,520 Speaker 1: apparently that is what most people who chew gum are 604 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:21,840 Speaker 1: concerned with, is how long will the flavor last? And 605 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,560 Speaker 1: that's what a lot of the gum companies we're talking about, 606 00:33:25,600 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: they're trying to improve how long their favor lasts. And 607 00:33:28,080 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: then when I thought about it, I realized that most 608 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: gums do say like long lasting. Oh yeah on the front. Yeah, 609 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: it's a major marketing point, it is. Indeed, what about 610 00:33:36,920 --> 00:33:41,000 Speaker 1: this one? Does gum really fight off hunger? I've heard 611 00:33:41,000 --> 00:33:42,920 Speaker 1: that it possibly just makes you hungrier? 612 00:33:43,760 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 2: Okay, if you are a human who snacks when they're 613 00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 2: bored instead of when they're hungry, which I'm super guilty 614 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 2: of swapping out a snack, especially something sugary like a 615 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:57,080 Speaker 2: cookie or a candy bar, with a piece of low 616 00:33:57,120 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 2: calorie gum can help you not eat as much. 617 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:04,160 Speaker 3: Uh huh. 618 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:06,080 Speaker 2: I'm not gonna say it's going to make you less hungry. 619 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,280 Speaker 2: I mean, if you're hungry and you're chewing gum instead 620 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:11,160 Speaker 2: of eating, that's not that's clearly not going to do anything. 621 00:34:11,719 --> 00:34:14,640 Speaker 2: But yeah, if you're eating just at a boredom, like 622 00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 2: you want to choose something and then you chew gum, 623 00:34:17,160 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 2: you're only getting maybe like five to ten calories instead 624 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,040 Speaker 2: of maybe like a hundred. It's a small difference, but 625 00:34:22,160 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 2: if you are looking to help control your body weight, 626 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 2: then that can be a factor. It's more like a 627 00:34:29,719 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 2: single piece in a tool belt than an actual weight 628 00:34:32,680 --> 00:34:34,680 Speaker 2: loss plan though, because I mean, you know, a you 629 00:34:34,719 --> 00:34:37,840 Speaker 2: shouldn't eat too many things with artificial sweeteners in large amounts. 630 00:34:37,840 --> 00:34:40,760 Speaker 2: They can have a laxative effect or cause other gastric distress, 631 00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:43,279 Speaker 2: and chewing gum can lead to swallowing air, which will 632 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 2: make you feel bloated, which isn't going to help the situation. Particularly, 633 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,720 Speaker 2: and going back to the hunger. Thing effects can definitely 634 00:34:49,840 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 2: vary when you're trying to use artificially sweetened products in 635 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 2: order to stave off hunger, because basically, your body doesn't 636 00:34:57,440 --> 00:35:04,560 Speaker 2: appreciate being tricked. The sweet flavor of artificially sweetened products 637 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:08,000 Speaker 2: can make your body gear up for digestion, and then 638 00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:11,120 Speaker 2: when you don't give it anything to digest, it signals 639 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:12,239 Speaker 2: you to eat more later. 640 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:19,720 Speaker 1: Hmmm, yeah, so I guess if you like chewing gum 641 00:35:19,760 --> 00:35:21,320 Speaker 1: and maybe you just want to choose something. 642 00:35:21,560 --> 00:35:25,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, well, okay, And here's an interesting part that ties 643 00:35:25,400 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 2: into this. Chewing gum has been shown to improve your alertness, attention, 644 00:35:31,400 --> 00:35:36,200 Speaker 2: and mood. Why researchers are not sure what's going on here. 645 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:38,880 Speaker 2: All kinds of things have been suggested, from sugared or 646 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:42,319 Speaker 2: flavored gum giving you a pleasure or reward boost to 647 00:35:42,480 --> 00:35:45,319 Speaker 2: the act of chewing, sort of priming your body for 648 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:50,160 Speaker 2: further action. The most compelling hypothesis I've seen is that 649 00:35:50,560 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 2: chewing a positively flavored gum, which is the most scientific 650 00:35:55,000 --> 00:35:57,640 Speaker 2: thing I've ever read in my life, the act of 651 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 2: chewing that gum excites you, causing a release of the 652 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:06,359 Speaker 2: stress chemical cortisol. Remember that excitement isn't necessarily a positive thing. 653 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:11,480 Speaker 2: It's just a whoa, hey, gum stuff is happening. It 654 00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:14,360 Speaker 2: triggers the release of cordsol, which your body reacts to 655 00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 2: by boosting your immediate access to glucose to energy to 656 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:21,439 Speaker 2: help you deal with whatever it is that's stressing you out. 657 00:36:21,760 --> 00:36:28,040 Speaker 2: So embarking on this minorly exciting thing of chewing gum, 658 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 2: you're doing some action. You're getting a little bit of cordisol, 659 00:36:30,120 --> 00:36:31,680 Speaker 2: you're getting a little bit of glucose release. 660 00:36:31,960 --> 00:36:32,560 Speaker 1: It can help. 661 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:37,399 Speaker 2: People concentrate well and react faster than they would under 662 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:42,040 Speaker 2: normal circumstances, and maybe that distracts you from hunger. 663 00:36:44,400 --> 00:36:47,759 Speaker 3: I have to say, for me, chewing gum is majorly exciting, 664 00:36:48,520 --> 00:36:51,160 Speaker 3: and I am convinced one day I will be at 665 00:36:51,160 --> 00:36:55,600 Speaker 3: a fancy function and I'm gonna be all devil make it, 666 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,399 Speaker 3: choose this gum, and my tooth is gonna come right out. 667 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 3: That's it. I won't recover from that. 668 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:08,920 Speaker 1: My social status will be forever, forever. And we all 669 00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:13,240 Speaker 1: know that my social status is right up there right now. 670 00:37:13,320 --> 00:37:13,840 Speaker 1: I'm sure. 671 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:16,840 Speaker 2: I'm sure everyone at the party would understand. It would 672 00:37:16,960 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 2: honestly be like a fun party trick as long as 673 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 2: you didn't like hurt yourself with the tooth, so. 674 00:37:22,080 --> 00:37:24,040 Speaker 3: I meant to do it. That's always the way. 675 00:37:24,080 --> 00:37:26,520 Speaker 2: Okay, Oh yeah, yeah, like like Chuck like check over 676 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:28,720 Speaker 2: on stuff you should know has the fun tooth party 677 00:37:28,760 --> 00:37:29,960 Speaker 2: trick he does. 678 00:37:30,000 --> 00:37:32,879 Speaker 1: Mine isn't as cool as that, My pig tooth, it's 679 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: not as cool as his. That's a conversation to be 680 00:37:37,560 --> 00:37:41,280 Speaker 1: at off mic. But here's another question I had about gum. 681 00:37:41,880 --> 00:37:45,520 Speaker 1: What fruit is the flavor and juicy fruit? And for 682 00:37:45,640 --> 00:37:48,520 Speaker 1: that matter, what the hell is tooty fruity? 683 00:37:49,760 --> 00:37:53,680 Speaker 2: Okay, the fruit and juicy fruit? I don't think it 684 00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 2: was ever meant to be a particular fruit. 685 00:37:56,560 --> 00:37:57,360 Speaker 3: Oh No. 686 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,399 Speaker 1: A rapper from. 687 00:37:59,360 --> 00:38:01,320 Speaker 2: Nineteen forty and to be fair, it'd been around a 688 00:38:01,360 --> 00:38:03,799 Speaker 2: long time before that. But a rapper from nineteen forty six, 689 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:08,280 Speaker 2: a gum rapper, not like a hip hop performer, Yeah, okay, 690 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:14,839 Speaker 2: called it a fascinating artificial flavor. I would agree, And 691 00:38:15,640 --> 00:38:19,000 Speaker 2: tooty fruity, as far as I can tell, is like. 692 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:23,560 Speaker 2: The term itself is an English bastardization of the Italian 693 00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 2: tuda la fruda, meaning all the fruits, And I think 694 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:30,160 Speaker 2: it started popping up in Britain as two dy E 695 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:33,759 Speaker 2: Fruity in the eighteen thirties as a candy flavor or 696 00:38:33,760 --> 00:38:36,759 Speaker 2: an ice cream flavor. It was the very first gum 697 00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:39,560 Speaker 2: to be sold in vending machines and I think eighteen 698 00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:43,279 Speaker 2: eighty eight in New York City. Both Tooty Fruity and 699 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 2: Juicy Fruit do contain flavoring agents that include, oh, what's 700 00:38:46,520 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 2: that og banana? The original smikele Yeah, that that og banana? 701 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 2: And also apple or pear. 702 00:38:52,760 --> 00:38:53,560 Speaker 1: Kind of vibes. 703 00:38:53,719 --> 00:38:56,880 Speaker 2: I think juicy fruit also has a citrus element, a 704 00:38:56,920 --> 00:38:59,960 Speaker 2: fruit salad kind of thing in Ambrosia. 705 00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:04,400 Speaker 1: Yes, ooh, juicy fruit was my go to gum for 706 00:39:04,400 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: a while, and then Big Red took it over and 707 00:39:07,160 --> 00:39:09,640 Speaker 1: then probably like mint. 708 00:39:09,840 --> 00:39:11,799 Speaker 2: I never got into cinnamon gum, so I was like, 709 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 2: how wow. 710 00:39:13,640 --> 00:39:16,120 Speaker 3: See hurts. I liked the verd. 711 00:39:16,440 --> 00:39:20,920 Speaker 1: I liked the ver And my final question, do you 712 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,799 Speaker 1: really get double the pleasure from double mint gum? 713 00:39:25,719 --> 00:39:28,400 Speaker 2: That is a subjective question that science cannot answer. 714 00:39:29,280 --> 00:39:31,840 Speaker 3: Alas Las not today. 715 00:39:32,760 --> 00:39:34,640 Speaker 1: Well, thank you very much for indulging all of my 716 00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 1: big gum questions. Yeah, yeah, anytime. And that brings us 717 00:39:43,480 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: to the end of this classic episode. We hope that 718 00:39:45,960 --> 00:39:48,600 Speaker 1: you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed recording it 719 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:49,399 Speaker 1: and bringing it back. 720 00:39:49,719 --> 00:39:53,279 Speaker 2: Absolutely. I do have a couple of updates here. First 721 00:39:53,320 --> 00:39:55,480 Speaker 2: of all, I still have not seen Godzilla in nineteen 722 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,480 Speaker 2: ninety eight. Annie's just shaking her head at me, which 723 00:39:58,480 --> 00:40:02,440 Speaker 2: is fair, which is fair. But the soundtrack has frequently 724 00:40:02,480 --> 00:40:06,600 Speaker 2: been played during our D and D sessions by Joe McCormick, so. 725 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:10,319 Speaker 1: It has which I feel bad about because if you 726 00:40:10,400 --> 00:40:14,680 Speaker 1: know anything about Joe McCormack, he loves Godzilla. And the 727 00:40:14,719 --> 00:40:18,520 Speaker 1: first time I mentioned this to him, he was visibly 728 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:26,080 Speaker 1: upset and called it soulless. Oh, but it is a 729 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:29,640 Speaker 1: fun it's a fun soundtrack. And Dylan and I have 730 00:40:29,800 --> 00:40:34,640 Speaker 1: been trying to get the vinyl for him, and I've 731 00:40:34,760 --> 00:40:38,440 Speaker 1: tracked down one. It's lime green with a Godzilla eye 732 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,319 Speaker 1: and Lauren. It's very striking, but it's the one that 733 00:40:41,360 --> 00:40:44,799 Speaker 1: only has four tracks on it, the main one we 734 00:40:44,880 --> 00:40:53,160 Speaker 1: can't find. That's probably for the best, but a good luck. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 735 00:40:53,160 --> 00:40:57,120 Speaker 1: it's about the right reaction. Yeah, Like, I'm not sure 736 00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:05,280 Speaker 1: if you should be right allowed at any rate that. 737 00:41:05,680 --> 00:41:08,759 Speaker 2: Low stick chewing gum, that the non sticky chewing gum, 738 00:41:09,160 --> 00:41:12,480 Speaker 2: that I talked about is still available in the UK. 739 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:13,560 Speaker 1: It's called Rev. 740 00:41:13,600 --> 00:41:16,319 Speaker 2: Seven. It never took off here in the US. It 741 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:19,360 Speaker 2: was only available for a couple of years sometime before 742 00:41:19,800 --> 00:41:22,040 Speaker 2: we recorded the original episode. 743 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:23,520 Speaker 1: Also, as I. 744 00:41:23,560 --> 00:41:27,560 Speaker 2: Was doing my requisite googling, I found a number that 745 00:41:27,600 --> 00:41:30,360 Speaker 2: we did not include here that I find quite striking. 746 00:41:31,400 --> 00:41:36,480 Speaker 2: So okay, the Guinness record holder for the longest chain 747 00:41:36,640 --> 00:41:41,000 Speaker 2: of paper chewing gum wrappers has beaten his own record 748 00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:44,319 Speaker 2: several times. This is a Canadian by the name of 749 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:49,880 Speaker 2: Gary Duchelle, and he has been at this chain making 750 00:41:50,080 --> 00:41:53,400 Speaker 2: for some sixty years. And as of March of twenty 751 00:41:53,440 --> 00:41:57,080 Speaker 2: twenty five, which was the last official measurement of his 752 00:41:57,480 --> 00:42:00,719 Speaker 2: paper chewing gum wrapper chain, his chain was twenty three 753 00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:02,759 Speaker 2: point two two six miles long. 754 00:42:05,120 --> 00:42:08,000 Speaker 1: It's almost a marathon, and it. 755 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:11,520 Speaker 2: Was made up of two billion, nine hundred and sixty 756 00:42:11,560 --> 00:42:14,240 Speaker 2: three thousand, seven hundred and eighty nine rappers. 757 00:42:16,520 --> 00:42:27,160 Speaker 4: Oh why yeah, wow, yep, Okay, that's a lot of gum. 758 00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:29,440 Speaker 2: I don't think that he has chewed all of that gum, 759 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:32,240 Speaker 2: because when he started getting really into it, he reached 760 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:34,799 Speaker 2: out to a couple of the gum companies. I think, 761 00:42:35,440 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 2: I think maybe Wrigley's. Are they the makers of juicy fruit? 762 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:41,120 Speaker 2: The makers of juicy fruit, which is apparently his favorite, 763 00:42:41,560 --> 00:42:44,919 Speaker 2: and requested that they send him rappers and they did, 764 00:42:45,440 --> 00:42:50,400 Speaker 2: like a few thousand rappers at least, so, oh my goodness. Yeah, 765 00:42:50,440 --> 00:42:55,799 Speaker 2: so it's a whole thing. Also, there has been some 766 00:42:55,840 --> 00:43:01,520 Speaker 2: really interesting like chewing gum science reported on regarding especially 767 00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:12,719 Speaker 2: ancient humans' genomes that we're taken from used birch gum. Huh. 768 00:43:13,080 --> 00:43:15,839 Speaker 2: So yeah, so in interesting little tidbits like that, like 769 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:18,160 Speaker 2: like enough that I'm like, maybe not today, but maybe 770 00:43:18,200 --> 00:43:19,719 Speaker 2: we'll do a short episode about it. 771 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:24,400 Speaker 1: Oh, I would love to, I no joke, think about 772 00:43:24,400 --> 00:43:30,000 Speaker 1: this episode quite frequently, so I would love to do 773 00:43:30,200 --> 00:43:34,440 Speaker 1: a little short revisit and with love if listeners, if 774 00:43:34,480 --> 00:43:38,320 Speaker 1: you have anything we should add, oh yeah to that revisit, 775 00:43:39,680 --> 00:43:42,840 Speaker 1: please please let us know or just any any thoughts 776 00:43:42,880 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: at all. You can email us at hello at savorpod 777 00:43:46,760 --> 00:43:47,400 Speaker 1: dot com. 778 00:43:47,480 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 2: We are also on social media. You can find us 779 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:52,480 Speaker 2: on Instagram and blue Sky at savor pod and we 780 00:43:52,520 --> 00:43:55,480 Speaker 2: do hope to hear from you. Savor is production of iHeartRadio. 781 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:58,000 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit 782 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 783 00:44:01,160 --> 00:44:04,160 Speaker 2: your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our super producers 784 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:07,080 Speaker 2: Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, 785 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:08,879 Speaker 2: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 786 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:16,880 Speaker 2: your way.