I'd like to thank my friend, Katie, for reminding me of this wonderful candy from my childhood. She went to dinner at Joe's Crab Shack Saturday night, and had a Rockin Popin Pomegranate Margarita, which is a Pomagranate Margarita with a Pomagranate juice floater. The magic comes along when the drink is brought to the table and the server pours a packet of Pop Rocks on top! Oh the humanity! Ahhh, Pop Rocks! After the initial shock of such a concoction wore off, I began to think of all my childhood experiences with those bright little pebbles of exploding sugar - the first time I discovered them at Buford's Candy Shop, the first time I made my friend try them, and then later, when they were taken off the market. And why were they taken off the market, you may ask. Well, everyone knows that little Mikey from the Life cereal commercials ate Pop Rocks and drank a Coke and his stomach exploded! How could they keep something so dangerous in the hands of small children and expect them to follow rules like, "No Pop Rocks and Soda"? So they were gone forever.
OK, who believes that one? That's right, it's just an elaborate rumor to replace a rather dull truth. Here's what really happened. Pop Rocks entered the candy scene, courtesy of General Foods, in 1975. They were a big hit, but as distribution increased, there was an increasing problem with freshness. Pop Rocks ended up in circulation past their expiration date, and would no longer pop - very disappointing. General Foods found themselves unable to manage quality control in such a large market, so they pulled them off the shelves in 1983.
Immediately, rumors began to swirl about the dangers of mixing Pop Rocks and Coke. Poor Mikey and his innocent stomach! General Foods tried to squelch the rumor by, and you're going to
love this, circulating a flier disputing the rumor. Seriously? A flyer? I suppose we have to cut General Foods some slack. In 1983 there was no email, no Information Superhighway, no bloggers spreading the light of truth to the public. But a flier? Really? But you have to admit the Exploding Stomach Rumor is much more impressive than a Quality Control Issue. But now, Pop Rocks are back and being distributed by Pop Rocks, Inc. San Diegans can find them at North Park Vaudeville & Candy Shoppe.
Another amazing phenomenon with Pop Rocks is how, despite being off the market for years, they have remained a part of our popular culture. From the Mikey rumors to the shout-outs in multiple television shows and Green Day's song, Pop Rocks and Coke. And let's not forget, the Rockin Poppin Pomegranate Margarita!
Just in case you need some verification that Pop Rocks are perfectly safe, please watch this informational video clip from those crazy cats at MythBusters on the Discovery Channel.
So enjoy those Pop Rocks, and have a Coke and a smile. Your stomach will not explode.
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