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The long-running television animation ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' has featured a number of fictional products, sometimes spoofs of real-life products, that have subsequently been recreated by real world companies attempting to exploit the popularity of ''The Simpsons''. In 2007, as part of a "reverse
product placement Product placement, also known as embedded marketing, is a marketing technique where references to specific brands or products are incorporated into another work, such as a film or television program, with specific promotional intent. Much of t ...
" marketing campaign for ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'', real life versions of a number of Simpsons products were sold in
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
stores. Real cans of Buzz Cola, boxes of Krusty-O's cereal, Squishees, and a special edition (#711) of the Radioactive Man Comic were all sold in stores alongside other ''The Simpsons'' merchandise.


Buzz Cola

Buzz Cola is a brand of
cola Cola is a Carbonation, carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus essential oil, oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked br ...
, and an officially licensed product of
20th Century Studios 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
. Its
slogan A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan or a political, commercial, religious, or other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group ...
is "twice the sugar, twice the
caffeine Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class and is the most commonly consumed Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance globally. It is mainly used for its eugeroic (wakefulness pr ...
". The slogan is a parody of the former
Jolt Cola Jolt Cola is a carbonated soft drink originally produced by The Jolt Company, Inc., later known as Wet Planet Beverages. The cola drink was created in 1985 by C. J. Rapp as a highly caffeinated beverage. It was targeted towards students an ...
slogan "all the sugar and twice the caffeine". A prior slogan used was "There's a little boogie in every bottle (can)". Sometimes Buzz Cola is used for making a statement of the advertising industry. In "
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", also known as "E-I-E-I-D'oh", is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 7, 1999. In ...
" ( season 11, 1999) the Simpson family is at the movies watching the ads. Here they watch an Allied Forces soldier storm the
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
beaches and charge a German. The German falls to the ground dead and the Allied soldier reaches for a can of Buzz Cola in his belt pocket. A voice over then says "Buzz Cola: The taste you kill for!" and then the German comes alive again to say "Available in ze lobby". Jonathan Grey writes in his book ''Watching With The Simpsons'' that "the cola ad, for instance, scorns the proclivity of ads to use any gimmick to grasp attention, regardless of ethics". Although a general
parody A parody is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satire, satirical or irony, ironic imitation. Often its subject is an Originality, original work or some aspect of it (theme/content, author, style, e ...
of popular cola drinks, parallels can be observed between Buzz Cola and
Pepsi Pepsi is a Carbonated water, carbonated soft drink with a cola flavor, manufactured by PepsiCo which serves as its flagship product. In 2023, Pepsi was the second most valuable soft drink brand worldwide behind Coca-Cola; the two share a long ...
. For example, many of the mock
television commercials A television advertisement (also called a commercial, spot, break, advert, or ad) is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization. It conveys a message promoting, and aiming to market, a product, service or idea. ...
that appear for Buzz Cola on ''The Simpsons'' follow the same youth-oriented approach of real Pepsi commercials. In another example,
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
gets his arm stuck in a
vending machine A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise m ...
selling "Crystal Buzz Cola", a parody of
Crystal Pepsi Crystal Pepsi is a cola soft drink made by PepsiCo. It was initially released in the United States and Canada from 1992 to 1994. It was briefly sold in the United Kingdom and Australia. In 1991, PepsiCo's risk-taking leadership ambitiously resha ...
. In the episode " Dude, Where's My Ranch?,"
Maggie Simpson Margaret Lenny "Maggie" Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and the youngest member of the titular family. She first appeared on television in the '' Tracey Ullman Show'' short " Good Night" on ...
dances in her crib with her midriff exposed while a
Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...
tune plays in the background and produces a can of Buzz Cola at the end of her small dance, parodying the Pepsi advertising done by Spears in the late 1990s and early 2000s. There is also a "Buzz Cola with Lemon" version of the product, with the slogan "damn, that's a lemony cola". In addition, in a later episode, there was an old ad for Buzz Cola, stating that it has the "rejuvenating power of cocaine" in it. In the video game '' The Simpsons: Hit & Run'', aliens
Kang and Kodos Kang and Kodos Johnson are a duo of fictional recurring characters in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Kang is voiced by Harry Shearer and Kodos by Dan Castellaneta. They are green, perpetually drooling, octopus-like alien ...
use a " new and improved" Buzz Cola formula to brainwash the citizens of Springfield into performing stupid stunts for their reality TV show, ''Foolish Earthlings''. They also dump it into the town's water supply, which reanimates the dead and creates
zombies A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore ...
. In July 2007,
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
rebranded some stores to look like
Kwik-E-Mart The Kwik-E-Mart (pronounced "Quick-E-Mart" in " Bart the General") is a convenience store in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It is a parody depicting many of the stereotypes of American convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and C ...
s in select cities to promote ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
''. Real cans of Buzz Cola were available at those locations, as well as most other 7-Elevens throughout the United States and Canada. The soda in these cans was produced by the
Cott Primo Water Corporation (formerly Cott Corporation) is an American-Canadian water company offering multi-gallon bottled water, water dispensers, self-service refill water machines, and water filtration appliances. The company is headquartered in ...
Corporation, which also makes
RC Cola RC Cola (short for Royal Crown Cola) is a carbonated cola beverage owned in the United States by Keurig Dr Pepper and internationally by RC Global Beverages, Inc. History In 1901, the Cole-Hampton-Hatcher Grocery Store was established in Col ...
outside the United States. Buzz Cola first appeared in the 1984 movie ''
Surf II ''Surf II'' is a 1984 American comedy film written and directed by Randall M. Badat and starring Eddie Deezen, Linda Kerridge, Eric Stoltz and Jeffrey Rogers. The plot follows two dim-witted surfers attempting to thwart the plans of a mad scien ...
''.


Duff Beer

With its loud-mouthed corporate spokesperson
Duffman Barry Duffman, or Barry Huffman, more commonly known by his work name Duffman, is a character on the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons''. He is the mascot and chief spokesperson for Duff Beer. It has been referenced, however, that the corporate m ...
, ''Duff Beer'' is a parody of stereotypical
American beer In the United States, beer is manufactured in breweries which range in size from industry giants to brew pubs and microbreweries. The United States produced 196 million Barrel (unit)#Fluid barrel in the US and UK, barrels () of beer in 2012, ...
: cheap, mass-produced, poor-quality and heavily advertised. It is
Homer Homer (; , ; possibly born ) was an Ancient Greece, Ancient Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Despite doubts about his autho ...
's favorite beer and sold in all the bars of Springfield. Its slogan is "Can't get enough of that wonderful Duff". The chief competitor of Duff Beer is Fudd Beer, which is intentionally spelled with a parallel swapping of the consonants. Homer became aware of Fudd Beer while patronizing a "
redneck ''Redneck'' is a derogatory term mainly applied to white Americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the southern United States.Harold Wentworth, and Stuart Berg Flexner, ''Dictionary of American ...
bar" in nearby Spittle County. It was later revealed to be considered very popular in Springfield's rival town of Shelbyville. Moe said he thought it had been banned "after all those hillbillies went blind", suggesting
methanol poisoning Methanol toxicity (also methanol poisoning) is poisoning from methanol, characteristically via ingestion. Symptoms may include an altered/decreased level of consciousness, poor or no coordination, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a specific smell o ...
.
Lion Nathan Lion is an alcoholic beverage company that operates in Australia and New Zealand, and a subsidiary of Japanese beverage conglomerate Kirin Company, Kirin. It produces and markets a range of beer and cider in Australia, and wine in New Zealan ...
, an Australian brewery, started to brew their own ‘Duff’ in the mid-1990s.
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
sued, and only a few cans were produced. In the process, the beer became a collectors’ item, with one case selling for
$US The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
13,000. Duff Beer was not sold at 7-Eleven because the promoters wanted to have "good, responsible fun." However, a Duff Energy Drink was released in place of the Duff Beer.


Krusty-O's

Krusty-O's is a brand of
breakfast cereal Breakfast cereal is a category of food, including food products, made from food processing, processed cereal, cereal grains, that are eaten as part of breakfast or as a snack food, primarily in Western societies. Although warm, cooked cereals li ...
endorsed by
Krusty the Clown Herschel Shmoikel Pinchas Yerucham Krustofsky (; ), better known by his stage name Krusty the Clown (sometimes spelled as Krusty the Klown), is a recurring character on the List of animated television series, animated television series ''The S ...
which prominently features his likeness on the box. The real KrustyO's, sold by
7 Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founded in ...
, were produced by the Malt-O-Meal corporation. Krusty-Brand Cereal is the catalyst for the episode
'Round Springfield "Round Springfield" is the twenty-second episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on April 30, 1995.. In the episode, Bart (Nancy Cartwright) is hos ...
", when
Bart Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area in California. BART serves List of Bay Area Rapid Transit stations, 50 stations along six routes and of track, including eBART, a spur line running t ...
swallows a "jagged metal Krusty-O" included in the box as a
premium Premium may refer to: Marketing * Premium (marketing), a promotional item that can be received for a small fee when redeeming proofs of purchase that come with or on retail products * Premium segment, high-price brands or services in marketing ...
and is sent to the hospital. Later in the episode when Krusty holds a press conference to show that swallowing the jagged metal Krusty-O is not dangerous, he immediately begins to gag before he is informed he swallowed a "regular" Krusty-O, which he claims must be "poison". At the end of the episode, another box of Krusty-O's is shown with the promotion: " Flesh-Eating Bacteria In Every Box!". According to the cash register in the opening credits of season 16, the current cost of a box of frosty Krusty-O's is $6.66.


Malibu Stacy

Malibu Stacy is a doll brand based on
Barbie Barbie is a fashion doll created by American businesswoman Ruth Handler, manufactured by American toy and entertainment company Mattel and introduced on March 9, 1959. The toy was based on the German Bild Lilli doll, Bild Lilli doll which Hand ...
which is the main topic of the episode " Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy". The release of the 2023 film ''Barbie'' coincided with the 30th anniversary of the episode.


Radioactive Man

''Radioactive Man'' is within the show a long-running superhero comic book series featuring Radioactive Man and his sidekick, Fallout Boy. According to one episode, there are 1,000 issues of the comic book. In the real world,
Bongo Comics Bongo Comics Group was a comic book publishing company founded in 1993 by Matt Groening along with Steve & Cindy Vance and Bill Morrison. It published comics related to the animated television series ''The Simpsons'' and ''Futurama'', as well a ...
has produced a smaller number of issues of ''Radioactive Man''. ''Radioactive Man'' is one of the four 'premiere' series released by Bongo Comics in late 1993. The series has been released in two volumes, an early run from 1993–1994, and the current run that has been published since 2000. Smaller ''Radioactive Man'' stories have also been published in ''Simpsons Comics''. As a tie-in promotion of ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'' a special "Radioactive Man Comic Book Edition #711" was sold at
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
s as part of their Kwik-E-Mart promotion. Within the Bongo Comics, Radioactive Man is secretly Claude Kane III, a millionaire playboy whose personality was well-intentioned, but bumbling and not overly bright. In addition (which became a recurring storyline element), Claude's personality was permanently stuck in a conservative 1950s outlook on everything, no matter what the time era in question was. A running gag is that in order to preserve his secret identity, Claude is constantly wearing various types of hats, in order to conceal the lightning bolt-shaped shrapnel sticking out of his head. Issue #1 of the Bongo comic differs from ''Radioactive Man #1'' as seen in ''The Simpsons'' episode "
Three Men and a Comic Book "Three Men and a Comic Book" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the second season (and the '' de facto'' season finale) of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on ...
". While featuring a similar scenario and accident (Claude getting his trousers caught on barbed wire just before a mega-bomb explodes is a parody of
Bruce Banner The Hulk is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of ''The Incredible Hulk (comic book), The Incredible Hulk ...
getting caught by the Gamma Bomb in the '' Incredible Hulk #1''), the Bongo series' Claude was not wearing tattered clothes. In the comic book, Claude's survival is due in part to a large thunderbolt-shaped shard of metal embedded in his head by the explosion. Claude would attempt to remove the bolt throughout the book series, but each attempt has nasty consequences which results in it being put back in his scalp again. Additionally, the bolt's presence would save his life numerous times in increasingly bizarre ways. Maintaining the satirical standards of the television show, these comics often parody genre comic books, and the reader can follow the evolution of Radioactive Man from a 1950s irradiated hero through the politically reactionary or radical years of the 1960s and 1970s, and the dark, troubled years of the 1980s and 1990s comic book hero. Indeed, one comic displays a startling similarity to Alan Moore's ''
Watchmen ''Watchmen'' is a comic book Limited series (comics), limited series by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons, and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 and 19 ...
'', with Radioactive Man taking the part of state-supported hero Doctor Manhattan. The comics are published as if they were the actual ''Simpsons'' universe's Radioactive Man comics; a "1970s"-published comic features a letter written by a ten-year-old Marge Bouvier, for instance. The comic also takes the idea that the title has been running since the 1950s and each issue of the real series is a random issue from that run. So one issue might be issue #357, the next #432 and the next #34, etc.


Squishee

Squishee (sometimes spelled Squishy or Squishie) is a frozen
slushie A slushy (also spelled slushie and less commonly slushee) is a type of beverage made of flavored ice and a drink, similar to granitas but with a more liquid composition. It is also commonly called a slush, slurpee, frozen beverage, or frozen dr ...
from ''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' TV series, usually purchased at the fictional
Kwik-E-Mart The Kwik-E-Mart (pronounced "Quick-E-Mart" in " Bart the General") is a convenience store in the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It is a parody depicting many of the stereotypes of American convenience stores such as 7-Eleven and C ...
which is managed by Apu. It is an apparent reference to
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
's
Slurpee Slurpee is the brand name for carbonated slushies sold by 7-Eleven and its subsidiaries A-Plus, Speedway, & Stripes Convenience Stores. The brand originated in 1966 when 7-Eleven made a licensing deal with The Icee Company to sell slushi ...
. In the thirteenth-season episode " The Sweetest Apu", Apu has the Squishee machine replaced with one of a similar drink called the "Smooshie," whose flavors reportedly include "shopping bag" and "dog fur". The fictional version of Squishees are reputed for being dangerous to health—Squishee flavorings have, if ingested in sufficient quantities, hallucinogenic properties. According to the Simpsons comic, Squishees allegedly contain no natural ingredients (not even pure water), create dangerous cases of brain freeze, and are even described as "a thick, gloopy, tooth-rotting mixture of crushed ice and syrup". Flavors include: blue, red,
lime green Lime is a color that is a shade of yellow-green, so named because it is a representation of the color of the citrus fruit called lime (fruit), limes. It is the color that is in between the web color chartreuse (color), chartreuse and yellow on ...
,
Chutney A chutney () is a spread typically associated with cuisines of the Indian subcontinent. Chutneys are made in a wide variety of forms, such as a tomato relish, a ground peanut garnish, yogurt, or curd, cucumber, spicy coconut, spicy onion ...
,
Wheatgrass Wheatgrass is the freshly sprouted Cotyledon, first leaves of the Wheat, common wheat plant (''Triticum aestivum''), used as a food, drink, or dietary supplement. Wheatgrass is served Freeze-drying, freeze dried or fresh, and so it differs from ...
, Champagne, cherry, and the Twenty-One Syrup Salute. Bart and Milhouse on one occasion went on a "Squishee bender" after drinking a squishee that was made entirely from syrup. Many other random flavors appear in the comics, including
Chinese New Year Chinese New Year, or the Spring Festival (see also #Names, § Names), is a festival that celebrates the beginning of a New Year, new year on the traditional lunisolar calendar, lunisolar Chinese calendar. It is one of the most important holi ...
,
Plum A plum is a fruit of some species in Prunus subg. Prunus, ''Prunus'' subg. ''Prunus'.'' Dried plums are often called prunes, though in the United States they may be labeled as 'dried plums', especially during the 21st century. Plums are ...
,
Raita Raita is a side dish and condiment in Indian cuisine made of dahi (curd), dahi (yogurt, often referred to as curd) together with raw or cooked vegetables, fruit, or, in the case of boondi raita, with fried droplets of batter made from besan (ch ...
and the black-colored "Squish of Death" (which causes spontaneous vomiting), which actually turned out to be just a mixture of the red and blue flavors. In 2007, as part of the Kwik-E-Mart promotion for ''
The Simpsons Movie ''The Simpsons Movie'' is a 2007 American Animation, animated comedy film based on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' created by Matt Groening. The film was directed by series veteran David Silverman (animator) ...
'',
Slurpee Slurpee is the brand name for carbonated slushies sold by 7-Eleven and its subsidiaries A-Plus, Speedway, & Stripes Convenience Stores. The brand originated in 1966 when 7-Eleven made a licensing deal with The Icee Company to sell slushi ...
s at
7-Eleven 7-Eleven, Inc. is an American convenience store chain, headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Seven-Eleven Japan, which in turn is owned by the retail holdings company Seven & I Holdings. The chain was founde ...
s were renamed "Squishees" and sold in special collector cups.


Tomacco

Tomacco was originally a fictional plant that was a hybrid between
tomato The tomato (, ), ''Solanum lycopersicum'', is a plant whose fruit is an edible Berry (botany), berry that is eaten as a vegetable. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. It originate ...
es and
tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...
, from a 1999 episode of The Simpsons titled "
E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt) "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)", also known as "E-I-E-I-D'oh", is the fifth episode of the eleventh season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It originally aired on the Fox Network in the United States on November 7, 1999. In ...
". The method used to create the tomacco in the episode is fictional. In the episode, the tomacco was accidentally created by Homer when he planted his fields with a mixture of tomato seeds and tobacco seeds, fertilised with
plutonium Plutonium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pu and atomic number 94. It is a silvery-gray actinide metal that tarnishes when exposed to air, and forms a dull coating when oxidized. The element normally exhibits six allotropes and four ...
. The result is a tomato that apparently has a dried, brown tobacco center, and, although being described as tasting terrible by many characters, is also immediately and powerfully
addictive Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to use a drug or engage in a behavior that produces natural reward, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use can ...
. The creation is promptly labeled "tomacco" by Homer and sold in large quantities to unsuspecting passersby. A cigarette company, Laramie Tobacco Co., seeing the opportunity to legally sell their products to children, offers to buy the rights to market tomacco, but Homer demands one thousand times as much money as they wish to pay him, and the company withdraws. Eventually, all of the tomacco plants are eaten by farm animals — except for the one remaining plant, which later goes down in an explosive helicopter crash with the cigarette company's lawyers. The process of making tomacco was first revealed in a 1959 ''
Scientific American ''Scientific American'', informally abbreviated ''SciAm'' or sometimes ''SA'', is an American popular science magazine. Many scientists, including Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla, have contributed articles to it, with more than 150 Nobel Pri ...
'' article, which stated that
nicotine Nicotine is a natural product, naturally produced alkaloid in the nightshade family of plants (most predominantly in tobacco and ''Duboisia hopwoodii'') and is widely used recreational drug use, recreationally as a stimulant and anxiolytic. As ...
could be found in the tomato plant after
grafting Grafting or graftage is a horticulture, horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion () while the lower part is called the roots ...
. Due to the academic and industrial importance of this breakthrough process, this article was reprinted in a 1968 ''Scientific American'' compilation. A ''Simpsons'' fan, Rob Baur of
Lake Oswego, Oregon Lake Oswego ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County, with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties. Population in 2020 was 40,731, an 11.2% increase since 2010, making it the ...
, was inspired by the episode. Remembering the article in a textbook, Baur cultivated a tomacco in 2003 by grafting together tobacco and tomato plants. The plant produced fruit that looked like a normal tomato, but Baur suspected that it contained a lethal amount of nicotine and thus would be inedible. Testing later proved that the leaves of the plant contained some nicotine, though a sample from the fruit was unable to be examined by the same laboratory. Both plants are members of the same family,
Solanaceae Solanaceae (), commonly known as the nightshades, is a family of flowering plants in the order Solanales. It contains approximately 2,700 species, several of which are used as agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and ornamental plants. Many me ...
or nightshade. The tomacco plant bore tomaccoes until it died after 18 months, spending one winter indoors. Baur was featured on the "E-I-E-I-(Annoyed Grunt)" audio commentary in the ''Simpsons'' Season 11 DVD box set discussing the plant and resulting fame. The 2004 convention of the
American Dialect Society The American Dialect Society (ADS), founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society p ...
named ''tomacco'' as the new word "least likely to succeed." Tomacco was a wordspy.com "Word of the Day".Word Spy – tomacco
/ref>


Notes


References

*


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Products Produced From The Simpsons The Simpsons lists Fictional food and drink