Buzz
It’s often said that even the darkest clouds have a silver lining. When those clouds are as heavy as global conflicts or mass atrocities, the glimmer of hope may seem faint, but it remains. While the pain of these events is undeniable, they’ve also given rise to unexpected positives.
10. The Creation of M&M’S Was Influenced by Two Separate Wars
Forrest Mars Sr. had a falling out with his father, prompting him to relocate to Europe. Unfortunately, his timing coincided with the early 1930s, a tumultuous period. During his travels in Spain, he encountered soldiers embroiled in their civil war. Often seen as a precursor to the catastrophic World War II, the Spanish Civil War claimed half a million lives and established decades of Fascist governance.
During his visit, Mars observed soldiers consuming their rations. Their candies, designed to endure heat and remain portable, were coated in a hard, sugary shell. Inspired, Mars aimed to introduce a similar product in the US, particularly for summer. This led to the creation of M&M’S, famously known for their tagline, “melts in your mouth, not in your hand.”
Mars required assistance to launch his venture. However, World War II led to chocolate rationing, so he partnered with Bruce Murrie, son of Hershey Chocolate Company’s president, William Murrie. Hershey held a dominant position in the chocolate market at the time.
Together, they began distributing tubes of the candy to US soldiers. Post-war, the soldiers’ loyalty ensured the candy’s success. The duo, brought together by World War II, named their product after themselves: M(ars)&M(urrie)’S.
9. The Prohibition Era Gave Rise to the Cruise Ship Industry
Prior to the 1920s, cruises were primarily a mode of transportation rather than a leisure activity. People boarded cruise ships to reach a destination, not to enjoy the journey itself. Today, cruises are synonymous with relaxation, tropical destinations, and indulgence. This shift was largely influenced by the era of Prohibition.
When the US banned alcohol in 1920, people quickly found a simple workaround: drinking in international waters. Ships began offering alcohol once they crossed the 5-kilometer (3 mi) territorial limit, allowing passengers to drink freely without legal restrictions.
This gave rise to the “cruise to nowhere” trend. Passengers would spend hours or days drinking and celebrating on the open sea. Cruise lines soon expanded their routes to include nearby islands like the Bahamas or Cuba, laying the foundation for the Caribbean party cruise industry, much to the joy of partygoers everywhere.
8. The Erosion of Native American Culture Paved the Way for Modern Football
Richard Henry Pratt left a dual legacy in the realm of racism. He not only coined a term but also implemented policies that devastated Native American cultures nationwide. In what is now recognized as cultural genocide, the federal government began relocating Native Americans to boarding schools in the 1870s. The Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania was the first of its kind. There, Native Americans were forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their traditions. Tragically, over 200 students lost their lives due to malnutrition, illness, or the anguish of separation from their homes.
In an attempt to improve their well-being, the school introduced them to the emerging sport of football. They invested in the program by hiring Glenn “Pop” Warner as coach. Warner’s unconventional strategies, which deviated from traditional gameplay, are credited as the earliest examples of trick plays in football.
To counter Warner’s strategies, the Ivy League established the modern rulebook. By 1905, 19 fatalities had occurred on the field due to the intense physicality of the sport. Many schools had already discontinued their programs, and discussions about banning the game were underway. To reduce further casualties, the Carlisle Indian School introduced aerial tactics, leading to the creation of the forward pass and the spiral. These innovations revolutionized the game and are credited with ensuring football’s survival.
7. The Spanish-American War Transformed Coke into a Soda
Lasting only three months, the war is remembered for Teddy Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill. However, it also claimed nearly 80,000 lives due to injuries and disease, secured the US access to Guantanamo Bay, and ignited sectarian violence in the Philippines that persisted for decades, resulting in over 276,000 deaths. While it was called “splendid,” the war’s only true positive outcome was its indirect role in the creation of Coca-Cola.
Originally marketed as a medicinal tonic, Coca-Cola contained cocaine. In 1898, the federal government imposed a tax on medicines to fund the war. To evade this tax, Coke reformulated its product and rebranded it as a refreshing beverage.
This shift in marketing strategy is credited with ensuring Coca-Cola’s availability in grocery stores today. By the 1910s, the dangers of cocaine were becoming widely recognized, leading to a backlash against cocaine-based medicines and their eventual decline by the 1920s. The tax not only transformed Coke into a soda but also secured its enduring popularity.
6. The JFK Assassination Indirectly Inspired Rock-and-Roll Movie Soundtracks
Paul Simon was in Europe when he learned of John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Overwhelmed by grief, he channeled his feelings of isolation and sorrow into a song, which became “The Sound of Silence.” Three years later, the song topped the charts and remains one of the band’s most iconic works, profoundly influencing movie soundtracks.
Before the late 1960s, films relied on original scores rather than popular music. This changed with The Graduate. Initially, the film was meant to feature an original score, but director Mike Nichols became captivated by Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” while listening to it in the shower. He decided to incorporate the song into the movie clips as a placeholder while working on the score.
Initially, the song served as a temporary marker, but Nichols soon realized it perfectly encapsulated Benjamin Braddock’s emotional state. The same sense of inner turmoil that Paul Simon expressed in response to the assassination inspired Nichols to break from traditional cinematic norms. This decision paved the way for iconic soundtracks in films like The Bodyguard, Dirty Dancing, Purple Rain, Saturday Night Fever, and Forrest Gump.
5. The Kent State Massacre Shaped Devo’s Aesthetic and Musical Identity
The Kent State massacre became a defining moment when government forces killed four students during a protest. This tragedy inspired five other Kent State students to stage their own protest, but with a unique twist: jumpsuits and flowerpots.
Deeply affected by witnessing the deaths of two friends, Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh developed a theory that humanity was in a state of “devolution.” Drawing from this concept, they named their band Devo. Their music and visual style were deeply rooted in this philosophy.
To address humanity’s stagnation, their music embraced a futuristic sound. This is evident in their debut album—Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo!—which was “one of the first pop albums to prominently feature synthesizers as a key textural component and . . . set the stage for the synth-pop revolution that followed soon after.”
A profound legacy for the band behind “Whip It.”
4. Watergate Sparked the Creation of One of the Most Iconic Musicals in History
Watergate stands as the most significant political scandal in US history, often remembered for popularizing the suffix “gate.” However, its true influence may lie in its impact on Broadway. As the hearings unfolded on television, Michael Bennett watched with growing frustration, witnessing constant deceit and yearning for honesty.
Inspired, he gathered a group of Broadway dancer friends for a therapeutic session where they shared personal stories and reflected on the state of the nation. These sessions grew longer and revealed more about their lives than anticipated. The raw, unfiltered truths they shared were recorded, eventually forming the foundation for A Chorus Line, the longest-running musical in Broadway history.
A Chorus Line became a critical and commercial triumph. During its original run, it won nine Tony Awards, earned $277 million in revenue, and attracted 6.5 million theatergoers. Its popularity endures through revivals and off-Broadway productions.
The musical’s impact on the genre is immeasurable. It transformed musical theater by introducing realism and expanding the themes musicals could address. It paved the way for grittier productions like Rent, In the Heights, Assassins, and Spring Awakening. Unlike the extravagant shows that defined Broadway, it focused on the everyday struggles of ordinary people.
3. The Ewoks Were Inspired by the Vietcong
Ewoks, the adorable teddy bear-like creatures in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, are divisive among fans. While their cuddly appearance made them ideal for plush toys, their on-screen portrayal was far from gentle. These seemingly innocent beings were cunning and brutal, even using the helmets of fallen soldiers as drums—a far cry from the innocence of a Teddy Ruxpin.
This duality stems from their role as symbols of the Vietnamese. George Lucas, in his commentary on the 2004 rerelease of Return of the Jedi, revealed that the Ewoks were inspired by the ingenuity and resilience of Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War.
The parallels are striking. Both the Ewoks and the Vietnamese were small, resourceful groups who used their environment and limited tools to challenge a technologically superior empire. Replacing Endor’s forest moon with Vietnam’s dense jungles makes the connection unmistakable.
2. Agatha Christie Mastered the Art of Murder and Writing During World War I
Agatha Christie is widely regarded as the greatest mystery writer of all time and one of the most accomplished authors in history. Many of the iconic elements of detective fiction originate from her timeless works, such as And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express.
She holds two Guinness World Records: one for being the best-selling author of all time, with over two billion copies sold in 44 languages, and another for her play The Mousetrap, which has enjoyed the longest theatrical run since its debut on November 25, 1952.
This remarkable legacy traces back to the trenches of World War I. Christie worked in a hospital dispensary during the war, witnessing the agonizing final moments of countless young soldiers, which left her deeply averse to violent deaths.
Her writing reflects the emotional toll these brutal deaths took on her. Avoiding graphic methods, her killers often resort to more discreet means, with poisoning being the most frequent. Her experience as a nurse provided her with knowledge of various poisons and toxins, leading to 83 instances of death by poison in her works.
The dispensary also afforded her ample time to craft her debut novel. Challenged by her sister to write a mystery that was difficult to solve, she used her idle hours at the ward to devise a complex plot. These efforts resulted in The Mysterious Affair at Styles—her first mystery novel and the introduction of Hercule Poirot, one of literature’s most iconic detectives.
1. Godzilla Was Inspired by and Modeled After Victims of Atomic Bombings
Godzilla stands as one of Japanese cinema’s most iconic figures, adored by movie enthusiasts and fans of large-scale destruction. His ability to obliterate cities with his feet or atomic breath is central to his character. This destructive power is deliberate, as Godzilla was conceived as a symbolic protest against nuclear weapons.
The 1954 original film opens with Godzilla attacking a fishing boat, a scene inspired by a real-life tragedy. On March 1, 1954, the crew of the Lucky Dragon 5 found themselves too close to one of history’s most massive explosions. The boat had drifted into the Bikini Atoll during US hydrogen bomb tests.
While the crew survived the initial blast, they suffered severe radiation exposure. All 23 members were quarantined, and one, Aikichi Kuboyama, died. Ishiro Honda, the film’s creator, was moved to craft a story highlighting the horrors of atomic warfare. This is reflected in Godzilla’s ability to demolish buildings and his scarred, keloid-like skin, reminiscent of Hiroshima survivors.
Godzilla’s origins are explicitly tied to nuclear devastation in the original film. He awakens from within the Earth after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, with his immense size attributed to radiation from Marshall Islands tests. In Japan, Godzilla became a symbol of anti-nuclear protest. However, US releases removed these scenes, opting instead to expand on Raymond Burr’s character to avoid political undertones.
