"Diet Coke" news and stories

The Mentos and Diet Coke guys are back -- in 3D! Almost four years to the day after Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grobe posted the (literally) explosive video featuring the Vegas-worthy fountains that they created from nothing more than Mentos dropped into two-liter bottles of Diet Coke, the pair has returned with a striking new gambit.

Their latest feat? A rocket car powered by (you guessed it) Mentos and Coke Zero. If, in an age of evermore rapid technological advancement, four years seems like a long time to wait for the next generation of candy-and-soda fueled propulsion, it's not like Voltz and Grobe have been holed up in their lab in Buckfield, Maine the whole time. What started out as a backyard gag of the "dude, do you know what happens when you mix Mentos and Coke" variety turned into one of the most viral videos of all time and quickly launched the duo into the stratosphere of internet-born celebrity, with appearances everywhere from Letterman to Ellen, corporate-speaking gigs, performances with the Blue Man Group, and videos for Barenaked Ladies and Weezer.

The video after the jump.

Following in the footsteps of Patricia Field, Manolo Blahnik and Matthew Williamson, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld has collaborated with Coca-Cola to introduce a limited edition bottle design -- his being for Coca-Cola Light in France. Like his predecessors, Lagerfeld champions the connection between the diet drink and high fashion by slapping an opaque, graphic label onto the bottle, and charging the sort of prices you'd expect for a limited edition fashion item.

Set to be unveiled on April 28 at chic Parisian boutique Colette, the bottles will be sold for the equivalent of $5, or as part of a limited-edition boxed set that'll cost 60 euros, or $80. What do you get for $80? The box, one bottle and a matching can opener tucked into a hidden drawer. The bottle itself bears Karl's signature, and his slim silhouette.

Last night, while watching the Oscars (I was a little bummed that Viola Davis didn't win for her performance in Doubt, she was spectacularly good in that role), I was taken aback by the sight of Tom Colicchio in a commercial for Diet Coke. I've come to accept the bizarre product placements on Top Chef, but somehow, I always looked at Colicchio as a celebrity chef who was above shilling for vast corporations.

In the commercial, Colicchio walks through a fancy restaurant that is serving all manner of convolution appetizers and entrees, while his voiceover advocates for simple good taste. The whole thing culminates with him drinking an ungarnished glass of Diet Coke. It's a good message (the one about simplicity), but the whole thing leaves me feeling dirty and a little disappointed.

What do the rest of you think about the commercial?

Have you seen the label for Diet Coke Plus? Check that out to the right -- the soft drink claims that it's "Diet Coke with VITAMINS & MINERALS"! That means that Diet Coke is finally healthy, right? Not quite.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the FDA has sent Coca-Cola Co. a warning letter stating that the beverage doesn't contain enough vitamins and minerals to be considered "plus." That word is, apparently, reserved for the foods that have at least "10% more of the reference daily intake or daily reference value of a nutrient than a similar product." And they also note that it's not quite kosher to try and make a carbonated beverage fortified.

Coke has no plans to change their label, and the FDA is waiting for them to "take prompt action to correct these violations." So, it should be an exciting little war come the New Year.

So. Diet Coke kills sperm on contact. We thought you should know.

We feel sort of shocked, and also sort of remarkably unshocked.

Scientist Deborah Anderson and her team have been awarded one of this year's Ig Nobel Awards from Improbable Research for their work on both Coca Cola Classic and Diet Coke's contraceptive qualities.

Will this knowledge ever come in handy? Well, with a desperate situation and a little yoga, anything is possible. Never say never, right? Okay, yeah, maybe this once.

Other things we bet kill sperm: Jagermeister, Ramen Noodle broth, Tang, and everything at Taco Bell.

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