Children often ask us questions with their existential questions. And “Why this? »et » whyoooooo this? ” . It’s boring, but above all it’s humiliating. To fly to your rescue and shut up your brat a bit the next time he goes shopping with you, here are some answers to “Hey dad/mom, why does this exist? “. Present !
1. The Fanta was invented in Nazi Germany
During World War II, German bottling companies were deprived of Coca-Cola syrup. The head of the brand in the country is Max Keith, a Nazi man, a close friend of Hitler himself. Faced with the situation, he starts looking for an alternative to soda, and decides to mix a whole bunch of stuff a little deg and boom: it’s Fanta. The name is inspired by the German word “Fantasie” (= “fantasy”, “imagination”).
2. Kleenex, first used as a gas mask filter during WW1
Yes, the history of the Kleenex brand begins during the 14-18 war, when a disposable crepe paper is designed by Kimberly-Clark as a filter in gas masks. In times of peace, the use of the latter must be reconsidered. The gas filters are then transformed into hygienic protections, known as “Kotex”. Unfortunately for the company, it’s not a great success. Kimberly-Clark then decided to modify their composition to make them finer and softer: in 1924, Kleenex handkerchiefs were marketed in the USA and then in the United Kingdom. At the time, they were presented as handkerchiefs for removing make-up. (Source)
3. In Ancient Egypt lettuce was eaten as an aphrodisiac
More than just a vegetable, in ancient Egypt lettuce was the symbol of the God Min, the fertility deity. This symbolism comes from the white aspect of the sap, which is reminiscent of… You have understood. In fact, lettuce was given aphrodisiac properties, and its consumption was originally linked to sexuality. (Source)
Conversely, in Greek mythology, lettuce is associated with the death of two seducers, Adonis and Phaon. Lettuce was then considered a “plant of cold and humid nature, which is located on the side of what is promised to death and putrefaction, it puts, on the other hand, an end to the sexual power of men. » If on the side of Egypt, the salad has aphrodisiac virtues, in Greece, it is considered to promote impotence and sexual abstinence. Two rooms, two atmospheres. In any case, lettuce was originally associated with the ass.
4. Kellogg’s cornflakes, an “anti-masturbation” food
It was brothers Will Keith Kellogg and doctor John Harvey Kellogg who invented this cereal (by mistake) in the 1890s. These two fun people and fans of the little pleasures of life were at the head of the Sanitarim of Battle Creek. They feed their patients tasteless diets to suppress all carnal urges and end masturbation. NICE. Among the star foods of this sexy menu: boiled corn. One day, they forget the delicious recipe in the kitchen, and find it completely stale. They then decide to flatten it and grill it. And boom, it makes cornflakes. We will add a little sugar to them to market them in 1906. I already didn’t find that phew, but there, I find it even less nice.
5. …and Graham’s crackers invented to keep people from having “carnal urges”
In the same delirium as the Kellogg’s, there are the Grahams, invented by the reverend of the same name: Sylvester Graham. He also thought of these dry and somewhat boring biscuits to remedy “the carnal impulses that turn men and women away from God”. Which Bible verse is it written in? “Eat disgusting cookies, without fat or flavor, to lead a healthy life? »
6. Napoleon is the originator of canned food
Indirectly, our canned green beans are thanks to Napoleon. In 1795, his government launched a competition and promised a reward to the person who will find how to preserve fresh and healthy food, intended to feed the Napoleonic armies. In 1810, it was Nicolas Appert who won the prize, after having found how to preserve any substance in bottles and then in jars (of glass, at the time), thanks to sterilization by heat in containers. closed. The British took over the method, after having decorated Appert with the symbolic title of “Benefactor of humanity”. On the Napoleon side, the boxes went to war and were transported to Moscow! The first patent for a metal can (as we know it, more or less) was filed by the Englishman Peter Durand in 1810. He specifies that he is not the direct inventor. He would have received the technique in inheritance, by a foreigner. (Source)
7. Lysol disinfectant was first used as a contraceptive
Lysol is a disinfectant that can be found today in the aisle of household products. Yet, originally, it was in the bathroom department. Yes yes. In the early 1900s, Lysol was offered for sale as a feminine soap for intimate hygiene. On the advertisements (to freeze the blood), one could read that the Lysol ensured the “feminine delicacy” and protected the “marital bliss”. Basically, it was advertised as a product to eradicate odors and make disinterested husbands crave. Nice marketing, right?
Worse still, beyond this nameless machismo, Lysol was also and above all used as a contraceptive. Yes yes. After the passage of the Comstock Act (1873), contraceptives became illegal in the United States until 1965. At that time, douching after intercourse became a (poorly effective) contraceptive method. Beyond the fact that almost one in two women became pregnant using this technique, we must also and above all note how dangerous this practice was. The active ingredients of the product were even more toxic than those used today! There was notably crestom (aggressive antiseptic causing burns and inflammation). In 1911, doctors recorded 193 poisonings and five deaths from Lysol showers. A really joyful top, definitely.
8. T-shirts were first worn by Marines.
And you’re going to say to me: “uuuh t-shirts at the supermarket? I don’t think so, no! “Well yes, okay? In most department stores, there’s a section of clothes, so it works. Thanks. In short. The first t-shirts were worn by the (British) Royal Navy and then by the American Marines, during the Spanish-American War (1898, a hundred years before I was born). These clothes were then used as underwear since they were first worn as undershirts, under uniforms. Thanks to its cheap price, its ease of washing and its lightness, the product quickly spread throughout America and then the world. Initially, children wear them as clothes they have the right to get dirty, for playing or doing household chores, for example. (Source)
