I’m bangin’ a postal Crazy Ivan to discuss the wonderful invention of … bubble gum. Actually, it wasn’t really an invention, but a mistake. Now, over 100,000 tons of bubble gum is chewed every year all around the world.
In 1928, Walter Diemer was working as an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia; what he wound up doing in his spare time was playing around with new gum recipes. But this latest batch was less sticky than regular chewing gum and it stretched more easily.
My reintroduction to bubble gum began in my travel hockey days. Driving around Michigan and neighboring territories can be a little boring. Consequently, I got tired. At one of my daughter’s games, some parents and I were talking about ways to combat ‘the drive’. One father suggested chewing gum. By doing this, the yawn ‘complex’ is interrupted. Hence, your body no longer follows suit. Added bonus, the muscles in your jaw get a more chiseled appearance. Nice.
rainblo of flavors
Over the years, sweeteners in gum have changed. The Sugar-Free mania introduced Aspartame into the majority of chewing AND bubble gum varieties. I avoid that fake shit. Unfortunately, finding clean alternatives is hard. That is if you consider sugar and sometimes even high fructose corn syrup clean. Hmmm… .
- Bazooka – the hard beginnings – a childhood memory
- Hubba Bubba – very soft, but very sweet- it contains sugar AND aspartame. Gross!
- Glee / Spry – more chewing gum than bubble gum – a healthy alternative, though
- Dubble Bubble – individual wrapped option – I drop things on the car floor. A lot. Wanna a piece?
- Rainblo – my personal favorite – every Easter Rainblo has egg-shaped gumballs. Fun and festive.
random gumballs
- A mathematician once calculated that the energy Americans expend everyday when chewing bubble gum was enough to light a city of ten million people.
- When your popped bubble gets stuck in your hair, you can remove it by rubbing the piece stuck with peanut butter
- It is believed that ancient Greeks found relief from stress by chewing a gum that was made from a resin.
- In Africa, it was said that various tribes accepted large quantities of bubble gum in lieu of sheep and oxen, as payment for a wife.
- Chewing bubble gum is said to keep one from crying, as it reduces stress and helps in concentration.
- Swallowed bubble gum will not get stuck to your intestines, but will pass through your system. Gum base cannot be digested, as it has fiber that is indigestible.
- Studies suggest that chewing gum can help you concentrate, improve long-term and working memory, reduce muscle tension, and increase alertness.
popping the proverbial bubble
- Susan Montgomery Williams set the Guinness World Record for largest bubblegum bubble ever blown at 26 inches (66 cm) in diameter back in 1996.
- Chad Fell holds the record for “Largest Hands-free Bubblegum Bubble” at 20 inches (51 cm), achieved on 24 April 2004.
I’m not entirely sure what a hands-free bubble is. I have an idea, but sounds kinda sketch. Regardless, the bubble gum flavor in this post has run out. Before I get hard and lumpy, I will close. There’s only a small window of opportunity to get rid of that wad, ya know. The aftertaste of over-chewed gum is just nasty. Besides, it’s a wonderful time for a … Bedtime Story?
