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• “Chewing gum may be a $19 billion industry, but it’s not a universally accepted practice. Chewing gum is a crime in Singapore, and, in 15th-century Meso-America, it was the mark of a prostitute.” And how!
• Early conceptions of chewing gum got a boost from a former Mexican President looking to return to power and get the funds to do so by re-inventing a rubber substitute, which explains a lot of things.
• Unfortunately, the first “gum” stuck to the face – so much so that it had to be removed by turpentine (yikes). Bubble Gum as we know it was invented in 1928, by Walter Diemer, an accountant at Fleer Chewing Gum Company. He developed a formula that didn’t stick to the face and had enough elasticity to blow bubbles. Pink was the color on hand for the first batch and so it has doth sacredly remained.
• The process of making gum is probably really difficult to comprehend, but this cool animation breaks it down in simple terms.
• So what really happens when you swallow your gum? Does it sit undigested in your gut until you die? Or does it simple pass on through?
• If you can’t swallow gum, by George, what are you to do with it? Well you can place it in the shrine of Bubble Gum Alley, or Philadelphia’s Gum Tree (actually it was cut down in 2008 … BUT …).
• Whatever you do, just don’t spit your gum out in Singapore, where chewing gum is against the law (although they do allow Nicotine gum thanks to Rep. Philip Crane from Illinois … the home of Wrigley) who applied pressure to lifting the ban as part of a free trade agreement.
• That might change one day, however, since the first biodegradable gum is set to be introduced this year (though I wouldn’t recommend spitting it freely).
• Maybe gum’s not all bad – after all, some claim that it improves concentration. It also has a place in national history.
• Gum is often associated with Baseball. Since dip and chew is often frowned upon by teams, some players chew gum instead. And some mix the two together – ew.
• Finally, for those of you who haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since asking yourself this question: how did Bazooka Joe lose his right eye?
• I once had a teacher swear that in the future the Surgeon General would ban gum for causing jaw problems. So far so good on that front. What kind of gum is your favorite, Flossers? Do you mainly chew it for the minty tasty or get a big pink wad to blow into a bubble?
For more food and frivolity during the week, I am on Twitter.
Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.
‘Dietribes’ appears every other Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna Beyenbach You might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.
Comments (21)
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the swollow your gum link is bad. it takes you to the NY times log in page
posted by Heather Bishop on 8-12-2009 at 12:44 pm
Also, Wrigley tends to sponsor many studies related to gum chewing and its benefits, which may or may not influence the integrity of those conducting the studies.
I myself tend to chew more Trident gums. The Extra Care gums they recently came out with are delicious! Milk derivative, you are no deterrent to me!
posted by Steven on 8-12-2009 at 12:48 pm
Wow, either I just don’t walk around enough to see it, or British people spit out their gum more than Americans do, because I rarely see gum stuck on sidewalks. I’m betting on the first, since I live in Texas and pretty much only walk through parking lots or on running paths (I’m guessing most runners don’t chew gum). But still, yay for biodegradable gum!
Awesome Dietribe, as I adore gum. I’m always afraid of having bad breath, so I probably chew 2-3 pieces of the sugar-free minty stuff a day. I’m an Extra fan.
posted by nutmeag on 8-12-2009 at 1:10 pm
I don’t chew gum. When we were little we only got half a stick (!!), and that was it. No second piece. So I’d chew and chew and chew (to get the value from it)…and end up realizing my jaws were sore and the gum was flavorless and awful. For a while, though, I loved Hubba Bubba — the foot-long sticks of gum were great.
posted by Rachel on 8-12-2009 at 1:15 pm
OH YEAH! speaking of gum. I went to Six Flags three days ago, sporting my “Apple a Day” t-shirt. Next in line for a ride, two kids abort themselves from my future seat, and the gates open to let me saddle up. As i strap in, they claim that the ride throws you around. I pay no mind, and the brace myself for a minute and a half of being tossed back and forth. Exiting, i feel my shirt resisting to leave the seat. Those little punks stuck a wad of gum on the back right before i got on and i never noticed! I managed to peel most of it off. It was Doublemint too, so the color blended in somewhat to the shirt color. Still, the shirt got a lot of positive attention, regardless of the gummy mess on the back.
posted by Steven on 8-12-2009 at 1:22 pm
Extra – Polar Ice
Remains soft for longer than other brands and Polar Ice keeps it’s minty flavor for quite a while.
I have a pack-a-day habit.
posted by n2y2 on 8-12-2009 at 1:40 pm
Whenever my daddy offered us(my brother and I) some gum, he’d rip the stick in half.
To this day, I rip the stick in half.
posted by holly on 8-12-2009 at 1:57 pm
My younger brother left a package of “5″ gum in my car last week. That was impressively strong, but I’m not likely to buy more of it. I’m a Dentyne Ice kind of guy.
posted by Dave on 8-12-2009 at 2:22 pm
I’m an Extra fan, too, and stick to the minty stuff in order to 1) not have bad breath and 2) stay awake during important meetings! and I only do sugar-free (who needs to rot their teeth faster, eh?)
posted by ann on 8-12-2009 at 2:27 pm
hubba bubba blueberry is the greatest gum ever created.
also, whenever i’m at work and feel a bit tired, i chew a piece of gum to pep myself up. works like a charm
posted by mike on 8-12-2009 at 2:55 pm
One day, back in fifth grade, Sister Judith discovered a student chewing gum. She gave the old, \No chewing gum unless you have enough for the whole class,\ spiel. Guess what? The kid *did* have enough for the whole class. His father worked for a bubble gum company.
Best. Day. Ever.
posted by loripop on 8-12-2009 at 2:57 pm
I think the universe has it in for me today – earlier, a piece of gum ripped out a filling I had in my teeth! And now the universe is just rubbing it in :).
posted by Kyla on 8-12-2009 at 4:11 pm
South Street in Philly just isn’t the same without the gum tree. It was a sad, sad day when they cut it down…photos really do that tree no justice.
posted by Jen on 8-12-2009 at 4:30 pm
Minty gum!
posted by Helenann on 8-12-2009 at 7:11 pm
I have a question about the gum tree. Was it just one tree? or were there many of them down the street? I remember walking down South street and seeing various trees with gum on them. Earlier this year, I realized there were no more trees. Was it just one tree?
posted by Steven on 8-12-2009 at 7:19 pm
Loripop that story is AMAZING! Hah, I mean, how often does that ever happen?
Steven – from my understanding it was just one tree, although I have little doubt that many trees in most metro areas are home to stray gum wads :/
posted by Allison Keene on 8-12-2009 at 7:46 pm
Also, the times link should be fixed. If not, try this: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/28/health/28real.html?_r=1
posted by Allison Keene on 8-12-2009 at 7:47 pm
Chewing gum in Singapore is not a crime…..the sale of chewing gum is a punishable offence….
(just wanted to clarify)
posted by Florence on 8-13-2009 at 2:30 am
A 60-piece container of Spry, a xylitol-sweetened gum found largely at health food stores, sits in the console of my car constantly. Though it may be marketed to a slightly more vintage age group, it keeps my 25-year-old gums and teeth happy, and the cinnamon flavor is delicious!
posted by LorinJuliet on 8-13-2009 at 8:42 am
There’s also a gum wall in Ann Arbor. It’s gross.
posted by jgarfink on 8-13-2009 at 1:32 pm
I remember as a kid there was this bubble gum called Mouth Full. And that is was. If I recalled correctly it was about the size of a 3X5 card and cost 10 cents. The regular small pieces of bubble gum cost only a penny.
posted by Steve C on 8-13-2009 at 2:21 pm