Chewing Gum That Doesn’t Stick
Everyone has a story about chewing gum. I stuck some on my headboard when I was about six and after a night of tossing and turning, it wound up in my hair - right in the front, around my face. My mother tried to “ice it”, but it had to be cut out and it wasn’t pretty. There’s a trailer running for the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler movie “Baby Mama” where the former discovers the latter’s chewing gum under her coffee table. Funny - when it’s not happening to you. 
The issue with chewing gum is its sticky property. Singapore has even banned the substance because it “pollutes” public places. But there’s a company in Britain that hopes to change all that. Revolmyer that has raised $20 million CDN in order to study the addition of a special polymer that modifies the properties of gum so it’s less adhesive.
Do you chew gum? Did you blow bubbles while you had braces? What other chewing gum mishaps have you experienced? Post your anecdotes via the No Comments/Comments link below. Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is CHEWINGGUM. It’s good until May 9th.
May 7th, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Hi Carly: OMG today when you were making the call to the winner of the trip to Ireland, guess what happened? My phone rang at the same time, I answered and it was my husband. So I said ohhhh it’s you. He wasn’t impressed with my response. Until I told him I was expecting a call from Jeff & Carly so we could go on a trip. Oh well, I’ll wait till next week for my phone call, Talk to you then, Janice
Carly’s Note: Can’t wait to chat, Janice!
May 7th, 2008 at 9:41 pm
I’ve noticed that if you chew a piece of gum long enough, it stops being rubbery and turns into a pasty mess. It’s happened to me a couple times, and I had to look for a garbage can to spit it out. Now I chew gum for no longer than an hour.
Carly’s Note: I’ve had that happen to me a couple of times as well. It would be interesting to find out how long the average person chews a piece of gum because even an hour sounds like a long time to chew the same gum, but if you’re not paying attention, I guess it can pass quickly.
May 7th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Why, oh why oh why..do people have to ‘SMACK’, and ‘SNAP’ their chewing gum???? Grates on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard!!!
Yes, I chew gum. I blow ‘HUMONGOUS’ bubbles, to entertain my daughter. Plus, it’s fun in the sense of, blowing bubbles. Flying a kite, on a real windy day!! It makes me feel good inside,and childLIKE again.
I’ll admit growing up with two sisters(younger), and one brother, we use to pick ABC grapegums off the hot, summer sidewalk, brush off two or three ants, take it in the house, run it under some cold water, then pop it in our mouths. No big deal…
NOW when I think of it, my stomach turns..EWWW!! But, a little kid did what they needed to survive in the early ’70’s.
We put gum on our headboards at night too, to save for the morning. I remember being a very ‘bad girl’ on many occasions…but, on this one in particular, I was so mad at my sister, who squealed on me, that I chewed I think a total of five ‘Double Bubbles’, and slapped it hard down in the crown of her hair, when she wasn’t looking!!
What followed, was a spanking for me, which wasn’t too bad, when I saw that mom had to ice my sisters head!! When THAT didn’t work, she whipped out the ‘SERIOUS SCISSORS!!’ Then, as a last resort, she gave my sis a mullet type hair cut, with the crown of the hair hacked out!!
She was SO PURTY!! I laughed so hard, I nearly peed myself!!! Well, that’s my story, and I’m stickin’ to it.
PS- The rotten brat got me back later, and mom BANNED all chewing gum from then on..! RATS!!
Carly’s Note: You just reminded of the different kinds of gum we chewed as kids. I loved Thrills (tasted like soap) and Big League Chew - the challenge was how much you could shove in your mouth at once.
May 8th, 2008 at 5:39 am
Hi Carly,
Yes i used to blow bubbles when i wore braces back in my early teens.
Now i chew gum to relieve stress or get rid of bad breath after a meal that contains garlic or onions!
For business meetings, breath strips are more effective than chomping on gum though eh?
Have a great day.
Carly’s Note: I don’t normally chew gum, but you’re right - it can be a soothing act. I hate watching someone who cracks their gum or chews with their mouth open, though. That causes me stress!
May 8th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Pet peeve; people spitting out their gum in a parking lot or sidewalk. Take a look on the ground next time you get out of your car and along the sidewalk. Those black spots caked to the ground isn’t tar!
Carly’s Note: That’s exactly why it’s banned in Singapore!
May 8th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Does that bubble look like a penis to anyone else?
Carly’s Note: No, Freud. It looks like two bubbles touching and his popped first.
May 8th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I never thought that the thing in the picture looked like a penis, but I did think it was a condom, because you can see the ring part in the middle. And everyone knows you can make condom bubbles!
Carly’s Note: I didn’t know that. Thanks for enlightening me!
May 8th, 2008 at 8:56 pm
Hi Carly: I have to agree with Sarah. When I first saw the picture I thought the guy was blowing up a sheik. Then I read the article. LOL Janice
Carly’s Note: I guess I’m a prude - and you ladies deifnitely aren’t!