Decoder Ring | Mailbag: Fruit Snacks, Waterbeds, and Lobster Tanks

Decoder Ring, a segment of Slate Podcasts' Slow Burn, delves into fascinating cultural curiosities through listener questions. In this episode, host Willa Paskin explores the seemingly mundane but culturally significant topics of fruit snacks, scented magazine pages, waterbeds, and live lobster tanks in grocery stores. Drawing from listener emails and expert interviews, the episode unpacks the history, evolution, and societal impacts of these everyday items.

1. The Sweet Truth About Fruit Snacks (00:00 - 18:53)

The episode kicks off with listener Steve Gardner's revelation about fruit snacks. Initially perceived as a healthier alternative to candy, Steve comes to the stark realization that fruit snacks are essentially "gummy bears" (02:55). This misrepresentation leads him to question the integrity of food marketing.

Key Discussions:

• History of Fruit Snacks:

  • Steve Gardner reminisces about childhood fruit snacks, particularly Shark Bites, which were both a treat and a toy (01:38 - 02:06).
  • Willa Paskin traces the origins of fruit snacks to Jore Fruit Rolls, a family-owned business in Brooklyn, showcasing traditional methods of production (08:24 - 10:44).

• Commercialization and Mislabeling:

  • The rise of General Mills' Fruit Roll Ups in 1979 transformed fruit snacks into a mainstream product, emphasizing real fruit to appeal to parents (11:06 - 15:26).
  • Steve Gardner, a public interest lawyer, discusses the deceptive practices in marketing fruit snacks as healthy, leading to legal battles against major companies like General Mills and Welch's (15:26 - 18:53).

Notable Quotes:

• Steve Gardner (02:55): "They're just gummy bears."
• Willa Paskin (17:21): "Telling someone it's real fruit is both false and deceptive."

Insights: Fruit snacks occupy a deceptive space in the market, marketed as healthy despite their candy-like composition. Legal actions highlight the ongoing struggle to ensure truthful labeling in food products.

2. The Allure and Decline of Scented Magazines (18:53 - 29:53)

Alana Traven's curiosity about scented magazine pages leads Willa Paskin and producer Max Friedman to explore the history and technology behind scented advertisements.

Key Discussions:

• Origins of Scent Strips:

  • Scent strips originated from a technological breakthrough in encapsulating scents within polymer bubbles, initially used in cash register tapes (24:33 - 25:14).
  • Max Friedman uncovers how boutiques like Giorgio in Beverly Hills leveraged scent strips to boost perfume sales dramatically (26:08 - 26:42).

• Cultural Impact and Decline:

  • Scent strips became ubiquitous in the 1980s and early '90s, enhancing consumer experiences but eventually faced backlash due to overwhelming odors (27:20 - 28:33).
  • The decline of print magazines in the 2010s marked the end of scent strips' prominence, replaced by online sampling methods (28:33 - 29:53).

Notable Quotes:

• Max Friedman (26:42): "Giorgio's sales jumped from 15 to 60 million dollars."
• Jessica Murphy (29:13): "It still has a lot of fragrance. This is fascinating."

Insights: Scented magazine pages were an innovative marketing tool that temporarily enhanced consumer engagement with products, particularly perfumes. However, changing media consumption habits and sensory overload led to their decline.

3. The Rise and Fall of Waterbeds (29:53 - 37:47)

Sarah Fentom's nostalgia for waterbeds prompts an in-depth look into their popularity and eventual decline, featuring an interview with Charlie Hall, the inventor of the waterbed.

Key Discussions:

• Invention and Innovation:

  • Charlie Hall describes the evolution from a gelatin-filled chair to the first waterbed, emphasizing comfort and reducing pressure points (31:06 - 32:26).
  • Early adoption by celebrities and counterculture figures helped popularize waterbeds in the late '60s and '70s (33:42 - 34:18).

• Cultural Phenomenon:

  • By the late 1970s, waterbeds became mainstream, symbolizing comfort and a break from traditional mattresses (35:07 - 35:42).
  • Marketing shifted focus from the sensual appeal to general comfort, further embedding waterbeds into American households (35:42 - 37:00).

• Decline and Legacy:

  • The advent of memory foam and other mattress innovations offered similar comfort without the drawbacks of waterbeds, such as weight and maintenance issues (37:00 - 37:47).
  • Today, waterbeds hold a nostalgic place but occupy a mere 2% of the mattress market, often referenced humorously in popular culture (36:02 - 37:47).

Notable Quotes:

• Charlie Hall (32:49): "If you went into a store, people walk around, lie down on one, the big smile comes over their face."
• Max Friedman (35:44): "Daddy, can I have a waterbed?"

Insights: Waterbeds revolutionized the mattress industry by prioritizing comfort over traditional firmness. Technological advancements in mattress design eventually rendered waterbeds obsolete, yet their influence persists in modern bedding preferences.

4. The Ethics of Live Lobster Tanks in Grocery Stores (37:47 - 49:04)

Melissa from Mobile, Alabama, raises an ethical question about why lobsters are sold alive in grocery stores. This prompts a deep dive into the treatment of lobsters and societal perceptions of crustaceans.

Key Discussions:

• Historical Context:

  • In the 19th century, live lobsters were marketed similarly to other live foods like chickens, ensuring freshness in a time of limited preservation technology (40:13 - 42:20).
  • The transformation of lobsters from a cheap, regional staple to a luxury item is traced through the rise of chains like Red Lobster (42:20 - 44:25).

• Current Ethical Concerns:

  • Ben Sturgeon, a veterinarian and founder of Crustacean Compassion, argues that lobsters experience pain and deserve humane treatment, challenging the necessity of keeping them alive until consumption (46:03 - 48:04).
  • The misconception that lobsters must be eaten live for optimal taste is debunked, advocating for more compassionate practices in seafood consumption (47:07 - 48:35).

• Cultural Resistance:

  • The unique appearance of lobsters as "giant bugs" contributes to a lack of empathy, making it difficult for consumers to relate to their sentience (49:04 - 49:15).

Notable Quotes:

• Ben Sturgeon (47:26): "Science in the last 10 years has demonstrated that these animals are sentient."
• Jan Whitaker (42:20): "Turtle soup was a real delicacy, whereas lobsters were not."

Insights: The practice of selling live lobsters is deeply rooted in historical marketing and consumer perceptions of freshness and luxury. However, evolving understandings of animal sentience are challenging these norms, advocating for more ethical treatment of crustaceans in the food industry.

Conclusion

This Decoder Ring episode masterfully unpacks the hidden histories and cultural significances of everyday items. From the deceptive sweetness of fruit snacks to the nostalgic wobble of waterbeds, and the ethical quandaries of live lobster sales, the episode encourages listeners to look beyond the surface and question the norms surrounding the products they consume and the technologies they interact with.

Production Credits: Produced by Max Friedman and Sophie Kodner, with contributions from Evan Chung, Katie Shepherd, Derek John, and Merritt Jacob.

Note: All timestamps referenced are based on the provided transcript and correspond to the points discussed within the episode.