In my younger day when it was the crass, defiantly crude thing to do, I chewed a lot of chewing gum. Beeman's Pepsin, Clove, blackjack, occasionally Fleers, once in a while, Chiclets. But as I entered my adult years, no I did not quit chewing, I settled on Wrigley's Doublemint as my gum of choice.
At the time I "quit" an eighteen-stick pack cost a quarter of a dollar. (This was up from the previous five-stick pack for a nickel, which had gone up to a dime.
At any rate, I tried a stick of Doublemint last night, just for old-times sake, doncha know. But before my review of the experience, consider this. Today's pack is fifteen sticks, down one-sixth from the earlier day. The cost is one dollar, one quarter, and a nickel, over five times the cost cited above for eighteen sticks.
The experience itself? The color is wrong; the taste is wrong, the texture is not right, the per stick quantity in-mouth is about half the real thing. and its "lasting power" is approximately the distance from here to the wastebasket.
A whole generation of gum-chewers blithely chomps away, having no idea what the real experience should be.
Or I am just a cranky old guy who remembers things the way they never were
But I think not.
8 comments:
Dangit, now that song is going to play in my head all day.
They truly have changed the "recipe" for gum. It really isn't the same anymore.
Jim, sorry; mostly because it will be running through my head, too. Given my recent experience, I think it highly unlikely that I will resume the chewing habit.
I used to use Dentyne. Those tiny pieces were just right. I'd save the stick wrapper for disposal of the product post rumination. It didn't last long. To exercise my jaw, I'd rather talk.
Chuck, Dentyne did wake up the mouth! I wonder if its quality has survived the modern techniques and technologies.
I was never much of a gum chewer - Juicy Fruit - flavor never lasted long but it was good while it lasted. Back in the old days there were various types of vending machines in the subway, one was a chewing gum machine - a penny a piece - California Fruit was our favorite and on the days my father took the subway, instead of driving to work, we knew when he got home there would be some California Fruit hidden in his pocket - and the search was on.
Grace, Daddy comes home to the pack attack. Fun for all!
I chew gum to avoid eating too much. I chew mostly minty stuff, but I stick to the Juicyfruit for airplane trips. It's just old school "vacation" gum to me for some reason. I agree--gum isn't what it used to be and the flavor doesn't last.
Lin, how funny: a special flavor for airplane trips! I don't know the first thing about the gum business, but gum isn't what it used to be. Ant that's a fact. And a shame.
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