1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,559 Speaker 1: You're listening to part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. Guess what Will? 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 2: What's that Mango? So I was looking up. 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,000 Speaker 1: TikTok trends and I ended up on this channel from 5 00:00:18,040 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: Mississippi Mema. Do you know her? 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:22,479 Speaker 2: So? You think because I live in the South, I 7 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 2: know just all the memas. I guess No, I. 8 00:00:26,239 --> 00:00:28,800 Speaker 1: Just thought you might know the channel. Also, she has 9 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: a great accent, so you should know her. But in 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 1: the video, she pulls up to a Sonic and she 11 00:00:34,920 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: orders a doctor pepper with pickles, which apparently is the 12 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: drink of the Summer. It's called a pickled doctor pepper. 13 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:43,400 Speaker 2: The drink of the summer. Is like this, is this 14 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 2: an official drink at Sonic? 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't think it's official. I think it's 16 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: more like a secret menu item. You know, it gets 17 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: requested enough that the woman who took the order wasn't 18 00:00:53,520 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: surprised by it at all. 19 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 2: So what is in it? You said? It's called a 20 00:00:58,640 --> 00:00:59,800 Speaker 2: pickled doctor pepper? 21 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: Mm hm, Yeah, it's really complicated to make. Basically, you 22 00:01:02,520 --> 00:01:05,119 Speaker 1: take it a giant doctor pepper, you put ice in it, 23 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: and then you add five or six pickle slices or 24 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: some pickle juice and that's it, and people go crazy 25 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: for it. 26 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 2: Oh man. I mean, I know about the kool Aid pickles, 27 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 2: and I'm obviously a Doctor Pepper fan. It's a good drink, 28 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:21,560 Speaker 2: but I don't know anyone who's drinking pickled peppers. 29 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: This is new to me, well me either, But I 30 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: knew I had to try it. So I went out 31 00:01:27,440 --> 00:01:31,039 Speaker 1: and I bought a Doctor Pepper, And honestly, it felt 32 00:01:31,120 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: too ridiculous to like slice up a pickle and put 33 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:35,600 Speaker 1: it inside, So I just ate a few bites of 34 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 1: a pickle and then I washed it down with the 35 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:38,759 Speaker 1: Doctor Pepper. 36 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:41,640 Speaker 2: Oh man, this is a real experiment. You are dedicated 37 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: to the job, and so what what did it tastes like? 38 00:01:44,120 --> 00:01:45,800 Speaker 1: It tastes like you're eating a pickle and washing it 39 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: down with doctor Pepper. Oh oh that's a big Okay, 40 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 1: all right, It did not change my life, but you know, 41 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: it is the drink of the summer. Also, I wanted 42 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 1: to celebrate Doctor Pepper because they've had a great year. 43 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: Did you know that Doctor Pepper just tied Pepsi to 44 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: be the second best selling soda in America? 45 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: Oh wow, that is huge. 46 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, I know, I feel like we should be high 47 00:02:05,880 --> 00:02:09,560 Speaker 1: fiving over it. But Coke is still firmly in first place. 48 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:12,440 Speaker 1: But according to The Wall Street Journal and Fox, part 49 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: of the reason is because Doctor Pepper keeps experimenting with 50 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 1: new flavors, all of which appeal to gen Z. Plus, 51 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,880 Speaker 1: this pickled Dr Pepper trend has apparently been contributing to 52 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,560 Speaker 1: their popularity. Anyway, That's just the first of nine strange 53 00:02:24,560 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 1: facts everyone should know about Dr Pepper. Let's dive in. 54 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: Hey their podcast listeners, Welcome to part time Genius. I'm 55 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,359 Speaker 2: Will and as always I'm here with my good pal 56 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:56,880 Speaker 2: Mango and sitting there behind that big booth. I know 57 00:02:57,040 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 2: everyone's curious what he's doing today because he's always up 58 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: to something interesting. But it's our good friend Dylan. He's 59 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 2: not in a great mood that he's actually angrily waving 60 00:03:05,520 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 2: a picket sign and it says, oh I'm trying to read. 61 00:03:08,080 --> 00:03:11,880 Speaker 2: It says no Pepper, no period, look at him, go Mango. 62 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:12,959 Speaker 2: It's just it's just wild. 63 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 1: Yeah. I actually talked to him before the show and 64 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:18,680 Speaker 1: he said, as someone who's really passionate about grammar, he's 65 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,440 Speaker 1: protesting Doctor Pepper until they put the period back in 66 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 1: the name. I guess the doctor in the soda used 67 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:26,760 Speaker 1: to have a period after the R until the nineteen 68 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,519 Speaker 1: fifties and then they with the fun it looked weird. 69 00:03:29,600 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: And so you know, I'm not going to join Dylan's 70 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,800 Speaker 1: grammar protest, but I do agree with him in spirit. 71 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:37,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean he's always right when you think 72 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: about it. Well, speaking of the doctor, why don't we 73 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 2: talk a little bit about the doctor in Doctor Pepper 74 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 2: Like it's always been kind of a mystery who this 75 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 2: Doctor Pepper is. And Doctor Pepper is actually one of 76 00:03:49,560 --> 00:03:54,160 Speaker 2: America's oldest sodas, first formulated in eighteen eighty five. It's 77 00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 2: a year older than coke, eight years older than Pepsi, 78 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: and practically speaking, it's from Waco Tech Now. According to 79 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 2: the Doctor Pepper Museum in Waco, it was invented by 80 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: a pharmacist named Charles Alderton, and in fact, in the 81 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: early years of the drink, people used to call the 82 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 2: drink a Waco, which is kind of fun, and they 83 00:04:12,680 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 2: call for the drink at the counter by saying, shoot 84 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,159 Speaker 2: me a Waco. But according to some its real origins 85 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 2: are actually from Virginia, the way Texas Monthly tells it 86 00:04:21,720 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 2: a young drugstore clerk perfected a tasty formula of twenty 87 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:28,520 Speaker 2: plus ingredients that you could add to soda water, and 88 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 2: then sold it to a chemist on one condition that 89 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 2: he would name the beverage after the clerk's father in law. Now, 90 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,559 Speaker 2: this was a physician named doctor Pepper, so he takes 91 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,719 Speaker 2: the drink with him to Texas starts this soda empire. 92 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,000 Speaker 2: Now all of this is a little apocryphal, but what 93 00:04:45,040 --> 00:04:47,799 Speaker 2: we do know is that, like most of these early sodas, 94 00:04:47,839 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 2: doctor Pepper was originally sold as a curel, which is 95 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,279 Speaker 2: likely why they added doctor to the title of the drink. 96 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 2: But by nineteen seventy three, the CEO of Doctor Pepper 97 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,840 Speaker 2: was clarifying that quote, a spoonful of doctor Pepper will 98 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: not relieve constipation, hives, excessive acidity, morbidity, sterility, bile, eczema, hysteria, bronchitis, 99 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,239 Speaker 2: or what ails you in general. And while folks still 100 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:14,640 Speaker 2: splash it on and some rub it on, I guess 101 00:05:14,680 --> 00:05:17,159 Speaker 2: the only claim we make is that doctor Pepper is 102 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,479 Speaker 2: soothing to youngsters suffering post Ton selectomies. So that's what 103 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 2: he clarified. Didn't do any of the other stuff, but 104 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,080 Speaker 2: it will help youngsters suffering from post Ton selectomies. So 105 00:05:27,120 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: there you have it, mango. 106 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:30,839 Speaker 1: I love the idea of people rubbing Doctor Pepper on 107 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:34,119 Speaker 1: like it's a colone. Just flash, you're in this smell 108 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:36,919 Speaker 1: kind of good. I wonder why it was so important 109 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,760 Speaker 1: to the kid that the drink be named for his 110 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:39,839 Speaker 1: father in law, though. 111 00:05:40,120 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 2: You know, of course, like so many of these stories, 112 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: there's a lot of lore behind it. But another claim 113 00:05:44,400 --> 00:05:47,280 Speaker 2: is that the doctor is doctor Charles T. Pepper, who 114 00:05:47,360 --> 00:05:50,719 Speaker 2: is a Confederate physician. It's hard to tell what's true though, 115 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:53,920 Speaker 2: Like supposedly, the Doctor Pepper Museum has like a dozen 116 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:57,359 Speaker 2: different origin stories that they've tried to fact check. Not 117 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 2: a whole lot of luck so far, though. 118 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:01,799 Speaker 1: Well, I know one of the things that Doctor Pepper 119 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:04,120 Speaker 1: has always pried itself on is the fact that it's 120 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,919 Speaker 1: an original flavor, right that no one knows what the 121 00:06:06,920 --> 00:06:10,400 Speaker 1: twenty three ingredients are, et cetera. And I always laugh 122 00:06:10,480 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: looking at those lists of Doctor Pepper knockoffs, like the 123 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: Soda Lover's wiki has one hundred different budget variations, from 124 00:06:17,800 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: Doctor Shasta to Doctor Bob, Doctor Topper, Doctor good Guy, 125 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:28,360 Speaker 1: doctor Gulpster, Doctor Sparkles, Doctor Wham, Doctor Slam, Doctor A Plus, 126 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:29,719 Speaker 1: and Professor Fizz. 127 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 2: Like you're just making a few of these out, but 128 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 2: that's a fun. 129 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: List, just scratching the surface here. And there's some misters 130 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:38,719 Speaker 1: on there as well, because some of the sodas didn't 131 00:06:38,760 --> 00:06:41,280 Speaker 1: make it through grad school, which does make me wonder 132 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: about the origins of. 133 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,160 Speaker 2: Mister pib and so, so what did you learn? 134 00:06:44,560 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: Basically that SODA's were very much a regional delicacy for 135 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,239 Speaker 1: a very long time. So aside from Coke and Pepsi, 136 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: who are bottling their product nationally, you have things like 137 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: Werners from Michigan or Moxie, which is from Maine, right, 138 00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: and Doctor Pepper was really considered a Southern drink. When 139 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: Doctor Pepper started making a push to go wider, Coke 140 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: was threatened, so they decided to introduce a competitor, and 141 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: they tried a few times. According to Texas Monthly, Coke 142 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: did some small scale tests of two drinks in the 143 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,640 Speaker 1: nineteen sixties. One was called Texas Stepper and another one 144 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: was called Chime. But in nineteen seventy two they rolled 145 00:07:18,800 --> 00:07:21,760 Speaker 1: out a drink called Pepper, which obviously was a little 146 00:07:21,800 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: close in name to Dr Pepper, so Dr Pepper sued them, 147 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: and then they changed the name to Mister PIB. But 148 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: what's really funny is that this entire time, Coke denied 149 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: that they were trying to make a Doctor Pepper knock off. 150 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: Like a Coke spokesperson told Texas Monthly quote, I haven't 151 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,320 Speaker 1: tasted Dr Pepper myself, so I wouldn't know how similar 152 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: it is to Mister Pip. He goes on. I don't 153 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: think it was meant to compete with Doctor Pepper as 154 00:07:45,280 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: far as I know, Coke just felt there was a 155 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:52,080 Speaker 1: market for this kind of soft drink. It's ludicrous, especially 156 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: knowing the name change. But the other part that's really 157 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,640 Speaker 1: funny is that Texas Monthly looked a little closer and 158 00:07:57,680 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: found that even though mister PIB had no relation to 159 00:07:59,760 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: Doctor Pep, and even though Coke wasn't trying to imitate 160 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: the flavors, the places where they decided to test market 161 00:08:06,280 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: Mister PIB were Waco, Texas, which is the birthplace of 162 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: Doctor Pepper, and the other towns in the South that 163 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:16,880 Speaker 1: were strongholds of Dr Pepper. Yeah, yeah, it's super coincidence. 164 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 1: But there's Actually, one other funny thing about the cover up. 165 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: When mister pib first debuted, the color was brown, but 166 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:26,920 Speaker 1: Coca Cola quickly changed it to red, and according to mash, 167 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,120 Speaker 1: it's because Quote Coke was worried people would think it 168 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: was a Rupier ripoff instead of a dr Pepper ripper. 169 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 2: Ah, I see, yeah. 170 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:38,400 Speaker 1: Which is so funny to me. But what do you 171 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,040 Speaker 1: wanna what do you wanna talk about next? 172 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 2: All right, well, all your talk of pickled Doctor Pepper 173 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 2: made me think about the original Doctor Pepper hack, which 174 00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 2: was to heat it up on the stove. Have you 175 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:48,960 Speaker 2: heard about this? 176 00:08:49,760 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, nothing like a piping hot Doctor Pepper on a 177 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: hot day. But uh, do you know how how that 178 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:56,679 Speaker 1: hack got started? 179 00:08:57,120 --> 00:08:59,599 Speaker 2: Apparently this goes right to the top, like like the 180 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: drink was invented by Doctor Pepper's former company president, this 181 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:07,000 Speaker 2: guy Wesby R. Parker, who was irritated that his sales 182 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: basically dropped to zero in the winter, so he was 183 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 2: trying to figure out what to do with this. This 184 00:09:11,320 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 2: was back in the nineteen fifties, so Parker started experimenting 185 00:09:14,880 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 2: with different variations at home, just trying to make a 186 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 2: winter mocktail of sorts. And he realized that when you 187 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:24,320 Speaker 2: heated doctor Pepper on a stovetop, it actually retained its flavor, 188 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 2: and if you added a slice of lemon to it, 189 00:09:26,880 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 2: it was really delicious. Now, the funny thing is Parker 190 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 2: actually did a comparison and warmed up a bunch of 191 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:36,080 Speaker 2: different sodas, and his belief was that because Doctor Pepper 192 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,520 Speaker 2: was made with natural fruit flavors instead of artificial ones, 193 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: he'd actually retained the flavor in a way that other 194 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 2: sodas didn't. Anyway, the company started pushing the drink, and 195 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 2: for a while, hot Doctor Pepper was served at the 196 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 2: Cotton Bowl and other Southern regional football games in the winter. 197 00:09:52,200 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 2: I'd not heard about this before. 198 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, I'd never seen that. It's also kind of funny 199 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,480 Speaker 1: that all the variations are like pickle. Doctor Pepper tastes 200 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: like doctor Pepper with pickle, he did, Doctor Pepper still 201 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: tastes like Doctor Pepper. Just hot. 202 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just just hot doctor Pepper. But you know, 203 00:10:09,280 --> 00:10:11,240 Speaker 2: the company really tried to make it a thing for 204 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:13,959 Speaker 2: a while, and they pushed it the holidays as kind 205 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 2: of a warm punch, and the next president of the 206 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 2: company said he used to have it in place of coffee. 207 00:10:19,400 --> 00:10:22,079 Speaker 2: Even told journalists that he'd have three or four hot 208 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 2: Doctor Peppers in the morning and then a bunch of 209 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 2: cold ones in the afternoon, but obviously it never really 210 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:27,680 Speaker 2: took off. 211 00:10:28,679 --> 00:10:32,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, but I also kind of want to try that. 212 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: We should do another episode where we just test all 213 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: these sodas from like, I feel like there's so many 214 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,840 Speaker 1: hacks online from like Coke with peanuts, Doctor Pepperoni, which 215 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 1: is Doctor Pepper with pepperoni in it, like Doctor Pepper 216 00:10:44,920 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: with a screamer. Oh, it's gonna be terrible. I really 217 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 1: can't wait. Also, I didn't mention this, but earlier when 218 00:10:53,920 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: I had that Doctor Pepper, like, I'd eaten the pickle 219 00:10:56,360 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: separately and then I just left the Doctor Pepper in 220 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: the bottle on the counter, and Henry walks over and 221 00:11:01,559 --> 00:11:03,560 Speaker 1: he puts some mentos in it, and then down's the 222 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 1: rest of it. It's like, why can't you just drink 223 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: the Doctor Pepper? 224 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 2: Yes, seriously, come on, Henry, that's a different drink you're 225 00:11:10,440 --> 00:11:13,439 Speaker 2: supposed to do with. So what fact do you want 226 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:14,599 Speaker 2: to run with next? 227 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: Here's a fun one. The Dallas NBC station went to 228 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: the Doctor Pepper lab to see if they could get 229 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:22,960 Speaker 1: some tips on what those twenty three flavors and Doctor 230 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: Pepper are, and of course they didn't have any luck. 231 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:27,640 Speaker 1: They were told the formula has been a secret since 232 00:11:27,640 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty five and that it's kept under lock and 233 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: kena safe for sometimes even talked about being in two saves, 234 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: with half the recipie in one and half the recipie another. 235 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:38,560 Speaker 1: But one thing they did find out is that when 236 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:41,720 Speaker 1: new flavors are sampled at the Doctor Pepper labs, they're 237 00:11:41,760 --> 00:11:44,760 Speaker 1: all done under a blue light so that the tasters 238 00:11:44,800 --> 00:11:47,440 Speaker 1: can't see the color of the beverage. Apparently the color 239 00:11:47,440 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 1: of a drink can have a real impact on the 240 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:51,319 Speaker 1: way you perceive a drink, and the blue light keeps 241 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: tasters honest. 242 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:54,679 Speaker 2: Which is great, But do you know what any of 243 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 2: those twenty three flavors are? Like, I'm actually pretty curious 244 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:57,840 Speaker 2: about this now. 245 00:11:58,360 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: Yeah. I look that up as well, and there's a 246 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: whole community of super fans online who've tried to figure 247 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:06,400 Speaker 1: it out, and according to Mashed, people think the main 248 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:18,679 Speaker 1: flavors are amaretto, almond, BlackBerry, black licorice, caramel, carrot, clove, cherry, ginger, juniper, lemon, molasses, nutmeg, orange, plum, pepper, 249 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: root beer, rum, raspberry, vanilla, and most surprising to me, 250 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: tomato toto incredibly yeah. Yeah, I guess if you blend 251 00:12:28,960 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: all those things up and you add some seltzer, you've 252 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,839 Speaker 1: got a house formula for your own Doctor Will or 253 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 1: mister Will or whatever you want to call it. But 254 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: one thing that Doctor Pepper is adamant about, and they 255 00:12:39,080 --> 00:12:40,680 Speaker 1: say this all over the list, is that there are 256 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:45,080 Speaker 1: no prunes in Doctor Pepper. According to Doctor Pepper's faq online. 257 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: They've got a question, does Doctor Pepper contain prune juice? 258 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 1: The answer is no, Doctor Pepper does not contain prune juice. 259 00:12:52,920 --> 00:12:55,160 Speaker 2: That is that is very good to know. I will 260 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: put fewer prunes and more tomatoes in my homemade Doctor 261 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 2: Pepper from now on. But still got a few more 262 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 2: facts to go. But why don't we take a quick 263 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 2: break first. 264 00:13:18,400 --> 00:13:20,640 Speaker 1: Welcome back to part time genius. When we're talking all 265 00:13:20,720 --> 00:13:23,839 Speaker 1: things Doctor Pepper. So Will, where do you want to 266 00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:24,440 Speaker 1: take it from here? 267 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 2: All right, Well, we've only got a few facts left. 268 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 2: So you know, one of the things that's always interesting 269 00:13:30,280 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 2: to me is the advertising over the years for all 270 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 2: sorts of products. But especially sodas and foods and drinks 271 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,240 Speaker 2: like this. So in the early years they advertised Doctor 272 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:41,880 Speaker 2: Pepper for quote them vigor and vitality. You see what 273 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:44,520 Speaker 2: they did that did alliteration there, and they called it 274 00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 2: liquid Sunlight. But according to The Daily Meal, in the 275 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 2: nineteen twenties, there was a study from Columbia University that 276 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 2: showed that blood sugar tends to dip at ten am, 277 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:58,120 Speaker 2: two pm, and four pm. So Doctor Pepper decided to 278 00:13:58,160 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 2: capitalize on this with the slogan drink a bite to 279 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 2: eat at ten two and four. I had to read 280 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 2: that a couple of times because just drink drink a 281 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:08,200 Speaker 2: bite to eat at ten to two and four. And 282 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 2: basically they were pitching Doctor Pepper as three tiny square 283 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 2: meals to give you this kick of sugar between your 284 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 2: bigger square meals. And I guess according to the Daily Meal, 285 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 2: the ads worked because wartime laborers kind of thought of 286 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:24,240 Speaker 2: it as their like their red bull or something, and 287 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 2: so later in the fifties they continued that marketing line 288 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,600 Speaker 2: with the phrase the friendly Pepper upper. These are all 289 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 2: such confusing phrases, and it was actually used on Dick 290 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 2: Clark's bandstand. But back to the whole drink a bite 291 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: to eat thing for a second. Oddly, that ad is 292 00:14:40,120 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 2: the only time Doctor Pepper decided to use a doctor 293 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,640 Speaker 2: mascot to sell the brand. They supposedly wanted to use 294 00:14:46,680 --> 00:14:49,960 Speaker 2: a picture of a typical country doctor, but the cartoon 295 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 2: image is is of this guy with like this top 296 00:14:52,400 --> 00:14:55,640 Speaker 2: hat and these glasses and a glass soda bottle. He 297 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 2: kind of looks like like a human version of mister Peanut. 298 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 2: And for some reason, under him there's a second slogan 299 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: that reads join the club, which is a little more clear, 300 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,280 Speaker 2: like it's not very exciting, but just like you know 301 00:15:07,320 --> 00:15:08,080 Speaker 2: what they mean by that. 302 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:11,120 Speaker 1: At least, I feel like they're so good at mixing 303 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: wrong ingredients and so bad at mixing wrong words. 304 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:19,120 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, yeah, Pepper the bite me so. Yeah, it's 305 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 2: really good stuff. 306 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not at all confusing. But one thing I 307 00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: hadn't realized is how important it's been to Doctor Pepper's 308 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: growth that the drink is not a cola. So, as 309 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:33,840 Speaker 1: we've mentioned before here, Coca Cola and Pepsi were well 310 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:36,680 Speaker 1: ahead in the soda game right like. By the nineteen sixties, 311 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: Doctor Pepper was in fifth place in the soda wars, 312 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 1: and it wasn't even a competition. And that's partially because 313 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: Pepsi and Coke had done a really clever thing. They'd 314 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:48,480 Speaker 1: each gone into markets to work with bottling companies and 315 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,440 Speaker 1: made them sign agreements that they had to be exclusive 316 00:15:51,480 --> 00:15:54,800 Speaker 1: to their cola. But in nineteen sixty three, doctor Pepper 317 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,680 Speaker 1: got a federal court to rule that because no cola 318 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: nut extract is in the drink, it is not actually 319 00:16:00,920 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: a cola. And because of that loophole, they got bottlers 320 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: around the nation to start making the drink for them. 321 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: So now if you're a bottler, you can like bottle 322 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:12,280 Speaker 1: Pepsi and Doctor Pepper, or Coke and Doctor Pepper without 323 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:15,800 Speaker 1: any conflict of interest. And if you remember, that's basically 324 00:16:15,840 --> 00:16:18,200 Speaker 1: the point at which Coca Cola decides to accelerate the 325 00:16:18,240 --> 00:16:21,680 Speaker 1: development of their Mister pib concoction. It's basically so that 326 00:16:21,720 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: they can offer these companies their own version of the 327 00:16:24,000 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: drink and cut Doctor Pepper out. Anyway. According to the 328 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: Motley Fool, the company went from doing about fifteen million 329 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: dollars of sales annually to two hundred and twenty seven 330 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:36,640 Speaker 1: million dollars of sales in nineteen seventy seven, and it 331 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:39,840 Speaker 1: changed the company's perception of just being this regional drink. 332 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: And actually, just to bring this poem for a second, 333 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:44,880 Speaker 1: when Dr Pepper entered the New York market in nineteen 334 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,800 Speaker 1: seventy there was this Dallas born journalist named David de Vos, 335 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: and he told Texas Monthly about how he entered a 336 00:16:51,560 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: Manhattan delicatessen and he ordered a kosher salami on rye 337 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:59,440 Speaker 1: with a cold and sparkling Doctor Pepper. And it was 338 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,200 Speaker 1: this thing that it was unimaginable to him prior to that, right, 339 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:04,359 Speaker 1: like it was this taste of home. And as he 340 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: wrote quote, it simply blew my mind. It was like 341 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: the merging of two great cultures. Munching on a big 342 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,880 Speaker 1: kosher pickle and washing it down with my Doctor Pepper 343 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: almost brought tears of joy. The two complimented each other 344 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: like wine and cheese. Right, I guess means people have 345 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:26,040 Speaker 1: been pairing Doctor Pepper with pickles for a very long time. 346 00:17:25,880 --> 00:17:29,240 Speaker 2: Now, apparently. So that is a great fact, and it's 347 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 2: gonna be hard to top, but I think I have 348 00:17:31,720 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 2: one that'll do it. Because Mango, I remember that when 349 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 2: you were younger, you were a huge Guns n' Roses fan. Well, actually, 350 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 2: I may have just made that up, but either way, 351 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:42,960 Speaker 2: it's a good fact. Did you know that Guns and 352 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,399 Speaker 2: Roses once sued Dr Pepper? 353 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:48,360 Speaker 1: No? But uh, but now I'm very curious. 354 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:50,560 Speaker 2: Well, I don't know if you remember this, but Chinese 355 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,679 Speaker 2: Democracy was an album that came out in two thousand 356 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 2: and eight, and it had taken forever to create. 357 00:17:56,920 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: A Yeah, I remember, it was like one of the 358 00:17:58,640 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: most expensive albums of all time, and they were always 359 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: talking about when it was going to come out. 360 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 2: That's exactly right, and Guns n' Ros's last original music 361 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,439 Speaker 2: before that had been the Use Your Illusion one and 362 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,760 Speaker 2: two albums from nineteen ninety one, and trying to get 363 00:18:12,800 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 2: their new album, Chinese Democracy off the ground had just 364 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,960 Speaker 2: been this nightmare, of course, and apparently they'd recorded like 365 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:23,119 Speaker 2: over fifty tracks. Slash left the band, the guitarist Buckethead 366 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:26,199 Speaker 2: left the band, lots of others left the band, and 367 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,280 Speaker 2: tons of creative differences in all this drama. And to 368 00:18:29,359 --> 00:18:33,400 Speaker 2: your point, Axel Rose, he'd spent like thirteen million dollars 369 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 2: of David Geffen's money in the studio to that point. 370 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,359 Speaker 2: Then Dr Pepper for some reason stepped into the fray 371 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 2: and offered a free Doctor Pepper to everyone in America 372 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 2: except for Buckethead and Slash if the band just put 373 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 2: out the album. The copy from the offer is incredible. 374 00:18:50,960 --> 00:18:52,879 Speaker 2: I'm just going to read it here. It says we 375 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 2: completely understand and empathize with Axel's request for perfection. We 376 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 2: know once it's released people will refer to it as 377 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 2: Doctor Pepper for the Ears because it will be such 378 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 2: a refreshing blend of rich bold sounds, an instant classic. 379 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,200 Speaker 2: I just love this so weirdly. Axel Rose said that 380 00:19:10,240 --> 00:19:13,119 Speaker 2: he appreciated the support, said he'd share his drink with 381 00:19:13,119 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 2: Bucketheads since he played on the album, and then later 382 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 2: announced that the album would be coming out some months 383 00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,920 Speaker 2: later and Doctor Pepper kept their promise, which is all 384 00:19:21,960 --> 00:19:26,080 Speaker 2: really cool, except the rollout was poorly executed. The details 385 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 2: are too much to go through here, but trying to 386 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 2: get free drinks to three hundred and five million Americans 387 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:34,720 Speaker 2: turns out to be easier said than done. And it's 388 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,800 Speaker 2: not clear whether Doctor Pepper actually believed that the album 389 00:19:37,920 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 2: is going to come out as promised or not, since 390 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,680 Speaker 2: it had been like fourteen years in the making. Anyway, 391 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:47,560 Speaker 2: people were pissed. Axel's lawyers threatened a lawsuit and called 392 00:19:47,560 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 2: the whole thing this unmitigated disaster, and they said, quote 393 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:54,919 Speaker 2: in the eyes of vocal fans, doctor Pepper ruined Chinese 394 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 2: democracy's release. They also demanded full page apologies from doctor 395 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,960 Speaker 2: pepperin all the major newspapers at the time, from USA 396 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 2: Today to Wall Street Journal to the New York Times. 397 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:07,840 Speaker 2: So it was a whole thing for a minute until 398 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 2: Axelrose told his lawyers this isn't really an issue, and 399 00:20:11,920 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 2: they dropped the whole thing. 400 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: That is so good, crazy and I love the idea 401 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,280 Speaker 1: of Slash. Just like watching the whole thing go in flames, 402 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:22,840 Speaker 1: like with his feet up on his stool, smoking a cigarette, 403 00:20:22,960 --> 00:20:27,960 Speaker 1: drinking at doctor Pepper. It just feels perfect. I think 404 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: you definitely win this one. 405 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 2: I'll take it. That's awesome. I appreciate that. And that's 406 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:34,640 Speaker 2: it for this week's episode. Thank you so much for listening, 407 00:20:34,680 --> 00:20:37,639 Speaker 2: and remember we love hearing from you, whether that writing 408 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,000 Speaker 2: a review for the show or writing to our moms 409 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:44,400 Speaker 2: don't forget at pt Genius Moms at gmail dot com. 410 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:46,399 Speaker 2: We heard from a lot of you. We'd love to 411 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:48,920 Speaker 2: hear from many more of you. PT Genius Moms at 412 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:53,159 Speaker 2: gmail dot com. Seriously, that is the email address. Lalita 413 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 2: and Paultte are waiting to hear from you. We'll see 414 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 2: you next time. 415 00:21:09,800 --> 00:21:13,119 Speaker 1: Part Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. 416 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:17,600 Speaker 1: This show is hosted by Will Pearson and me Mongaschtikler 417 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,960 Speaker 1: and research by our good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's 418 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,360 Speaker 1: episode was engineered and produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan 419 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 1: with support from Tyler Klang. The show is executive produced 420 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:32,600 Speaker 1: for iHeart by Katrina Norvell and Ali Perry, with social 421 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: media support from Sasha Gay, trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shorey. 422 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 423 00:21:42,320 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.