Hypnotic History

What do the spork and a self-opening coffin have in common? Sources: Dove, Laurie L. “Who invented the spork? | HowStuffWorks.” Science | HowStuffWorks , https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/invented-spork.htm .  Ferro, Shaunacy. “The Man Who Invented the Spork.” Mental Floss , 25 June 2015, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65500/man-who-invented-spork .  Gross, Jes...

Mediums and rock n’ roll and Hell’s Angels! Oh my! Sources: Brown, Daniel. “Whatever Happened to the Renaissance Community.” Foundation for Intentional Community , 12 November 2019, https://www.ic.org/whatever-happened-to-the-renaissance-community/?srsltid=AfmBOor3SObAz0HJ3s1IQ47JLfnNAEIMDRBOv6lECdOnjIq_5NOYVgNO . Houriet, Robert. Getting Back Together . Abacus, 1973. Kopyta, Jeff, et al. Brotherh...

Can you patent a rock? Sources: Jones, Chris. ““The Unbelievable Story of The Pet Rock: How One Man's Idea Made Him Millions!”” Medium , 5 April 2023, https://medium.com/@cfjbiz/the-unbelievable-story-of-the-pet-rock-how-one-mans-idea-made-him-millions-f19e5260de76 . “The Pet Rock Captured a Moment and Made Its Creator a Millionaire.” ABC News , 1 April 2015, https://abcnews.go.com/US/pet-rock...

The surprisingly controversial and drama-laden history of pet brine shrimp. Sources: Great Big Story. “The Mad Genius Behind Sea Monkeys.” YouTube , 28 December 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0xXKCOSZuQ .  “History of Sea-Monkeys – The Original Sea-Monkeys.” Sea-Monkeys , https://www.sea-monkeys.com/sea-monkey-set-up-instructions/about-the-sea-monkeys/ .  Rossen, Jake. “A Brief History of...

Oh, how we all long to go back to the days of sharing an ear tube with a stranger at a saloon. Sources: “A Short History of How Jukeboxes Changed the World.” Rock-Ola , 14 August 2019, https://www.rock-ola.com/blogs/news/a-short-history-of-how-jukeboxes-changed-the-world?srsltid=AfmBOooWHAr38jwCEDsd_KsWNRFGgJINLGFqTm3TnmZAEEqnOfaIYks9 . Blitz, Matt. “How the Jukebox Got Its Groove.” Popular Mechan...

Is that a fish on your back, or do you follow the Gregorian calendar? Sources: Alexander, Andrea. “How Did April Fool's Start?”  Rutgers University , 1 April 2024,  https://www.rutgers.edu/news/how-did-april-fools-day-get-started . Dean, Jeff. “April Fools' Day: When did it start?”  NPR , 1 April 2022,  https://www.npr.org/2022/04/01/1089947257/april-fools-day-history .  Gattignolo, Meghan...

Were they homes of the future or did it feel like living in a filing cabinet? Sources: Danaparamita, Aria. “Lustrons: Building an American Dream House.”  National Trust for Historic Preservation , 29 July 2013,  https://savingplaces.org/stories/lustrons-building-an-american-dream-house . Freeman, Colette. “Lustron Homes 1948-1950.”  Lombard Historical Society , 18 September 2021,  https://www.lomb...

Smile! You just made a fool of yourself on national television! Sources: “Candid Camera.” Television Academy Foundation , https://interviews.televisionacademy.com/shows/candid-camera . Long, Lacy. “Allen Funt's Candid Camera Documentary Sets August Release Date.” Collider , 23 July 2022, https://collider.com/allen-funt-candid-camera-documentary-release-date-shout-factory/ . The TV Professor. “...

Is it hot in here, or is it just me in this Hypercolor t-shirt? Sources: Carey, Bridget. “Color-changing smart clothes will make you a chameleon.” CNET , 15 May 2018, https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/color-changing-smart-clothes-smart-fabrics-purse-ucf-chromorphous/ .  Christopherson, Siena. “What Happened to the '90s Hypercolor Trend?” ASI , 14 August 2023, https://members.asicentral.com/news...

It had zero calories, but it came at a price. Sources: Magnuson, Bernadene. “Olestra.” ExtoxNet , 1997, https://extoxnet.orst.edu/faqs/additive/olestra.htm . Mayyasi, Alex. “The Fat Free Revolution that Gave America Diarrhea.” Priceonomics , 27 May 2016, https://priceonomics.com/the-failure-of-the-fat-free-revolution/ . “Olestra: A Leaky History.” Portable Press , 29 June 2015, https://www.portabl...

The bed that made waves with hippies, hedonists, and housewives alike. Sources: Brown, Patricia Leigh. “17 Years of the Water Bed: A Social History.” The New York Times , 28 August 1987, https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/28/garden/17-years-of-the-water-bed-a-social-history.html . Mitchell, Nancy. “A Brief History of the Waterbed.” Apartment Therapy , 11 February 2018, https://www.apartmenttherapy.co...

The toy born of a Scandinavian tradition that spawned a market of copycats and collectors Sources: Berlin, Erika. “12 Hair-Raising Facts about Troll Dolls.” Mental Floss , 4 November 2016, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/88225/12-hair-raising-facts-about-troll-dolls . Crockett, Zachary. “How the inventor of the troll doll missed out on a fortune.” The Hustle , 12 February 2023, https://thehust...

A combo so sacred it involves death threats. Sources: Licata, Elizabeth. “The Story Behind Costco's $1.50 Hot Dog.” The Kitchn , 27 February 2018, https://www.thekitchn.com/the-story-behind-costco-hot-dog-deal-256217 . Romero, Gabby. “Costco Hot Dog History - Everything You Need To Know About Costco Hot Dogs.” Delish , 22 March 2024, https://www.delish.com/food-news/a60277599/everything-you-ne...

Do you know the lingo? Take our test to find out! Sources: “Citizens Band Radio History.” Cobra , https://www.cobra.com/blogs/news/citizens-band-radio?srsltid=AfmBOooRpSEczkYVyTqMG0gcgk9mgSgVtcBbIBWtWMbOkbImwbzDTxuU . Conradt, Stacy. “Darth Vader's Penchant for CB Radio.” Mental Floss , 12 February 2015, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/61631/darth-vaders-penchant-cb-radio . Debczak, Michel...

This cat didn’t want to haz cheezburger. He just wanted you to be a better person. Sources: Carlson, Jen. “Heed These Vintage Subway Etiquette Signs.”  Gothamist , 10 December 2013,  https://gothamist.com/arts-entertainment/heed-these-vintage-subway-etiquette-signs . Carlson, Jen. “This Cat Was The NYC Subway Etiquette Mascot In The 1960s.”  Gothamist , 3 March 2015,  https://gothamist.com/arts-en...

Why did Jimmy Carter’s brother have his own beer brand, and can you still get it today? Sources: Berg, Jenny. “Billy Beer brought fanfare to Cold Spring in 1977.”  SC Times , 10 December 2015,  https://www.sctimes.com/story/life/2015/12/10/billy-beer-brought-fanfare-cold-spring-1977/77031326/ . “Billy Beer: DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY!”  Rusty Cans ,  https://www.rustycans.com/HISTORY/billy.html . “Bil...

Levi’s would like you to know that denim is definitely not cool. Not rebellious. And you can even wear it as a tuxedo for formal occasions! Sources: Conradt, Stacy. “10 Buttoned-Up Facts about Levi's.” Mental Floss , 20 May 2016, https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/80306/10-buttoned-facts-about-levis . Debczak, Michele. “Why Are Most Jeans Blue?” Mental Floss , 10 February 2022, https://www.mental...

How the doughnut got its name (and hole)! Sources: Debczak, Michele. “A Deep-Fried History of Doughnuts.” Mental Floss , Minute Media, 2 June 2022, https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/doughnut-history . Dunkin' Editorial Staff. “Dunkin' Donuts: Then and Now.” Dunkin , 31 December 2016, https://news.dunkindonuts.com/blog/dunkin-donuts-then-and-now .  Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. “History.” Krispy Kreme ,...

One of the most memorable Christmas commercials of all time only happened because a Hershey executive went rogue!

Is a Pronto Pup a corn dog, or are corn dogs imitation Pronto Pups? We’ll try to unravel the madness together.  Sources: Mumford, Tracy. “The definitive history of the corn dog (er, Pronto Pup).”  MPR News , 2 September 2016,  https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/09/02/definitive-guide-to-pronto-pup-corn-dog .  OptiMonsterDM. “5 Corn Dog Facts You Might Not Know About - Our Guide.”  George's Gyr...

Why most of the stories told about hot dogs are bologna (so to speak) Sources: Butler, Stephanie.  The Extra-Long History of the Hot Dog | HISTORY , 28 August 2013,  https://www.history.com/news/break-out-the-buns-the-history-of-the-hot-dog .  Debczak, Michele. “The Disputed History of the Hot Dog.”  Mental Floss , 27 April 2022,  https://www.mentalfloss.com/posts/hot-dog-history . “Searching Hist...

The student-run magazine that chronicled bygone stories and skills from Southern Appalachia Sources: Danovich, Tove. “The Foxfire Book Series That Preserved Appalachian Foodways.”  NPR , 17 March 2017,  https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/17/520038859/the-foxfire-book-series-that-preserved-appalachian-foodways . The Foxfire Book . Anchor Books ed., Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1972.  Inter...

We watched the entire 30-minute Flowbee infomercial so you don’t have to. Instagram and More:  https://linktr.ee/hypnotichistory Sources: Cave, Damien. “Suction a Little More Off the Top, Please.”  Los Angeles Times , 24 January 2000,  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-jan-24-cl-56991-story.html . Cohen, Danielle. “George Clooney Is Joking About Cutting His Own Hair With an Informercial...

Cold War-era guidelines for surviving a nuclear attack Instagram and More:  https://linktr.ee/hypnotichistory Sources: U.S. Department Of Defense.  In Time of Emergency . Office of Civil Defense, March 1968.

How Americans started the diamond engagement ring trend, the troubling ancient origin of bridesmaids, and more! Instagram and More:  https://linktr.ee/hypnotichistory Sources: Andersen, Charlotte Hilton. “The History and Origins Behind 15 Popular Wedding Traditions.”  Reader's Digest , 30 May 2022,  https://www.rd.com/list/wedding-traditions/ . Glusac, Melina. “Wedding Traditions With Dark and...