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July 19, 2009

Pepsi Wild Cherry 100 0 20 28 28 0 0 0 0 0








Who's a Pepper? Claim: A new Pepsi soda can design omits the words "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance.

FALSE

Examples:

[Collected via e-mail, February 2002]

Pepsi has a new patriotic can coming out with pictures of the Empire State Bldg. and the Pledge of Allegiance on them. But Pepsi forgot two little words on the pledge, "Under God." Pepsi said they did not want to offend anyone.

If this is true then we do not want to offend anyone at the Pepsi corporate office. If we do not buy any Pepsi product then they will not receive any of our monies. Our money after all does have the words "Under God" on it. Please pass this word to everyone you know. Tell your Sunday School class tomorrow and tell your Pastors so that they can tell the whole congregation. Christians stand up and let your voices be heard. We want the words "under God" to be read by every person who buys a can.

[Collected via e-mail, February 2003]

To drink or not to drink?

Coca-Cola has a new patriotic can coming out with pictures of the Empire State Building and the Pledge of Allegiance on them. But Coke forgot two little words on the pledge, "Under God."

Coke said they did not want to offend anyone. If this is true then we do not want to offend anyone at the Coke corporate office. If we do not buy any Coke products then they will not receive any of our monies. Our money, after all, does have the words "Under God" on it.

If you agree with this policy, please pass this word to everyone you know. Coke doesn't have the right to rewrite the Pledge Of Allegiance!! If you do not agree, just erase or delete this message.


Origins: Although there once was at least some element of truth to the item quoted above, the information it contains is long outdated and never had anything to do with Pepsi or Coca-Cola. Neither soda company is producing, or has ever produced, redesigned cans bearing any portion of the Pledge of Allegiance or an image of the Empire State Building. This issue concerns a special patriotic can design briefly produced by Dr Pepper back in November 2001, a can which was marketed for a limited time and has been off store shelves since February 2002.

The brouhaha began in mid-November 2001, when the Dr Pepper soft drink company, in response to the terrorist attacks on America a few months earlier, introduced a new can design featuring the Statue of Liberty with the words "ONE NATION ... INDIVISIBLE" from the Pledge of Allegiance displayed above it:
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper did not print the entire Pledge of Allegiance on their cans while leaving out the words 'under God'; they invoked the Pledge of Allegiance by using a mere three words from the pledge. However, because the three words Dr Pepper chose to use were the words surrounding the phrase 'under God' (which was not itself part of the original pledge as written by Francis Bellamy in 1892 but was added to the pledge by an act of Congress in 1954), the new patriotic can design prompted calls for boycotts from some religious groups and news media who maintained that Dr Pepper had "omitted 'under God'" from their version of the Pledge (because it falls where Dr Pepper used ellipses) and publicized the issue by encouraging a campaign of sending e-mail and letters of complaint to the Dr Pepper company:

Dr Pepper has designed a new patriotic can featuring the Statue of Liberty and the Pledge of Allegiance, but they left out the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. When asked why, Dr Pepper replied: "We felt 'One Nation . . . Indivisible' best represented the message we were trying to get across."

Dr Pepper has also used the excuse that wasn't enough room on the can for the words "Under God". The real reason is that the company didn't want to risk offending anyone who doesn't believe in God. Bad timing. After the events of 9/11, that's just not politically correct anymore!

I really do like Diet Dr Pepper, but I'm joining the ranks of those who won't be buying another one until new cans are printed that include the whole Pledge of Allegiance. I don't want them to simply yank the cans off the shelves, I want new cans printed with the words, "under God" on the can! And if enough people demand this, we'll get it. Walt Disney, AT&T, and K-Mart all chose to ignore boycott efforts; and now those companies are reaping the financial consequences of their decisions.

This is an example letter that can be sent to the unfortunate victim of the latest boycott:

OPEN LETTER TO Dr PEPPER/SEVEN-UP, INC.

President Doug Tough
Dr Pepper/7-Up, Inc.
5301 Legacy Drive
Plano, TX 75024-3109
Toll Free Number 1-800-696-5891

E-Mail address for Mr. Doug Tough:
consumer_relations@dpsu.com


Dear Mr. Tough, I want to make it very clear that as an American, I am deeply offended that you had the audacity to leave out the all-important words "under God" from our Pledge of Allegiance on your new Dr Pepper cans. It seems you have taken it upon yourself to rewrite our country's Pledge of Allegiance in order not to offend those who don't believe in God. I also want you to know that I am joining the public boycott of Dr Pepper until such time as you rethink your advertising decision. Yanking the cans off the shelves won't be sufficient to correct this error. I demand you have new cans printed, with the words "under God" included in the Pledge of Allegiance and distribute them! At one time, Dr Pepper addressed the issue on its web site, saying: In recent days, several news media outlets in the country have reported on a special edition Dr Pepper can that was created to show support for the patriotic fervor that has been sweeping America since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, and to show the world that we are a united nation of people who place a high value upon freedom. Much of the information being circulated on this subject is incomplete or inaccurate. Here are the facts: The can, released last November, features an image of the Statue of Liberty along with the words "One Nation ... Indivisible." The special packaging was designed to reflect our pride in this country's determination to stand together as one. The Statue of Liberty and Pledge of Allegiance were chosen as two of the greatest symbols of American freedom. Due to space limitations on the can, only a few of the 31 words from the Pledge of Allegiance could be used. The available area for graphics limited the amount of verbiage on the can. Of the 31 words in the Pledge of Allegiance, only three were included. More than 90 percent were not included. We at Dr Pepper/Seven Up strongly believe that the message on these cans is a resoundingly patriotic, bipartisan message that we are a united nation. More than 41 million special edition cans were ordered by Dr Pepper bottlers in portions of a dozen states. Because the limited edition patriotic can is to be retired in February, you will soon see regular packaging graphics for Dr Pepper at your local retail stores. Although 18 million Dr Pepper cans bearing the new design had been produced by February 2002, the company said they had received only "four complaints from Dubuque" and "200 other negative comments nationwide," and the issue seemed to have largely disappeared along with the cans by March 2002. However, when a United States Court of Appeals handed down a decision regarding the constitutionality of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance in June 2002, it breathed new life into the Dr Pepper controversy even though the controversial cans had been off store shelves for months. Messages like the following began circulating much more widely than those of the initial campaign from February 2002: Subject: Dr Pepper Boycott We called on God on 9-11 so what's wrong with him now? For those who have not heard, the bottlers/manufacturers of Dr Pepper and their other products, have started a "new" can campaign. They are putting patriotic scenes on them. One, is the Empire State Bldg. with the pledge of allegiance...but...they left off the words..."under God". They felt it might "offend" some. I don't know about you, but as a Christian, their position offends me! I am boycotting their products! They said they didn't "have room" for those words, but yet they had room for "indivisible" on the can! Please pass this along to others and see if we can get a message out to Dr Pepper . . . if having "under God" on cans offends them, then they don't need our money with "in God we trust" on it! PLEASE PASS THIS INFORMATION ON TO YOUR FRIENDS! Somehow along the way this message morphed into the versions quoted at the head of this page, which inaccurately attribute the "Pledge" can design to Pepsi. Dr Pepper and Pepsi are two completely different companies: Pepsi is a product of the Pepsico corporation; Dr Pepper is a product of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (which was spun off from Cadbury Schweppes in 2008). Although Dr Pepper has been produced and distributed by Pepsi bottlers in some parts of the U.S., the Dr Pepper company has never been owned by PepsiCo, as the Washington Times erroneously reported. PepsiCo eventually had to issue its own rumor alert regarding this issue: FALSE RUMOR ALERT: PATRIOTIC CANS You've received an erroneous email about a "patriotic can" that Pepsi allegedly produced with an edited version of America's Pledge of Allegiance. The truth is, Pepsi never produced such a can. In fact, this is a hoax that has been circulating on the Internet for more than six years. A patriotic package used in 2001 by Dr Pepper (which is not a part of PepsiCo) was inappropriately linked to Pepsi. Thanks for giving us the chance to clarify the situation and please feel free to share this message with anyone else who may have received the erroneous email. In February 2003 we began seeing the call to boycott the soda bottler who had omitted "Under God" from its patrotic cans aimed at Coca-Cola. It was the same wording as the summons to arms against Pepsi that had circulated a year earlier but with "Coke" replacing "Pepsi" in the text. It too was false, as Coca-Cola had had no more to do with the short-lived Dr Pepper cans than had Time Pepsi. However one may feel about the Dr Pepper can design, writing to the company now and threatening to boycott them until they "put 'under God' back on their cans" is pointless. The patriotic "Pledge" can was produced only between November 2001 and February 2002, it was only sold in parts of twelve states, it has long since been retired, and it has not been available in stores since that one time.




Sources:


In 1898, Caleb D. Bradham, a small town pharmacist looked for a name that would better describe his formula which he was selling locally under the name "Brad's Drink." He bought the name "Pep Kola" from a local competitor and changed it to Pepsi-Cola. Today, every one of our workers strives to maintain the same high standards of quality and taste that have made Pepsi so popular the world over. PEPSI ...something for everyone HOME ABOUT OUR PRODUCTS ABOUT OUR INGREDIENTS BRAND SITES STORE LOCATOR Info By Product | Info By Category | Products For Schools Ingredient Glossary | Caffeine | Potassium | Sodium | Sugar Substitutes | Allergens | Other Home > About Our Products > Info By Product Print this page See Nutrition & Ingredient Information for One of Our Products To see information for another product, select the appropriate choices from the drop down boxes and click UPDATE. Product Category: Product: Type: Size: To see information for all products in this category, click here. Pepsi Pepsi - the bold, robust, effervescent magic cola It's the cola pepsiusa.com Nutrition Info Serving size 8 fl oz (240 mL) For More Information on Serving Sizes Click Here. PER SERVING 8 fl oz % DV* Calories 100 - Total Fat (g) 0 0 Sodium (mg) 25 1 Total Carbs (g) 28 9 Sugars (g) 27 - Protein (g) 0 - Not a significant source of other nutrients. *Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Due to variations in sodium contributions from water, the sodium level of our fountain beverages may vary. Ingredients CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, CAFFEINE, SODIUM BENZOATE (PRESERVES FRESHNESS), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS Information reflects rounding as required by the Food & Drug Administration (21 CFR 101). This may produce occasional irregularities in some values when comparing information for different serving sizes. Product may not be available in all areas. More Information Because You Asked PER SERVING 8 fl oz Caffeine (mg) 25 Potassium (mg) 10 Phosphorous (mg) 36 Acesulfame Potassium (mg) 0 Aspartame (mg) 0 Sucralose (mg) 0


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Diet Pepsi Wild Cherry – Product Update



For over 100 years, Pepsi-Cola has produced some of the finest soft drink ads available anywhere in the world. From today's "Joy of Pepsi," as sung by Britney Spears, to yesterday's "Nickel, Nickel" (1939), our ads are as memorable as the products we produce. Check out highlights of our favorite ads here.


2004: Pepsi unveils five new TV commercials for Pepsi and Sierra Mist on Super Bowl XXXVIII, making this the 19th straight year that Pepsi has advertised in the big game.
• On Super Bowl Sunday, Apple and Pepsi officially launch a historic promotion to legally give away millions of free songs to Mac and Windows PC users from Apple's iTunes Music Store.
• On the Academy Awards telecast, Diet Pepsi stole the spotlight as the country’s fastest-growing major soft drink bowed a new advertising campaign with the tagline, “Diet Pepsi. It’s the Diet Cola. The zero-calorie cola brand illustrates how it is the best option to go with food and social occasions, much like its sister brand, Pepsi-Cola.
• Two popular sportscasters help turn life’s everyday moments into a cause for celebration in a new advertising campaign for Pepsi EDGE, the new cola with full-flavored taste but half the sugar, carbs & calories of regular colas. The campaign tagline, "This moment deserves a Pepsi EDGE," reminds consumers that they can reward themselves with a Pepsi EDGE for completing even the simplest of tasks.
• Mountain Dew brings nostalgia back into pop culture as it introduces new commercials featuring the classic Mad Magazine "Spy vs. Spy" characters — who will stop at nothing to get their Dew.

2003: Pepsi-Cola unveils a new advertising campaign, "Pepsi. It's the Cola," which is the brand's first major campaign shift since 1999. The new campaign highlights the popular soft drink that goes with everything from food to fun.
• Pepsi's last major campaign change was in 1999, when it debuted "The Joy of Cola," which became "The Joy of Pepsi" in 2000.
• Pepsi updates its look with a bolder, more contemporary image that better captures the brand's youthful attitude.
• Mountain Dew offers its third line extension with Mountain Dew LiveWire, combining the unique citrus taste of Mountain Dew with a bold orange flavor. Available summer 2003.
• Pepsi's blockbuster summer promotion "Pepsi Play for a Billion" gives 1,000 consumers the chance to play for $1 billion on a live television show on The WB. A guaranteed $1 million prizewinner will be chosen and will then have a chance to win $1 billion without forfeiting the $1 million prize.
• In September, Richard Bay, a 42-year-old high school teacher from Princeton, West Virginia, became a millionaire on "Pepsi Play for a Billion" on The WB. Bay and the television audience then held their collective breath to see if he would also win the billion dollars. Instead, his number was two digits off the billion-dollar number, but Bay was still pleased with his cool million.

2002: In March, supermodel Cindy Crawford helps introduce a new look for Diet Pepsi. The updated graphics better represent the brand's light, crisp, refreshing qualities.
• Pepsi-Cola teams up with the National Football League, becoming its Official Soft Drink Sponsor.
• Pepsi declares, "It's a blue thing," and unveils Pepsi Blue in July. A fusion of berries with a splash of cola, the blue-hued soft drink is created by and for teens. Through nine months of research and development, Pepsi asks young consumers what they want most in a new cola. Their response: "Make it berry and make it blue."
• In December, American music and film sensation Beyoncé Knowles is welcomed as the newest member of the Pepsi family.

2001: The popular "Joy of Cola" tagline gets an update, becoming the "Joy of Pepsi." Three months later, Britney Spears stars in a blockbuster Pepsi commercial that breaks during the Academy Awards. An hour before the telecast, the high-energy spot debuts online, where more than 2 million fans click their way to Britney's own version of the "Joy of Pepsi."
• Thirsty consumers are invited to "discover a sensation as real as the streets," when cherry-flavored Mountain Dew Code Red is introduced.
• Pepsi puts a little twist on a great thing, unveiling the first national TV commercial for new lemon-flavored Pepsi Twist.

2000: The popular Pepsi Challenge makes its return, and consumers across the country let their taste decide the best cola and one-calorie cola. Helping launch the Challenge are two of baseball's top sluggers – Sammy Sosa and Ken Griffey Jr.
• On the airwaves, the "Joy of Cola" campaign is a hit as "Pepsi Girl" Hallie Eisenberg rocks with pop star Faith Hill and perennial rockers KISS.
• Among those doing the Dew is hip-hop artist Busta Rhymes, and Aquafina launches its first-ever television advertising campaign.

1999: "The Joy of Cola" new advertising campaign for brand Pepsi features the voices of actors Marlon Brando, Issac Hayes and "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin.
• Pepsi and Lucasfilm team up again as Star Wars Episode 1, The Phantom Menace hits movie theaters. Consumer excitement is heightened as special Pepsi bottles and cans offer 24 different Star Wars characters. The collection series includes an all-gold Yoda can. In addition, Pepsi introduces animated character "Marfalump," Star Wars' biggest fan, in its ads supporting the film.
• In a dramatic restructuring of this business, Pepsi announces one of the largest IPOs in history. On March 31, 1999, the Pepsi Bottling Group, Inc. (PBG) becomes a publicly traded company and the largest Pepsi bottler (http://www.pbg.com).

1998: Pepsi celebrates its centennial year with a birthday party attended by Pepsi-Cola bottlers from all over the world. Joining the festivities are Pepsi stars and friends, including Ray Charles, Kool and the Gang and the Rolling Stones. President and Mrs. George Bush, Lady Thatcher and Walter Cronkite also help to commemorate the occasion where the legacy of Pepsi is honored, and a new look for the millennium is unveiled: the three-dimensional symbol for one Pepsi family – poised for innovation and world leadership as it enters the new century.

1997: "GeneratioNext" signals a return to the long-running "generation" theme, and pop stars, The Spice Girls, build on the excitement of Pepsi advertising.
• A group of disco-dancing bears high-step their way into national popularity when they feel the pull of Pepsi and the beat of the Village People.

1996: The "Nothing Else Is A Pepsi" campaign makes its point in a memorable way when "Security Camera" catches a competitor's salesman preferring Pepsi.
• Lucasfilm and Pepsi agree to a long-term partnership for the Star Wars films and sequels.

1995: America raves over the new "Nothing Else Is A Pepsi" advertising campaign. The commercials achieve the highest popularity ratings ever and win top honors at the prestigious Cannes Advertising Festival.
• Pepsi is now the "Choice of a New Generation" in 195 countries around the world.

1994: Pepsi teaches consumers the importance of product expiration dates by adding "Freshness" information to each and every package sold.

1993: "Be Young, Have Fun, Drink Pepsi" advertising starring basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal is rated as best in the U.S.

1992: Celebrities join consumers, declaring that they "Gotta Have It." The interim campaign supplants "Choice of a New Generation" as work proceeds on new Pepsi advertising for the '90s.
• Mountain Dew growth continues, supported by the antics of an outrageous new Dew Crew whose claim to fame is that, except for the unique great taste of Dew, they've "Been There, Done That, Tried That."

1991: "You Got the Right One Baby" is modified to "You Got the Right One Baby, Uh-Huh!" The "Uh-Huh Girls" join Ray Charles as backup singers, and a campaign soon to become the most popular advertising in America is on its way.
• Supermodel Cindy Crawford stars in an award-winning commercial made to introduce the updated Pepsi logo and package graphics.

1990: Teen stars Fred Savage and Kirk Cameron join the "New Generation" campaign, and football legend Joe Montana returns in a spot challenging other celebrities to taste their colas against Pepsi.
• Music legend Ray Charles stars in a new Diet Pepsi campaign, "You Got the Right One Baby."

1989: "The Choice of A New Generation" theme expands to categorize Pepsi users as "A Generation Ahead."

1988: Michael Jackson returns to "New Generation" advertising to star in a four-part "episodic" commercial named "Chase." The ad airs during the Grammy Awards program and is hailed by the media as "the most watched commercial in advertising history."

1987: After an absence of 27 years, Pepsi returns to New York's famed Times Square with a spectacular 850-square-foot electronic display billboard, declaring Pepsi to be "America's Choice."

1985: Lionel Ritchie leads a star-studded parade into "New Generation" advertising followed by pop music icons Tina Turner and Gloria Estefan. Sports heroes Joe Montana and Dan Marino are part of it, as are film and television stars Teri Garr and Billy Crystal.
• Geraldine Ferraro, the first woman nominated to be vice president of the U.S., stars in a Diet Pepsi spot. And the irrepressible Michael J. Fox brings special talent, style and spirit to a series of Pepsi and Diet Pepsi commercials, including a classic, "Apartment 10G."

1984: A new generation has emerged – in the United States, around the world and in Pepsi advertising, too. "Pepsi. The Choice of a New Generation" announces the change, and the most popular entertainer of the time, Michael Jackson, stars in the first two commercials of the new campaign. The two spots quickly become "the most eagerly anticipated advertising of all time."

1983: The soft drink market grows more competitive, but for Pepsi drinkers, the battle is won. The time is right and so is their soft drink. It's got to be "Pepsi Now!"

1982: With all the evidence showing that more people prefer the taste of Pepsi, the only question remaining is how to add that message to Pepsi Generation advertising. The answer? "Pepsi's Got Your Taste for Life!" – a celebration of great times and great taste.

1979: With the end of the '70s comes the end of a national malaise. Patriotism has been restored by an exuberant celebration of the U.S. bicentennial, and Americans are looking forward to the future with renewed optimism. "Catch that Pepsi Spirit!" catches the mood, and the Pepsi Generation carries it forward into the '80s.

1976: "Have a Pepsi Day" is the Pepsi Generation's upbeat reflection of an improving national mood. "Puppies," a 30-second snapshot of an encounter between a very small boy and some even smaller dogs, becomes an instant commercial classic.

1975: The Pepsi Challenge, a landmark marketing strategy, convinces millions of consumers that more people prefer the taste of Pepsi.

1973: Pepsi Generation advertising continues to evolve. "Join the Pepsi People, Feelin' Free" captures the mood of a nation involved in massive social and political change. It pictures us the way we are – one people, but with many personalities.

1969: "You've Got a Lot to Live. Pepsi's Got a Lot to Give" marks a shift in Pepsi Generation advertising strategy. Youth and lifestyle are still the campaign's driving forces, but with "Life/Give," a new awareness and a reflection of contemporary events and mood become integral parts of the advertising's texture.

1967: When research indicates that consumers place a premium on the superior taste of Pepsi when chilled, "Taste That Beats the Others Cold. Pepsi Pours It On," emphasizes the brand's product superiority. The campaign, while product-oriented, adheres closely to the energetic, youthful lifestyle imagery established in the initial Pepsi Generation campaign.

1966: The first independent Diet Pepsi campaign, "Girlwatchers," focuses on the cosmetic benefits of the low-calorie cola. The ad's musical theme becomes a Top 40 hit. Advertising for another new product, Mountain Dew, a regional brand acquired in 1964, airs for the first time, built around the instantly recognizable tag line, "Ya-Hoo, Mountain Dew!"

1964: A new product, Diet Pepsi, is introduced into Pepsi-Cola advertising.

1963: In one of the most significant demographic events in commercial history, the post-war baby boom emerges as a social and marketplace phenomenon. Pepsi recognizes the change and positions Pepsi as the brand belonging to the new generation – The Pepsi Generation. "Come Alive! You're in the Pepsi Generation" makes advertising history. It is the first time a product is identified, not so much by its attributes, as by its consumers' lifestyles and attitudes.

1961: Pepsi further refines its target audiences, recognizing the increasing importance of the younger, post-war generation. "Now It's Pepsi, For Those Who Think Young" defines youth as a state of mind as much as a chronological age, maintaining the brand's appeal to all market segments.

1959: Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev and U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon meet in the soon-to-be-famous "kitchen debate" at an international trade fair in Moscow. The meeting, over cups of Pepsi, is photo-captioned in the U.S. as "Krushchev Gets Sociable."

1958: Pepsi struggles to enhance its brand image. Sometimes referred to as "the kitchen cola," as a consequence of its long-time positioning as a bargain brand, Pepsi now identifies itself with young, fashionable consumers with the "Be Sociable, Have a Pepsi" theme. A distinctive "swirl" bottle replaces the earlier straight-sided bottle.

1956: 149 Pepsi-Cola bottling plants are operating in 61 countries outside the U.S.

1954: "The Light Refreshment" evolves to incorporate "Refreshing Without Filling."

1953: Americans become more weight-conscious, and a new strategy based on lower caloric content of Pepsi is implemented with "The Light Refreshment" campaign.

1950: "More Bounce to the Ounce" becomes the new Pepsi theme as changing soft drink economics force Pepsi to raise prices to competitive levels. Alfred N. Steele becomes President and CEO of Pepsi-Cola. His wife, Hollywood movie star Joan Crawford, is instrumental in promoting the company's product line.

1949: "Why Take Less When Pepsi's Best?" is added to "Twice as Much" advertising.

1948: The Pepsi-Cola corporate headquarters moves from Long Island City, New York, to Midtown Manhattan. Pepsi is produced in cans for the first time.

1947: International profits reach $6,769,000. Pepsi moves into the Philippines and Middle East.

1943: The "Twice as Much" advertising strategy expands to includes the theme, "Bigger Drink, Better Taste." Sugar is again rationed during World War II. To counter the effects of rationing, Mack purchases a sugar plantation in Cuba, which proves to be a highly profitable venture.

1941: In support of America's war effort, Pepsi changes the color of its bottle crowns to red, white and blue. A Pepsi canteen in Times Square, New York, operates throughout the war, enabling more than a million families to record messages for armed services personnel overseas. Pepsi-Cola Company, until now a subsidiary of Loft Incorporate, is merged with Loft. Since the Pepsi brand name has become more famous than that of its owner, the parent company's name is changed to Pepsi-Cola Company. Pepsi-Cola stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange for the first time.

1940: Pepsi makes advertising history with the first advertising jingle ever broadcast nationwide. "Nickel, Nickel," will eventually become a hit record and will be translated into 55 languages. A new, more modern logo is adapted.

1939: Having survived the Great Depression and a handful of ownership changes, Pepsi is still being sold in a 12-ounce bottle for just a nickel – twice as much refreshment as other soft drinks for the same price. A newspaper cartoon strip, "Pepsi & Pete," introduces the theme, "Twice as Much for a Nickel," to increase consumer awareness of the Pepsi value advantage. Walter S. Mack Jr. is elected President of Pepsi-Cola Company.

1938: The trademark is registered in the Soviet Union. There are 85 Pepsi-Cola bottlers operating under franchise agreements across Canada.

1936: Pepsi-Cola Limited of London is established. 94 new U.S. franchises are granted. Year-end profits reach $2,100,000.

1935: Pepsi-Cola operations are moved to Long Island City, New York. The company sets up national territorial boundaries for the Pepsi bottler franchise system. Compania Pepsi-Cola de Cuba is formed.

1934: A landmark year for Pepsi-Cola. The drink is a hit, and to attract even more sales, Pepsi begins selling a 12-ounce bottle for five cents – the same price charged by its competitors for six ounces. The 12-ounce bottle debuts in Baltimore, where it is an instant success. The cost savings prove irresistible to depression-worn Americans, and sales skyrocket nationally. Pepsi-Cola Company of Canada Limited is formed. Caleb Bradham, the founder of Pepsi-Cola and "Brad's Drink," dies.

1932: The trademark is registered in Argentina.

1931: U.S. District Court for Eastern District Virginia declares the National Pepsi-Cola Company bankrupt. Loft, Inc., the giant candy company, buys Pepsi-Cola Company.

1928: After five continuous losing years, the company is reorganized as the National Pepsi-Cola Company.

1923: Pepsi-Cola Company is declared bankrupt and its assets are sold to a North Carolina concern, Craven Holding Corporation, for $30,000.

1922: An attempt at reorganization fails as few shares of stock are sold and investor interest in the new company wanes.

1921: The collapse of the sugar market results in enormous financial losses for Pepsi-Cola Company. Bradham attempts to put the company back on its feet by borrowing cash and selling assets and additional shares of stock. But by the end of the year, the company is insolvent and the bottling network collapses. Only two plants remain open.

1920: Pepsi appeals to consumers: "Drink Pepsi-Cola. It Will Satisfy You." The price of sugar on the New York Exchange reaches 26 cents per pound. Bradham gambles on the price going higher and buys large stocks of sugar. By the end of the year, sugar demand slows on the open market and the price drops to a catastrophic low of two cents per pound.

1917-18: Price controls hold sugar at 5-1/2 cents per pound during WWI. When the war ends, so do the price controls. The price of sugar begins an upward spiral.

1910: The first Pepsi-Cola bottlers' convention is held in New Bern, North Carolina.

1909: Automobile racing pioneer Barney Oldfield becomes the first celebrity to endorse Pepsi when he appears in newspaper ads describing Pepsi: "A bully drink…refreshing, invigorating, a fine bracer before a race." The theme "Delicious and Healthful" appears and will be used intermittently over the next two decades.

1908: Pepsi-Cola becomes one of the first companies to modernize delivery from horse-drawn carts to motor vehicles. A total of 250 bottlers are now under contract in 24 states.

1907: Pepsi-Cola Company continues to expand. The bottling network reaches 40 franchises. The trademark is registered in Mexico, and syrup sales top 100,000 gallons.

1906: The logo is redesigned and a new slogan is added: "The Original Pure Food Drink." The Pepsi-Cola trademark is registered in Canada. There are 15 Pepsi bottling plants in the U.S., and syrup sales reach 38,605 gallons.

1905: A new logo appears, the first change from the original created in 1898. First Pepsi-Cola bottling franchises are established in Charlotte and Durham, North Carolina.

1904: Bradham purchases a building in New Bern known as the Bishop factory for $5,000 and moves all bottling and syrup operations to this location. Sales increase to 19,848 gallons.

1903: "Doc" Bradham moves the bottling of Pepsi-Cola from his drugstore to a rented warehouse. In keeping with its origin as a pharmacist's concoction, Bradham's advertising praises his drink: "Exhilarating, Invigorating, Aids Digestion." And he sells 7,968 gallons of syrup in his first year of operation.

1902: The instant popularity of this new drink leads Bradham to devote all of his energy to developing Pepsi-Cola into a full-fledged business, and he applies for a trademark with the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C. The first Pepsi-Cola Company is formed.

1898: One of Bradham's formulations, known as "Brad's Drink," a combination of carbonated water, sugar, vanilla, rare oils and kola nuts, is renamed "Pepsi-Cola" on Aug. 28.

1893: Caleb Bradham, a young pharmacist from New Bern, North Carolina, begins experimenting with many different soft drink concoctions; patrons and friends sample them at his drug store fountain.

History Of The Pepsi-Cola Logo

The Pepsi logo has made a remarkable evolution over the years into the three-dimensional globe against an ice blue background that's become synonymous with Pepsi products. Check out a recap of the Pepsi logo over the years.

Pepsi-Cola Logo Timeline

1998: In celebration of the company's centennial, Pepsi unveils a new look – a three-dimensional globe against an ice blue background, which becomes a universal symbol for one Pepsi family – poised for innovation and world leadership as it enters the new millennium.

1991: To foster the earlier scripted logo's sense of movement, "Pepsi," now in italic capital typeface, is removed from a smaller blue and red Pepsi swirl and runs vertically up the package.

1973: The logo evolves into a boxed look with minor typeface changes occurring throughout the decade.

1965: The "Bottle Cap" look is replaced with two bulls-eye swish marks surrounding "Pepsi."

1962: A "serrated" bottle cap logo debuts, accompanying the brand's groundbreaking "Pepsi Generation" ad campaign.

1943: The logo incorporates a "bottle cap" look. The bottle cap logo includes the tag, "Bigger Drink, Better Taste." In 1958, the Pepsi swirl bottle bows with the "Be Sociable" advertising campaign.

1941: To support the war effort, the Pepsi bottle crown colors change to red, white and blue.

1940: New CEO Walter Mack adopts standardized embossed 12-oz. bottle, which debuts with the "Pepsi-Cola" label blown and baked into the glass.

1933: After giant candy company Loft, Inc. buys the company in 1931, Pepsi-Cola sells for 10 cents in a 12-ounce bottle instead of the standard six-ounce package size. The tagline "Refreshing & Healthful" is added to the Pepsi bottle logo. When the price of a "twelve full ounce" bottle is slashed to 5 cents, the tagline is dropped.

1906: Modified script logo is created along with the slogan, "The Original Pure Food Drink."

1903: The Pepsi-Cola trademark is registered.

1898: New Bern, N.C., pharmacist Caleb Bradham renames "Brad's Drink," his carbonated fountain cola concoction, Pepsi-Cola.


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MOUNTAIN DEW Mountain Dew 110 0 35 29 29 0 - - - -
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Pepsi - False Rumor Alert

FALSE RUMOR ALERT: PATRIOTIC CANS

You've received an erroneous email about a "patriotic can" that Pepsi allegedly produced with an edited version of America's Pledge of Allegiance. The truth is, Pepsi never produced such a can. In fact, this is a hoax that has been circulating on the Internet for more than six years. A patriotic package used in 2001 by Dr Pepper (which is not a part of PepsiCo) was inappropriately linked to Pepsi. Thanks for giving us the chance to clarify the situation and please feel free to share this message with anyone else who may have received the erroneous email. Details of the hoax can be found at http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/undergod.asp.

Pepsi - False Rumor Alert

Pepsi on Jackson's Hairfire: Whatevs and 'Refresh Everything' - Michael Jackson - Gawker


Pepsi on Jackson's Hairfire: Whatevs and 'Refresh Everything'

If they only had a heart. Upon seeing this week's spine-tingling video of Michael Jackson's '84 Pepsi ad accident, Pepsi and vid director Bob Giraldi don't give a shit. The international moment of dead pop star respect is officially finito.

Honestly, no one's given a shit in the past 25 years. Yet as always, with mondo-stratospheric celeb death comes a whole stadium full of dusty grievances. With the fire vid now shocking the internets, the fire safety inspector at the shoot, Captain Don Donester ("DON DONester" - what clever parents he had!) blames director Giraldi for making Jackson stand under the sparks longer so the popstar would "look more majestic."

C'mon, admit it. The moonwalk with one's hair in flames? Chilling, yes. But it does look pretty Olympian.

TMZ called up Giraldi for a response. He said, "That's not true. Whatever." Click. Dial tone. Wow, what a prick!

In true canned spokespersonspeak, Pepsi's response was also a hair toss and shoulder shrug.

We don't know what that footage is. It's 25 years ago. We don't know who owns it, so we have no recourse as far as I know. I can only tell you what I know. We didn't put it up and we don't know where it came from.

Guess they're bitter their latest slogan, "Refresh Everything," hasn't registered with anyone anywhere nohow.

Pepsi on Jackson's Hairfire: Whatevs and 'Refresh Everything' - Michael Jackson - Gawker

Michael Jackson's Peter Pan obsession - Times Online - i too believe mj was not a child molestor but truly peter pan...i believe

Michael Jackson's Peter Pan obsession

When the theatre director was asked to meet the king of pop, he suspected a hoax. But the singer was seeking help to become the boy he had always wanted to be

Michael Jackson

(Alan Greth)


I think, somewhat nervously, I can make a contribution to the debate that has followed Michael Jackson’s shocking premature death. Inevitably, all the old unanswered questions have surfaced: his mental health, his trial on charges of sexually abusing children. Was he . . . ? Did he . . . ? There are no authoritative answers, but the story I have to tell may shed some light on his true nature.

Back in 1987, my legal representative in London was contacted by a man claiming to represent Michael Jackson. He wanted to know my movements over the coming months so that, given Michael’s global itinerary, we might set a time and a place somewhere in the world when he and I might meet. “Meet about what?” asked my flabbergasted lawyer. He was told that “Michael” wanted to talk about staging a new and different touring show.

When this was relayed to me, I strongly suspected the hand of Ken Campbell, the comedian,, who had “done me” once before. It had to be a hoax.

Two days later my lawyer had a more insistent call from someone purporting to be Michael Jackson’s manager, a Frank DiLeo, who reeled off a touring schedule that seemed to be going everywhere except the UK. Surely he must be bona fide? The manager mentioned that Michael was “aware” of my staging of a crazy experimental musical enterprise called Starlight Express and wanted to “share ideas”.

I was scheduled to be in Sydney rehearsing a new production of Les Misérables at the same time that the superstar was doing some concerts there at the Parramatta stadium. “So we could meet in Sydney then,” I said, still convinced Ken would be gleeful that I was falling for one of his setups yet again.

Just before I left for Australia, the late Bill Fournier, my lawyer, asked me if he could tell the Jackson management the name of my Sydney hotel. Despite my cries that this was proof positive a prank was under way, Bill insisted these approaches were genuine. “But why do they want the name of my hotel?”

“Because,” said Bill, in all solemnity, “Michael Jackson says he wants to stay in the same place as you so you can meet up a few times while he’s in Australia.”

Several days after I arrived at the Regent hotel, overlooking Sydney harbour bridge, I heard two assistant managers excitedly confirming that Jackson’s entourage had booked the entire top two floors of this 30-storey building. Curiouser and curiouser. Eventually, towards the end of my Les Misérables rehearsals, the Jackson circus arrived and soon after that, still with Bill as the go-between, a meeting time was arranged.

Getting into the Jackson apartment, even by invitation, resembled a heist at the Bank of England. Each stage of my progress involved being questioned by countless people and being asked countless times for my “picture ID”.

As all was duly confirmed by walkie-talkie, I inched closer to the presence: from the penultimate floor to the top floor, to the adjacent corridor, to the door of the apartment, to a small vestibule inside and finally to a vast and empty lounge with almost floor-to-ceiling windows and one of the most breathtaking views in the world.

Occasionally, figures clad entirely in white moved noiselessly in soft white slippers through the apartment. It felt like keeping vigil at an intensive care unit.

The silence was total.

Then, dressed in red velvet trousers and a red shirt, his face unexpectedly pale and with a hint of cosmetics on his lips, there he was. The king of pop was shaking my hand, thanking me profoundly for “sparing time” to see him, attentive to my every need, as coffee and delicacies arrived in a whirl of white pyjamas. Something about the way he walked — a high instep, or a slight flat-footedness, something less lithe than I had been expecting — prompted my last vestige of misgiving, a suspicion that I was with a brilliant impersonator of the world’s single most famous man.

He sat a few feet away from me and as our conversation got rather stutteringly under way, I found myself noticing what seemed to be faint discolourations of skin grafting on his face, the brilliance of his eyes, which at reflective moments seemed to well up with sadness, and the soft girlishness of his voice, especially in laughter. I didn’t really know who to “be”, as the unreality of this encounter gave way to the rational conclusion that it was actually happening: I was watching me at the same time as being me. Should I be an awestruck fan, or somebody from the music business who could share a bit of his vocabulary, or a wise elder bringing cool assessment from a different discipline?

I suppose I tried all three, as we talked about the new album, Bad, the rigours of being on tour, the rehearsal regime for his breakthrough choreography and the opportunity for the creation of something completely original.

In response to his questions, I told him things about Cats and Starlight Express, shows I had directed with the intention of finding more environmental, inclusive ways of presenting music theatre. In return, Michael told me how he yearned to be able to do something more spectacular, such as flying over the audience. “Oh, I know just how to do that, no problem,” I said banteringly. “I had people flying over the audience when I did Peter Pan.”

Something seismic had happened. He reacted as if an electric current had just passed through him. He sat up to the edge of his chair, clutching the arms with splayed hands, one of which was gloved. “You did Peter Pan?” he whispered.

“Yeah, in London,” I said.

He leapt up. “You directed Peter Pan?” The high-pitched voice went higher as he walked up and down in front of me, repeating: “Oh my God. Peter Pan! I don’t believe it.”

I described our production, in which all the children’s parts had been played by adult actors. He bounded across the room, his eyes full of tears, he knelt down in front of me, his hands on my knees, and he said: “Could I play Peter, is it too late? Will you let me play Peter? All I ever want to do is to play Peter Pan.”

From that point on I was his new best friend. White-clad figures hovered in doorways, worried that the yells, squawks and squeals of unbridled delight might be the sounds of their lord and master being beaten up by his unknown visitor. He knew every incident in the Peter Pan story, he recited lines from the text and he became immensely vulnerable and childlike as the delight transformed him to some earlier moment in his life.

The unexpectedness of this convulsion, in which I had suddenly become the possible enabler of his greatest yearning, prevented me from reflecting on what it meant or what condition it revealed; but I think I realised something about his life as a child star and his eccentric discomfort with being grown up was being shown and this revelation was very private and very rare.

The meeting finished after two hours, but not before he had made me “promise” to go to his concert the following night. I was scheduled to be in the garage below the hotel at 5.30 in the evening. I arrived through a similar cordon of security and then discovered to my disbelief that I was being ushered into a Dormobile vehicle with black glass windows, containing a driver, two security men and . . . Michael Jackson.

I travelled with him to the stadium and had the unprecedented and unrepeatable experience of being invisible in the dark interior, as totally visible hordes of fans screamed adoration and reached out to touch the glass as we passed. I was taken backstage with him briefly, before following an escort to my place beside the sound operator at a massive desk in the best position in the entire auditorium.

I was under strict instructions. During the journey there, Michael had said in a number of different ways that I was to tell him everything I didn’t like about the staging and what he was doing. When I responded that I was sure there would be nothing I didn’t like, he became urgent and insistent: “No, you must tell me . . . I need somebody to tell me . . . think of how it could be different . . . think of how I could fly.”

He was, of course, astonishing — incomparable as a dancer, with the music seeming to come not just from his mouth but from his entire supercharged body. I allowed myself to note that the show was very unstructured, that there was insufficient contrast and that a hint of a narrative might allow more of his fascination as “a character” to emerge.

After the thunderous finale, I was ushered backstage again and into the vehicle, soon after to be joined by an utterly drained, almost lifeless Michael and a short, sturdy, middle-aged man with a greying ponytail, Mr DiLeo. I tried to tell Michael how miraculous he had just been, but all he would say was: “I want to know what you really think. Not now. Tell me tomorrow.”

Back at the hotel, his manager confirmed there could be no more talk until Michael had slept for 12 hours. I was instructed to show up at the hotel room the following day at noon. By then I had worked out a proposal that would indeed have a hint of narrative, structured round the song Man in the Mirror, allowing him to become two versions of the same person, one a full-on, sexual animal as in Bad, the other a more sensitive, tender, innocent creature of imagination, one who, at the show’s climax, would fly up and away.

When Michael came in again at exactly the appointed hour, he was with Mr DiLeo. This made things twice as difficult, for although Michael remained rapt and enthusiastic, almost too impressionably saying, “Oh, I love that” and “That’s wonderful”, his manager was altogether more businesslike, asking for detail in questions such as, “Exactly how would you do it?”

I had the distinct impression that Michael saw us as two children in the presence of an adult and was urging me to ignore this parental control. He raced on to future plans. He urged me to return to England via Los Angeles, so we could meet and talk more. He insisted he could switch his rehearsal plans to New York to coincide with my next obligation, which was rehearsing a Broadway musical. I was given telephone numbers to make contact in Los Angeles and New York.

Michael agreed to pose for a photograph with my little daughter if I fetched her from my room. That photograph is the only real evidence I have that any of this is true. However many times I called, I never got through to Michael again and I couldn’t entirely rid myself of the idea that people in the organisation were under instruction, very politely, to keep me away.

But here’s the point. I wasn’t the least surprised to hear that Michael Jackson had made a huge children’s playground at a ranch that he had called Neverland, the name of the home of his beloved Peter Pan. When the accusations of sexual molestation of children appeared, I believed then, as I believe now, that they were untrue. Call me naive, but I am convinced he was being Peter Pan.

Peter presides over a group of Lost Boys, children who look to his leadership but who he needs as much as they need him. The Lost Boys live in the same big room as Peter and they all sleep in the same big bed. Inviting boys to Neverland, staying in the same room, all sleeping in the same huge bed . . . these are the activities that were at the centre of the abuse allegations. But Peter is almost androgynous, he is sexless, he is adored by Wendy but has no concept of the love she wants from him.

J M Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan, was himself suspected of child abuse. Peter’s desperate yearning for permanent childhood, the fear of growing up and compromising with an adult world was, to a large extent, Barrie’s autobiographical experience, fascinated as he was with other people’s children while living in a seemingly unconsummated marriage

As for Jackson? He was, possibly, the Wacko Jacko of the tabloids, but what I witnessed of his obsession with Peter Pan was different, unfakeable and real. It was not really about a part he wanted to play. It was about the person he wanted to be.

© Trevor Nunn 2009

Michael Jackson's Peter Pan obsession - Times Online

DownWithTyranny!: Michael Jackson (1958-2009): Thoughts About Peter Pan

INCLUDING THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW MJ'S GROUND-
BREAKING THRILLER FOUND ITS WAY ONTO MTV




by Noah

“An actress is not a machine, but they treat you like a machine, a money machine.”
-- Marilyn Monroe

Every life has its times of misery and its times of joy. With some of us, these peaks and valleys can be more extreme than others. In the case of Michael Jackson, I doubt that we’ll ever know just how much misery he had and what specific demons prodded him along on his path. I do suspect, and I could be wrong, of course, that his highest moments of joy came when he was performing. He seemed driven, if not born, to perform and entertain.

Right now we are being saturated with articles and commentary about Michael Jackson and his tragic death. It’s unavoidable. His life was an important one to so many. I’m only adding to this pile of commentary because, if you choose to read further, I can offer the perspective both of someone who both spends a lot of time shaking his head at what spews forth from the media and of someone who was there at a key moment in Michael Jackson’s career and pop culture in general.

First, though, some comments about the media circus:

(1) In its effort to be “all MJ all the time," the corporate media have set a new low in just throwing stories out there for the sake of boosting sales of papers and magazines and bringing more eyeballs to the tube.

First the cause of death was a daily Demerol shot. Two days later, there was no Demerol. Next we heard that one of the kids saw him die and thought he was just “clowning.” It’s a horrible thought, but now we hear it isn’t, shall we say, based in fact. Then there’s a will. Then there’s two wills. Then there’s no will at all. Now, as I write this, guess what: There's a will!

The media is just intent on filling space. Facts be damned! It goes on and on. It changes daily. What are we supposed to believe? I tell ya what I believe. I believe the media have sunk to a new low in tabloid journalism. What ever happened to fact-checking before you run with a story? It’s a failing that just gets worse and worse, as if everyone in the media looks at the money that sleazy carny hucksters like Rush and Beck and Hannity are raking in from their daily fiction and follows their lead. The same bozos that consistently told us Bush won for eight years now just switch their fantasies daily. Remember when the media was consistent in their lies, for years at a time?

(2) There have also been some really genius quotes in the MJ coverage. My favorites:

* “The concert promoters can’t sue the estate. Once he dies, he doesn’t have any obligation to perform.” That's Bob Rasmussen, dean of the Gould School of Law, USC. Oh well, the football team there is pretty damn good.

* How about this one, from Old Suspenders himself, Larry King: “It was hard to love him, but hard not to.” Yogi Berra he ain’t. But hey, Larry King adores the Bushes, all of them, so let’s not go expecting pearls of wisdom from what’s left of his mind.

* But it’s no surprise that the worst quotes of all in the “all MJ all the time” coverage come from MJ’s own father. “We just lost the biggest star in the world.” True enough, at least, but if I had a son that died, I might first say that I lost my son and what he personally meant to me, etc. Later, at a tribute to his son, Dad struck again, using the occasion not for a eulogy but to announce the formation of his brand-new business enterprise! Smooth! Gee, I wonder why, despite such staggering talent, Michael was so dysfunctional?

(3) What I haven’t heard is anything about the baby-dangling, serving the Jesus Juice to little boys, or even attempting to buy the Elephant Man’s bones.

There has been some brief mention of his legal trials, but, he was, after all, acquitted, so it would be awkward for the media to spend much time dredging up the muck -- not that I wouldn’t put it past them. A modicum of decorum, and respect for the old adage that one is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law from the media? Now, that would be news!

I have also been waiting for someone to tell us, what was the source of such physical pain that he needed to take so many painkillers in the first place? What sent him down that road? I seem to remember that there was a stage accident, back in 1984, which resulted in head trauma and serious scalp burns from an effects explosion during a shoot for a Pepsi commercial. Perhaps no one wants to offend Pepsi. In any event, we get nada on this. In hindsight, things were not the same with Michael after that incident., but instead we get sordid stories of stomach-pumping of multiple-pill combos. To me, the oddest mixture is not what was in his stomach but what is and isn’t reported in a media that has gone tabloid across the board. This man, or more aptly man-child, was in tremendous physical and psychic pain, pain so extreme that it directly led to his death.

(4) Then there’s the search for a handle on the meaning of this great pop icon’s life, contribution to the world, and status in some mythical Hall of Pop Culture Icons.

Is Michael Jackson up there with Elvis, James Brown (oddly ignored in the coverage I've seen), The Beatles, and Muhammad Ali (also ignored)? Certainly he is to the '80s generation. So many bought Thrillerthat it became what I call a coffee-table item. It was a "must have" to certain people who bought it, took it home, and, as evidenced by the number of sealed copies of original pressings being offered on eBay, never even opened it. Hell, they probably didn’t even have a record player.

I’m old enough to remember when the Jackson Five first came on my radar screen, with the hit with ABC. I had stopped following Motown at the time, but I thought that song was great and whoever was singing it had broken some barrier of youthful exuberance. I still remember a little kid with his mother dancing joyfully to the song in a park in Boston, where I lived at the time, as it played on their radio. Five years later there was “Who’s Lovin’ You?,” sung by an 11-year-old Michael. At first that gave me pause, but then I put it in the context of a sixth-grader with a crush on a classmate, experiencing the pangs of youthful jealousy. Been there.

I also remember working in a record store and watching kids walk up to the Jackson Five section doing “The Robot.” They tried, often unsuccessfully, to imitate Michael’s every move. They had music made for them by one of their own. The point is that a hell of a lot of people grew up with Michael Jackson, grew up right along with him, and loved him even when he stopped growing up. Like Ali, Michael’s name is known the world over. Everywhere!

************

“I have feelings too. I am still human. All I want is to be loved, for myself and for my talent.”
-- Marilyn Monroe

Walter Yetnikoff, head of CBS Records from the late '70s through the '80s, was publicly ridiculed when he signed the Jacksons for what was then thought to be “too much moola” -- right around the same time another bombastic CEO, George Steinbrenner of the New York Yankees, signed another Jackson, Reggie, for what was also then thought to be a ridiculous amount of money. Both wild and crazy guys apparently made the right move.

Not only did the musical Jacksons, thought by many to be old news, do fine, but in 1979 one of the group, Michael, had a huge, multi-platinum seller of a solo album called Off the Wall. It was a record that could get play on several styles of radio stations, reaching a multitude of demographics. Michael Jackson was about to knock through barriers of age, gender, nationality, and race to an extent that few if any artists could have ever imagined or hoped for.

The next album was Thriller. There was a problem though. By the time it came out, the game of how you reach the most people was changing. The game changer was called MTV. I was a marketing executive at CBS Records at the time. I worked for the Columbia label; Michael was on our sister label, Epic. Yetnikoff ran both. We all knew that Michael could reach across racial barriers if given the chance, but MTV wasn’t about to give him that chance. Some artists just didn’t “fit the format” in the narrow minds of those running MTV in its early days. There was an unspoken barrier, a restricted entry, just like a golf club that doesn’t let in “the Jews.” Today, as exemplified by the current media coverage, Michael Jackson is credited with being the first artist to break down those barriers on such a large scale. But it almost never happened, and Thriller, the album that changed so much for so many, almost never became what it did.

The man that made it happen was Walter Yetnikoff [seen here in his later years, hawking his 2004 tell-all memoir, Howling at the Moon]. I know because I was there. I was in the office of the head of marketing when Yetnikoff conference-called a few of the powers-that-were at CBS Records about the fact that MTV would not play Michael’s videos, no matter how many records he sold. I was allowed to listen in as Yetnikoff announced his simple remedy for this disgusting situation. He pointed out that MTV’s survival at such an early stage of its growth was not assured. He also pointed out that two record companies, CBS and Warners, provided the lion's share of the video clips that MTV relied upon for programming at the time. (Keep in mind that at that point in time all MTV did was play music videos. The ever-popular insipid “reality” shows and the like would come later.) If one of those two record companies were to pull all of their videos from MTV, MTV would die. Yetnikoff then got the lords of MTV on the line and persuaded them to change their minds.

Pop culture changed that day.

************

I am reasonably certain at this point that the out-of-control coverage of the death of an out-of-control artist named Michael Jackson has been so confusing and reckless that it will lead to decades of conspiratorial speculation as to what really happened, not unlike the mysterious barbiturate death of Marilyn Monroe. Whatever the specific cause of death (and we may never get the truth), Michael Jackson had a hugely dysfunctional life and a hugely successful artistic career, both creatively and financially.

There have been painters and writers and musicians before who met the definition of severely dysfunctional. Vincent van Gogh went around stalking fellow painter Paul Gauguin with a razor and ended up cutting off one of his own earlobes. It is theorized that he used the color yellow as much as he did because of his overdosing on absinthe, which contains a neurotoxin that causes one to see objects in yellow. He painted some awfully nice sunflowers! In fact, people pay millions for them today, but during his highly unstable and probably bipolar life, he never sold a painting.

The extremes of Michael Jackson’s life might not be equaled for a while.

One last thing I have noticed is that I have been hearing much better music coming out of car radios as I walk around NYC since MJ died. So why not just stop the madness and just let the music speak for itself, and for MJ? That is the legacy that will last the longest.

“A career is wonderful, but you can’t curl up with it on a cold night.”
-- Marilyn Monroe

THE LEGACY LIVES ON . . .

DownWithTyranny!: Michael Jackson (1958-2009): Thoughts About Peter Pan

The Death of Michael Jackson and the Peter Pan Syndrome – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks

The Death of Michael Jackson and the Peter Pan Syndrome

by Josh Clark

(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

(Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

I just can’t do it. I can’t not write about the death of Michael Jackson. It’s too big of a deal. I don’t even like the guy’s music anymore, at least not the stuff he released from the late ’80s on. I did worship him for several years, during the Thriller stage. I was replete. My mom made me a white sequined glove as a gift for my First Communion. I also had the clearly unlicensed knockoff of the red jacket he wore following his rough transition from ’50s teenager to a werewolf to a zombie to his ’80s self.

As the years passed, Michael Jackson and I parted ways, what with me growing up and him opting to stay back in the formative years. As his behavior and appearance became increasingly bizarre (dating Liz Taylor, bff with his chimp, the attempted purchase of Joseph [changed] Merrick’s skeleton) and menacing (read: the three sex abuse allegations levied against him from the 1990s to 2003), the public sought to explain it. Well, I don’t have to tell you. You know you wanted to know what precisely was going on in the man’s head just as much as anyone else, especially once child molestation charges began to fly. Then we as a public had a duty to know what was going on.

What we came up with was the “Peter Pan Syndrome.” You’ll note the quotes; the syndrome is a pop psychology diagnosis, not recognized in the diagnostic psychology manual, the DSM-IV. Psychologist Dan Riley coined the term in a book in 1983 to describe the state of arrested development (afflicting men more than women) where, under conditions of overprotective parenting, a person comes to look at the world as too threatening and depressing to take head-on as an adult with all of the responsibilities and terrible consequences associated with maturity.

That definitely describes MJ in aces. I don’t think I’m the only one who await the cascade of revelations about his life that will surely come in the days to follow. I think the worst outcome for the public psyche is for us to find he really was just a gentle, misunderstood and fragile person we wouldn’t leave alone.

The Death of Michael Jackson and the Peter Pan Syndrome – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks