"gum" news and stories

I got my wild cherry diet Pepsi, and I got my Black Jack gum here, and I got that feeling, mmm that familiar feeling, that something rank is going down up there. -- Hard Harry, Pump up the Volume

Have you ever been swayed by a strange plug in a film or show? I'm not talking about the oft-chugged can of coke, but rather the product you've never heard of? After I saw Christian Slater chowing down on Black Jack gum, I was curious, despite my then large distaste for licorice. But I never saw it on the shelves until I walked into an old ice cream shop a few years later and saw it amongst the pile of trendy retro candies. I became an instant convert to the black gum that had the creamy release of licorice, followed by the old-school, hours-long longevity that gum fails to live up to these days.

But this is truly retro. Black Jack is the first flavored gum in America, made by Thomas Adams in 1884. This is also the first gum to come in sticks -- a mainstay that lives to this day. The brand was made until the 1970s, and now only gets limited releases every few years. Luckily, it freezes quite well. Yes folks, if you're like me and can't stand the thought of being without during Black Jack's long absences, you can freeze it and take out a pack as needed. It wards off that unpleasant hard gum staleness, and stays nice, soft, and tasty. I've had packs in my freezer for years -- they're still good!

With the wonderful Internet, you can find it quite easily these days. (Next production begins in the Fall of 2009.) Halloween sweets might be catered to the kids, but that doesn't mean we can't indulge in a little retro deliciousness. Be sure to also check out Eric Diesel's retro candy post and Classic Candy from last year, which lists the wonderful Black Jack.

Jason Kronenwald likes words that begin with the letter "b" - specifically, blondes and bubble gum. Combine your two passions, and what do you get?

Of course! Portraits of iconic blonde women made entirely out of chewed bubble gum. (Why...what were you thinking? Weirdo.) Kroenwald has minions of gum-chewers at his disposal, but says he prefers Trident when it comes to personal chewing. He claims that there are no paints or dyes used, and that "the mixing of color takes place in the mouth during chewing." Hmm...so kinda like Willy Wonka, then?

Here are a bunch, from Marilyn to Britney.

Creative or cheap? You decide.

via [epi-log]

You remember: she's the chewing gum fanatic in Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory who broke a world record by chewing one stick of gum for three months straight. And we're guaranteed that Maurizio Savini would be her hero.

Savini's chewing gum sculptures have getting a ton of press lately, probably less for artistic merit and more for pure gawking value. For the record, all of the gum he uses is un-chewed, and according to a bio on nonprofit art foundation Pastificio Cerere's site, Savini chose gum as a medium for its barrage on our senses and because it reminds him of childhood.

Check out more of his sculptures here, and then give us your opinion.

I was thinking about holiday-related candy lately. Which do you prefer, Halloween candy or Christmas candy? I guess it depends on whether you're the type of person who would want to eat a chocolate Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer or something called Nurse Hatchet's Body Parts Gummy Candy.

The latter is available at Candy Crate, an online store where you can get a ton of Halloween candy, including Pumpkin Whirly Pops, Boneheads Fruit-Flavored Skulls, Halloween Bubble Gum Coins, and Oozing Eyeballs. Sure, it's too late for tonight's Halloween activities, but that doesn't mean you can't have them delivered next week and gross out your friends and family then.

Ah, one of the eternal questions, right up there with "Do you really have to wait an hour after eating before you swim?" and "How many licks does it take to get the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?"

And now the question is answered at the Scientific American Web site. The old wisdom warned that you shouldn't swallow gum because it takes the body seven years to digest it. But the folks at Scientific American have investigated and the answer is ... after the jump!