The Snapple Myths

There's the slave ship!

Snapple, that delicious beverage I used to savor many moons ago. I think it was the early '90s when I began purchasing a Snapple and a Butterfinger from my neighborhood Wawa to round out the perfect snack. Together, they totaled around $1.25 and were cheap enough to coax my pops into making a "Wawa-run". Each tasted so delicious, yet when combined, the bitter chocolate made the sweet corn syrup drink taste less than stellar. I never learned.

Any who, I recently heard this myth about Snapple that immediately piqued my interest:

The ship on Snapple's old label was a slave ship. In fact, when people started to catch on, they quick changed it to a happy sun. 

And like any plain, feebled-minded American I grasped the rumor as if it was written in bone. The fact is, Snapple, just as many other large corporation label products, has been the center of various rumors and urban legends. Over the years, Snapple has been accused of supporting the KKK, favoring Jews, supporting Osama Bin Laden, etc, etc, ad infinitum.

Snapple is a KKK deity. Mythbusters proved it.

The only truly bad thing about Snapple is that is that there is no actual fruit, only corn syrup, which happens to not be "All-natural" as advertised.

Where did the Slave Ship rumor come from? The fact is that early on Snapple was owned by a Boston investment firm. The ship on the label is actually a portrayal of the Boston Tea Party. Snapple was only forced to change the label due to the bad publicity. First, a smiling sun, then all sorts of fruit slices for each flavor.

I leave you with a quote involving drug dealers and Snapple...

I'm walking out my door to get like a Snapple, and someone's like 'yo man, you want to buy some heroin?' 'No... got any Snapple?' - Mike Birbiglia